DOG owners fed up with their pets disappearing need worry no longer – thanks to a new invention from an Amersham businessman.

The 'Retrieva' tracking system was invented by Jon Bryan after this two spaniels Abbey and Oscar did their “usual trick of disappearing” once too often.

Realising technology in his mobile phone was able to find him, the 47-year-old former investment banker set to work creating a dog collar with a GPS tracker.

After three years of hard work the Retrieva was born – to great acclaim from search teams, police and the military, who have all bought the device.

Orders for the collars have come in from Scandinavia, Australia, France and Canada – but Mr Bryan joked the inventing process had taken “too long” and had been “like giving birth to a hippo”.

The First Avenue resident said: “One of the issues is that tracking dogs is incredibly difficult. Unlike cars, which have buttons and batteries and stick to the roads, dogs go down holes, jump into lakes and roam around in bushes and the number of technological hurdles we had to jump over was quite a challenge.

“If we'd known at the start what we know now then I don't think we would have started.”

But he added: “Everyone loves it. The feedback has been very encouraging, but it has been a long time in getting it right.

“It seems more people readily understand and accept the technology. Traditionally tracking people has been seen as slightly Big Brother-ish.”

The device allows pet owners to locate their dog and also find out where it has been and even how fast it has been running.

Mr Bryan was inspired to invent the Retrieva for a number of reasons.

He said: “There was a combination of things that brought it about – my dogs legging it in Hodgemoor Wood near Beaconsfield being one.

“At the time there were a lot of things in the papers about people having their dogs kidnapped. A woman in Chesham had hers held to ransom and Bruce Forsyth's daughter's dog went missing at the same time.”

One of the Retrievas is being given away by the Berkhamsted-based company at a sponsored dog walk at the Hospice of St Francis on Sunday.

The dog that raises the most amount of money for the Hospice, which is also based in Berkhamsted and provides care for terminally-ill patients from the Chiltern district, will receive a Retrieva at the end of the 9km K9-9K walk.

Mr Bryan said: “They are raising money for a good cause so it seemed a good match-up.”

For more information on the walk call Tony on 01442 875417, Peter on 01442 863185 or email berkodogwalk@hotmail.co.uk. For details on the company, go to www.retrievatracking.co.uk.