The Apple AirTag may be a jack-of-all-trades — people use it for keeping track of keys, suitcases, backpacks, purses — but I think the most logical use case for it, by far, is keeping track of your pet. I attach it to my corgi Jelly’s collar via a matching silicone holder. Have I ever once truly needed it to find her, and do I think she’d ever run off on me? No — she’s a pretty loyal herding dog, so she likes to keep an eye on her parents — but just like whatever else you may attach an AirTag to, there’s a significant chance that the one time you truly need it, you’ll be thanking God that you had it. (Kind of like insurance.)
I think it’d be especially useful, too, for someone who participates in off-leash hours at the park, or lets their dog roam free when in a new environment (like a cabin weekend upstate). Even the most tried-and-true dog can be distracted by something they’ve never seen before, run after it for a minute, and then find themself unexpectedly lost; it happened to one of my friends a few months ago. (The dog was found a few days later unharmed, but unfortunately, there was no AirTag on her collar.)
For me and Jelly, it’s even useful when we’re apart because it cuts down on pestering whoever is watching her. For instance, when I was away for the weekend and knew her sitter had a busy day ahead, I was able to check in to make sure Jelly was out on her walk within a certain number of hours without having to send a single text.