GPS reporting, community alerts, solidarity missions, points and rewards – everything you need to know about the Hesteka app to protect animals near you.

"A lost animal on your street is far more likely to be found if 200 neighbors are alerted in real time than if just one person posts on a forum."

300,000 animals lost in France / year

In France, 300,000 animals are lost each year. Many never find their families. Not due to a lack of love, but a lack of visibility, speed, and mobilization.

This is exactly the problem Hesteka decided to solve.

Hesteka is a 100% free mobile app, available on the App Store and Google Play, designed to mobilize citizens to help animals in danger near them. GPS reporting, real-time community alerts, solidarity missions, reward system: here's the complete guide to understand how it works and why it changes everything.

1. Report an animal: simple, fast, effective

Reporting is the core of Hesteka. In a few seconds, any user can post an alert for a lost, found, or endangered animal, whether injured, abandoned, or stray.

What you can report

• A lost animal: Has your own animal gone missing? Post an ad with its description, its last known location, and a photo.

•  A found animal: Have you taken in a stray animal? Report it so its owner can find it.

• An animal in danger: An animal injured on the road, abandoned in a garden, in visible distress—report it and the community will intervene.

• All types of animals: dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, reptiles… as well as injured wild animals.

How it works in practice

The interface is designed to be as fast as possible. You take a photo, add a description (breed, color, collar, chip…), place a precise GPS marker on the map, and the alert is live in less than a minute.

The interactive map also allows you to locate nearby veterinarians and shelters.

Why GPS is crucial: Unlike forums or Facebook groups where announcements get lost in the feed, Hesteka displays reports on a real-time map. Members of your neighborhood see the alert immediately, not tomorrow morning.

2. Community alerts: the power of the local network

 

Reporting is good. Being heard by the right people, at the right time, is what truly makes a difference. This is where Hesteka's community alert system comes in.

Real-time, geolocated notifications As soon as a report is posted, Hesteka members in the relevant area receive an instant push notification. No need to open the app: the alert appears directly on their screen.

You can enable notifications for your geographical area in the app settings.

An integrated local chat

Hesteka includes a local chat that allows members of the same neighborhood to exchange in real time: advice, alerts, shared experiences, animal tips. A valuable tool for coordinating searches or sharing useful information beyond simple reports.

12 hours: the critical window. This is the period during which the chances of finding a lost animal are highest.

Hesteka is designed to help you mobilize your local community within this vital timeframe.

3. Solidarity missions: taking concrete action on the ground

 

Beyond reporting, Hesteka offers a system of local solidarity missions. These missions allow each member to actively engage in helping animals in their neighborhood and be rewarded for each action.How to access missions

Enable mission notifications in your settings. You will receive alerts for missions available in your geographical area. Partner collection points (shelters, veterinarians, associations) are displayed directly on the map in the app.

Examples of available missions

• Participate in an active search for a reported animal

• Walk dogs in shelters

• Organize a collection day for an association

Hesteka, a network open to partners: animal associations, pet product brands, veterinary networks – any organization sharing Hesteka's values can join the ecosystem. Contact: contact@hesteka.com

4. Points and rewards: every good deed is valued

 

This is one of Hesteka's great unique features: every action within the application earns points, redeemable for rewards directly in the app. A system designed to encourage sustained engagement and make animal mutual aid accessible and rewarding for all.

Actions that earn points

• Report a Lost, found, or endangered animal; each report feeds the community

• Participate in a local mission available near you on the map...

 

What can you get with your points?

Accumulated points can be redeemed for rewards directly from the application. The rewards catalog evolves with partnerships: pet products, vouchers from partner brands…

A concrete way to value every act of solidarity. The idea behind the points system: to make engagement sustainable. We don't ask users to give without receiving anything. We create a virtuous cycle: you help animals, you are rewarded, you come back.

 

The community grows, and animals benefit.Hesteka is not just an app. It's an instinct.

An instinct you'll have the day you encounter a stray dog on the sidewalk. Or the morning your cat doesn't come home. Or when your neighbor desperately searches for their cat missing since the previous day.

Free, simple, community-driven, Hesteka brings together everything citizen animal protection needs to function. All that's missing is you.

• Download Hesteka for free

App Store · Google Play · 100% Free

Report · Share · Help — and earn rewards

 

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about Hesteka

1. Is Hesteka really free?

Yes, Hesteka is 100% free to download and use. Hesteka's mission is to

make animal mutual aid accessible to all, with no financial cost.

2. On which devices is the app available?

Hesteka is available on iPhone (App Store) and Android (Google Play). Profile creation takes less than a minute.

3. What animals can be reported on Hesteka?

All domestic animals (dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, reptiles…) as well as injured or endangered wild animals.

4. How are my points used?

Points accumulate with each action (reporting, mission, sharing, confirmation) and can be redeemed for rewards directly within the application.

5. Can an association join Hesteka?

Yes! Animal associations, pet product brands, or veterinary networks sharing Hesteka's values can contact the team at contact@hesteka.com. A response is guaranteed within 48 business hours.