A dog lost in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, was located in just 41 minutes on the evening of February 21 after the USAR Drone Team, a veteran-focused non-profit, came to the rescue through their use of advanced thermal imagery.
The dog, Shade, had been missing for 27 hours and “spent an entire, freezing night out on his own” after “wiggling” free of his harness and running off, according to owner Gina Manfredi.
With time ticking on, Manfredi decided she needed help to search the area from the sky, and called on the Jersey Shore-based USAR Drone Team. The crew of specialist drone pilots help people search for missing pets, and are aiming to expand their services through GoFundMe donations to help cover the cost of searches.
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USAR’s drone crew joined the search for Shade after night had fallen over Cherry Hill, but by using specialized thermal imagery that allowed them to see Shade’s body as a white glow amid all the dark, the team was able to spot the lost dog, and direct Manfredi’s brother towards Shade’s location, all in under 41 minutes – a new record for the squad.
Manfredi can be heard erupting with emotion as she realizes her beloved Shade was back in safe hands, crying “thank you so much!” to the team of rescuers.
“When I spoke with Michael Parziale from USAR Drone Team Group, I immediately felt a sense of relief. His warm, caring voice gave me hope, and I knew right away that we were in good hands,” Manfredi said in a post on Facebook.
“The moment of reunion – captured on camera with my brother and Shade – was truly cinematic,” she said. Credit: USAR Drone Team via Storyful
Video Transcript
Hi, hold on.
OK, I got, I got a runner here.
Yeah, it’s definitely a dog.
Guys, come here, come here, come here, come here.
Come here.
Oh, it is a dog or is it a cat?
No, it’s not a it’s hold on, hold on.
What did I see?
There it is, there it is inside of the house.
Oh there it is, there it is.
Oh, there it is.
He lives over there right next to that woods like went into the woods and so there it is.
Is that the, that right there?
That’s what he said.
There it is.
Do you know where it is, I will tell you.
I know right, I, I wanna keep track of it.
Hold on.
Yeah, it’s not just someone’s dog in the backyard though, right?
I, I have no idea.
I doubt it.
OK.
I want to let stop for a second so I get the spotlight on and we go and it’s under the trees.
Hold on.
Oh there he is.
All right, here.
OK.
It’s on Greenville Road.
Someone head over there now.
Road.
Alright, I’m going with you.
Do you wanna go my car?
OK. Do you want me to, do you want me to call, let me get some.
Hold on.
So, I need someone to look at the dog.
You need someone to what?
I bought the dog if it’s, if it’s the dog.
There it is, there it is.
Where?
Hold on.
Yeah, is that him?
It looks it looks like his size.
Doesn’t it look like size looks like it’s coloring.
Wait, that’s him.
That’s him.
Oh my God, that’s him.
I gotta keep track of it.
I gotta keep track of it.
Right.
Oh my God, that’s definitely him.
Oh my God, I just lost it.
Hold on.
The ring the light, the porch light went off and it took off.
I know he’s he’s he’s very skittish, terrified dog.
probably has no idea what’s going on.
There it is.
There it is.
Where?
Right there.
I see him.
OK, where is this?
It’s going behind this person’s house.
I’m gonna give you the pinpoint area is right there.
It’s.
I, I, I can, but just give me one second.
Take your time.
I do not want to lose it.
That’s why.
That’s definitely him.
That’s definitely him.
I know.
I, I just wanted to stop for a second.
Well, go to Greenville Road.
Is there somebody there now?
Tell him to stop.
He’s in front of the house.
Tell him to stop.
That’s the house.
That’s the house.
Stop.
All right, right there, to the house behind you to the right, the house behind you to the right.
Tell, listen, it’s, it’s it’s what’s his name?
Michael, right, Michael.
All right, come on out.
It’s in between the how where are you?
I’m parking right on the side of that thing here.
Hold on.
All right, I’m parking my car.
Hold on.
I a.
God damn it, fuck.
Hold on.
No fancy.
There it is.
All right, I’m parking.
Hold on.
Oh wait, are they see him.
They see him over there.
Yeah, hold on.
I don’t, I don’t stop crying.
Is that me?
Oh.
OK, don’t make a lot of noise.
I listen, all right, listen, I can’t, I’m trying to, OK, it’s coming to you.
Just talk softly.
Just talk softly, very slow and soft, like almost whispering.
It’s coming.
It’s going to the opposite side of the house.
Go and cut it off on the other side.
No, no, no, the other, the other side, the other way.
Nice and easy, nice and easy.
It’s scared to death.
OK, so this way, right?
It’s by, it’s now.
It’s behind the house.
Oh, it’s to the other house behind the car now.
It’s coming out.
Talk softly, softly, walk slowly.
She just.
It’s coming to you.
Hey Shane, it’s.
There you go.
There you go.
Oh my God.
Oh God.
Oh my God.
Oh my God
