Heat-Sensing Drone Finds Lost New Jersey Puppy in 41 Minutes After Day-Long Search
Using heat-detection technology, a drone located a missing puppy just a few blocks from its New Jersey home – following an exhausting 27-hour search by neighbors that came up empty.
“I was two steps out of the house. I dropped something and the sound startled him. He darted away and was able to slip out of his harness,” said owner Gina Manfredi to NJ.com.
USAR Drone Team‘s Michael Praziale led the successful search, noting that domesticated dogs that have lived with their owners for several years and are familiar with the neighborhood typically do not stray too far.
The ordeal started when Shade, only 5 months old, slipped out of his harness during an evening walk on February 20. Even after searching the entire neighborhood, the puppy remained hidden until the drone team showed up.
The breakthrough came through Bailey’s Bridge to Home Rescue coordinator Kathleen Tortu-Bowles. “She did everything right. Where we start is putting clothes or items that smell like the family in hopes they catch the scent and find home,” Tortu-Bowles noted.
The veterans running USAR as a non-profit divide their work between finding lost pets and other rescue operations. Their heat-sensing cameras have helped find countless missing pets.
The happy owner quickly made sure Shade wouldn’t get lost again. She bought three backups: a GPS tracker, an Apple AirTag, and a better harness. Besides being tired and thirsty, the puppy was perfectly fine after his adventure.
This rescue has gotten Camden County excited about using drones to find lost pets. Local animal groups are now teaming up with drone experts more often when pets go missing.
