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A thermal drone uses a special infrared camera to detect heat signatures. When we fly over an area, the drone identifies warm bodies (like your dog or cat) against cooler surroundings, making it easier to spot animals that may be hiding or moving through the landscape.

The most effective times are during cool, overcast weather, especially from late fall through early spring. These conditions create strong contrast between your pet’s body heat and the environment. Early mornings and evenings can also work well. Summertime searches are highly limited in effectiveness.

Yes, but it’s quite a bit more challenging. Summer heat and leafy trees can reduce visibility and thermal contrast. We look for early mornings, overcast days, or rural nighttime opportunities. But not all situations will be ideal. Heavily wooded areas will be ineffective in most cases.

We ask key questions before starting any search, including:

• How long has your pet been missing
• What kind of pet and how large?
• Where were they last seen?
• What's the local terrain and weather like?

We’ll give you an honest answer, even if that means recommending against a drone search.

Drone searches can last up to about 2 hours. This allows us to cover a large area efficiently. In some cases, we may extend the search or recommend returning at a better time. Each individual situation will vary.

We primarily search for dogs, but we’ve also helped recover other animals like livestock and deer for hunters.

Cats can be harder to locate because they often like to hide in enclosed or sheltered spaces such as decks and porch floors. However, if a cat is moving through open terrain, laying down, or near the edge of a wooded area, we’ve had successful recoveries. See our video on cat search expectations for more detail.

Thermal drones cannot see through buildings, walls, or dense evergreen trees. However, we can help eliminate open areas, which allows you to focus on checking nearby sheds, garages, and structures.