Method and system for remote monitoring, care and maintenance of animals

A method for remote care of an animal using an automated shelter having a water-tight housing with a hardened structural shell defining a chamber, a door disposed in the housing providing entry into and exit from the chamber, a wireless data communication system disposed within the housing and wirelessly communicatively coupled with a global computer network and telecommunication system, a mobility portion coupled to the housing and operable to move the housing, and a microprocessor disposed within the housing and in communication with the wireless data communication system and operable to control the mobility portion and the door, the method comprising:

• automatically navigating and moving the shelter to a docking mechanism to securely fasten the shelter in response to at least one of detecting a potentially hazardous environmental condition and receiving a wirelessly transmitted warning;
• automatically lowering the shelter subterraneously in response to at least one of detecting the potentially hazardous environmental condition and receiving the wirelessly transmitted warning;
• automatically providing sufficient life-sustaining air to the chamber;
• automatically providing regulated ambient lighting in the chamber in response to at least one of a pre-programmed schedule and receiving lighting control instructions via the wireless data communication system;
• automatically dispensing food and water in response to one of a pre-programmed schedule, detecting an absence of food and water, and receiving instructions transmitted via the wireless data communication system;
• and
• automatically capturing images and audio for wireless transmission to a remote device via the wireless data communication system.