In the USA there’s now a booming market finding lost pets with thermal drones. Not just dogs & cats but the whole range of imported & native species that Americans love to keep as pets – including tortoises and capybaras. Yes a tortoise can show up on a thermal camera, in the right conditions.
It makes sense for climate reasons and economics – enough customers with the cash to pay for a professional standard search service, and enough people who aren’t the sharpest tools when it comes to ensuring pets don’t escape (anthropomorphism is rife in ‘developed’ countries – the belief that ‘my pet loves me so much it would never leave, or it could easily find it’s way back when it started to miss me’.
The same combination doesn’t exist in Australia. I say no to requests because I don’t want to take somebody’s money for work that has such a tiny chance of success. The money can be much more usefully spent – eg as a reward.
I wish thermal drones for pet rescue was a good option in hotter parts of Australia but that’s just not the case – it’s like looking for a needle in a box of needles. Thermal drones can’t see through solid objects such as trees, and if there’s rocks around they heat up during the day and make differentiation difficult to spot. Drones also have a limited flight distance.
Even the best in the USA pet search & rescue business, often aren’t able to locate the pets – despite a stack of people on the ground also helping. During their very cold winters they of course have a much higher success rate as the temperature difference makes warm blooded critters stand out against the cold ground temperature (or water).
In the vegetated tropics, where I live – the likelihood of locating a lost pet that couldn’t be found via ground searches is close to zero.
Here’s what I recommend instead:
- Don’t waste time – maximise effort before the ‘trail goes cold’.
- Immediately offer money for the safe location/return of the pet. If it’s a suburb with a lot of kids or other enterprising people who’d like extra cash, it doesn’t have to be a huge amount to motivate people to actively look. If not, offer a bit more money and people may travel from nearby areas to see if they can earn the reward. More people on the look out or even going out of their way to search = far greater chance of success. Money motivates people.
- Publicise it: posters, flyers in nearby letterboxes, doorknocking, talking to people out dog walking and jogging early and late each day. Plus posting on all the social media sites – etc.
- Of course the obvious such as revisiting common haunts, where the pet was last seen, etc. Most animals of all kinds prefer paths – roads, footpaths, bushwalking & bike tracks. Walking means you can hear grass rustling and call out, as you walk – it’s better than using bikes or cars.
- Be systematic – figure out a plan, think about your pet’s habits & preferences. EG in hot weather many pets will rest in the shade when the sun is high – so sunrise & just before sunset can be the best times to get out & about looking. Have water in your car & snacks in your pocket.
Prevention:
- Fencing, near escapes, training, etc – *never* put changes in the manana basket as you’ll maybe live to regret it. Act immediately.
- Microchipping – it’s also a no brainer one-off cost. If ever in a vet surgery or picked up by the dog catcher then your ownership is there for all to see. Yes disputed ownership occurs.
- Local council registration – keep dogs & cats registered & ensure their collars fit well, with ID tags and a usable phone number.
- Current images – keep a stack of current images of your pet, specifically taken for identification – eg showing summer & winter haircuts, different angles, special markings etc.
- Avoid the most notorious escapee breeds. Some dog breeds are notorious for escaping- I’d never own a Jack Russell, as I don’t want my heart broken. (They also kill a stack of wildlife).
- If it’s an unusual breed, it may be worth contacting any local breeders, to keep their eyes & ears open.
- Cats – cats are safer 24/7 indoors or in a cat run, and outdoors only when walked in a lead. Do this for the cat’s health & safety and you have no way of knowing what they do or where they go if left outside unsupervised. If you care about wildlife at all, it’s also a no brainer to protect them also, since domestic cats collectively kill more wildlife than Australia’s feral cats.
Fundamentally – think about preventing an escape on the first day of pet ownership and never let it leave your mind. Half a century ago a pet dog of ours vanished and we never knew what happened to it. I’ve also had a much loved pet escape through a tiny ventilation brick gap, and get hit by a car – so I know exactly how these disasters feel.
Ultimately it’s better to keep a pet confined while you fix a security problem, than have it running free then escape and be injured or killed. The former is more humane than the latter, although populist nonsense these days says otherwise.
When your pet is found:
- Don’t forget to thank anyone who helped look
- Remove any fliers that have been stuck to posts or community noticeboards. That helps ensure that other bereft pet owners can follow suit, instead of councils & business owners getting stricter about such notification postings.
- Immediately make changes to ensure there’s no repeat performance. Do not ‘leave it until tomorrow’. One escape makes repeat performances likely.
- Offer tips to others who have lost their pets.
There’s countless fantastic uses for thermal drones, including search & rescue for people and for locating livestock. Unfortunately small pets, high ground temperature, rocks, lots of scrub or trees and large areas mean thermal drones aren’t usually the best tool. Densely populated areas and airspace restrictions can also be problematic (safety related restrictions).
Unfortunately the drone industry is full of snake oil sellers. There are people who will:
a) say they’ll do it for nothing – but with little or no drone, thermal camera and/or SAR skills – and unconvincing pet behaviour knowledge. And you waste precious time on something with little chance of success. Or worse, they scare your pet away further.
b) charge you whatever $, despite a very small chance of success – and you waste money that could instead have been spent on a reward, that has many eyes motivated to find your pet for you.
Always ask drone operators:
1) what experience they have (verifiable online) that relates specifically to the task at hand. EG, if they’re looking for a dog, how well do they understand dogs? And your dog breed, in particular? Specific knowledge is vital, especially re not making the dog more wary
2) evidence of previous success, eg verifiable reviews (same as this website has a stack of comments from my workshop participants, with their names & region attached).
As usual, if I think of other points to add, this post will be updated.