Omaha group uses drones to find lost pets

Omaha group uses drones to find lost pets

OMAHA, Nebraska – “It’s a needle in a haystack situation.”

Richard Eaton, a drone pilot, is one of the people behind the Lot Pets Of Omaha Area page, a Facebook group with 65,000 members.

He’s the one flying their new drone in search of a couple’s pet named Ryleigh.

“We flew for a while. Say, another 2-3 hours. Eaton said.

Ryleigh got loose while the couple was traveling through the Midwest, from Arizona to Minnesota.

“A lot of the evenings had been down way below zero windchill.”

Eaton had to halt the search for a few days because the drone does not operate in such cold temperatures. The family needed to get back to Minnesota.

Eaton, however, refused to give up.

“The fact that she stayed in one spot made it easy with the drone.”

He collaborated with the Harrison County Humane Society to safely and effectively capture her.

“It was simply a miracle. The dog was about a half-mile into a plowed field.

Last year, the Lost Pets of Omaha Area group solicited donations to purchase the drone. It cost $9,000 and has successfully reunited three pets with their families.

“It’s as exciting as it gets. We reached out to them, and they were in tears.

All thanks to a single group and their drone.

Eaton stated that he cannot assist in the recovery of every lost pet, but he does his best to prioritize high-risk situations, such as elderly, sick, or disabled dogs.

In this case, Eaton explained that the family was out of town.

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