STEP 9 - USE OF DRONES

People often think that the use of drones to find a lost dog can be helpful, but a drone cannot catch a dog.

It may on occasion be able to pinpoint where the dog is, but it is then over to you to facilitate actually catching it.

However, the use of drones can have a seriously detrimental effect on the search, if not flown by an expert with experience in flying for lost dog searches.

If a dog is missing for even a short space of time, it can enter “fight or flight” mode which means it will become extremely fearful of everything.

A lot of drones owned by hobbyists are very noisy and when flown in the area where a missing dog is possibly hiding, the noise and sight of a drone above, can scare it and cause it to run further.

We would never suggest that you allow friends, family, or well meaning members of the public to fly a drone as part of any search.

Expert Help

However, there are experts you can contact, who will, in the right circumstances fly Search and Rescue Drones for you as part of a coordinated search.

You can contact them by going to Drone SAR For Lost Dogs UK on Facebook.

It is a Closed Facebook Group so you will need to apply to join first and then once accepted, post and give them all the information possible regarding the missing dog, in order for them to assess the requirements.

They will then advise on whether a drone could be of use and will find an experienced pilot local to your area.

PLEASE NOTE: One of the biggest issues on this subject that we face across Surrey Heath, is the amount of land where the owners forbid flying of drones.

Drones cannot be flown over any MOD land, near or over airports or airfields, over prisons (HM Prison Coldingley in Bisley), over Royal Parks (Windsor Great Park) and Crown Estate land.

And drones cannot detect stray dogs in heavily wooded areas.

Before any use of drones as part of a search, please contact the experts for proper advice.