Up in the sky! It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s a drone searching for a lost pet.
On St. Patrick’s Day, Guinness, a lost, hurt and frightened five-year-old German Shepherd, Lab, hound mix, had a watchful eye hovering above him.
Hit by a car outside his home in South Amboy, NJ on March 15, Guinness ran into the nearby woods. His panicked humans trailed him.
“I started screaming, knowing that he’s out there hurting and hungry and cold,” Mary Van Sant told a local ABC affiliate. Mary, her husband, Thomas, and friends combed the area for days, but came up empty.
Frantic research brought them to the non-profit: Unmanned Search and Rescue Drone Team. Using thermal sensors, one airborne marvel zeroed in on the injured Guinness’ coordinates. The Drone Team notified Mary and Thomas who followed closely on the ground and rushed to Guinness’ side. Guinness had curled up in a nook feathered by leaves and twigs.
“Hi, baby! I missed you!” Mary shrieked as Thomas wrapped Guinness in a hug. Severely dehydrated, Guinness was rushed to the vet where he underwent surgery to repair broken bones.
Doctors reported that the surgery went well, though Guinness has “a long road of recovery ahead of him,” Mary said. Guinness nuzzled Mary’s face and slathered her with kisses. “He’s so happy to be home.”
The couple has launched a GoFundMe page to help offset their steep surgery tab.
Michael Parziale, Founder of USAR Drone Team: “There is help out there, and it comes in all shapes and forces. You’d be surprised what can be done.”
Since 2017, a volunteer group called Drone Search and Rescue for Lost Dogs has attracted almost 80,000 members including drone pilots and ground searchers. Drone technology has scoured vast areas to rescue more than 4,000 dogs.
Guinness the dog was blessed by Irish luck and the fruits of ingenuity.