By: Lindsay Jeffords
Every founder has an origin story, but few begin with heartbreak at an airport. For Lauren Anders Brown, the day her dog was seized because of a cascade of bureaucratic and documentation errors became the catalyst for a new kind of company.
As a filmmaker, Lauren had traveled to more than forty countries to tell stories about global health and human rights. Every film she produced revealed the vulnerability of the systems meant to protect people—and how devastating their failures could become. That realization inspired her to dedicate her next chapter to building tools that strengthen and make those systems more accountable.
The Spark Behind PadsPass
Out of that crisis came PadsPass, a health-tech platform designed to make pet travel seamless, compliant, and safe. “After that airport incident, I realized pet travel was decades behind in terms of technology and accountability,” Lauren recalls. “There was no universal way to verify health records across borders.”
PadsPass bridges that gap by combining global health expertise, border control compliance, and user-friendly design. It replaces a patchwork of outdated procedures with a trusted digital framework that brings pet owners, veterinarians, and regulators onto the same platform.
How the Platform Works
PadsPass functions as a dual system—an app for pet parents and a secure portal for veterinary clinics and government authorities called CheckPoint. Pet owners download the app and create a Digital Pet Passport, uploading vaccination and health records that are verified through AI-assisted data extraction. Those records are confirmed with the originating clinic before being approved for travel.
Once verification is completed, users gain full access to personalized travel plans. These plans offer pet-friendly options tailored to the animal’s health, destination, and schedule. The system enhances transparency and compliance while making pet mobility easier and giving regulators confidence in the authenticity of each document.
A Team Built for Trust
PadsPass was founded as a female-led company, with a mission shaped by women who work with animals on a daily basis. “We built a culture of empathy and accountability from day one,” Lauren explains.
As the company grew, it attracted experts who shared Lauren’s vision. The CTO brings experience from the aviation sector, the CLO specializes in AI, blockchain, and compliance, the CCO brings a background in veterinary technology, and the growth advisor contributes years of insight into animal health investment. Though spread across four countries, the team stays connected through dedication, trust, and the occasional cat meme that reminds them why they love what they do.
Recognition and Momentum
The momentum behind PadsPass has been strong. Lauren completed the Bermuda Ignite Accelerator Programme, was nominated for Startup Founder of the Year by the Global Startup Awards, and PadsPass itself received the Best New Pet Tech Startup in Bermuda (2025) award from Best of Best Review.
These honors reflect more than growth; they recognize a founder who turned a personal challenge into a mission-driven enterprise. “Every milestone tells us that safety and empathy can coexist with efficiency,” Lauren says. “That’s what keeps us moving forward.”
Purpose Beyond Profit
PadsPass operates with a strong sense of social responsibility. The company partners with organizations that strengthen animal health systems and support global efforts to eradicate rabies. The team collaborates with the Bermuda SPCA to protect animal welfare and with United Against Rabies in the international effort to eliminate dog rabies. They also support the UN-led ID Day initiative, which raises awareness of digital identity as a fundamental right.
Lauren is also a member of the U.S. Animal Health Association, which works to preserve national animal health standards. Through these partnerships, she demonstrates that technology can enhance the human–animal connection rather than replace it.
Setting a New Standard for Pets on the Move
As PadsPass expands into new markets and deepens its partnerships with clinics and regulators, Lauren’s mission remains clear: to ensure that no pet or pet parent faces unnecessary hardship at a border again. Her goal is to make PadsPass the trusted global standard for pet travel verification—one that governments, airlines, and families can rely on.
For Lauren Anders Brown, innovation is not just about solving problems—it’s about embedding compassion into systems that once lacked it. From filmmaker to founder, she has turned personal loss into collective progress, demonstrating that the most meaningful innovations often arise from empathy transformed into action.
