A system for animal caretaking with an animal-mounted audio playback device, a sensing device for sensing the proximity of the playback device with respect to a specific location, a smartphone with a GPS receiver, one or more wireless communication systems connecting the playback device, the location sensing device, and the smartphone, and a smartphone app with a user interface for specifying various parameters for controlling the playback device such that when the caretaker moves a specified distance from the location of the animal, a sound chosen by the caretaker will be emitted from the playback device, and when the animal moves within a specified distance from the location sensing device, a deterrent sound is emitted from the playback device.