Dog rescue missions can be challenging, particularly in rural locations. And when dogs do go missing, it can be highly distressing not only for the dog but also for their human families.
More dogs go missing every day than you might think. Drone to Home, owned and run by Phil James, undertakes dog rescue missions for worried owners in the Nottinghamshire area every day.
By utilising DJI’s drone technology, Phil and his team have reunited almost 350 lost dogs with their owners in the 12 months previous to this article.
Dog rescue: the ultimate example of drone efficiency
Dogs have impeccable senses of smell and, given their heritage of tracking and hunting, are highly skilled at finding their way home or back to their owners if separated.
So when a dog is missing for a prolonged amount of time, its owners are perhaps right to be concerned. And the likelihood of another person simply finding the dog when out and about is severely reduced in the countryside where people are few and far between.
Phil James realised this the first time he attempted to locate a lost dog for a friend. He used his DJI Mavic Mini – a consumer-grade model – to search nearby fields and, thankfully, was able to spot the terrified dog hiding in a bush.
Once he had established his professional operation, Phil soon realised he needed to invest in more robust technology. “You couldn’t do it without a thermal drone”, observes Phil, continuing that without one “you would need at least 100 volunteers” on the ground per rescue mission.
“DJI’s technology helps us greatly by using the thermal capacity of the drone. Thermal penetrates into woodland and large fields so we find the dog much quicker.”
Using DJI technology as a platform for growth
Phil’s passion, coupled with the technological advances in drone technology, have enabled him to register Drone to Home as a UK charity, and set up a network of hundreds of volunteers. These include people who share content on social media and assist ground teams where possible.
And Phil’s vision does not stop there – he aims to expand his operation beyond its current territory of Nottinghamshire to achieve nationwide coverage.
By putting drone operation at the centre of his plan, Phil is tapping into a pool of talented individuals using modern technology to do good in more ways than just rescuing dogs.
“DJI has helped us grow our platform over the last two years”, says Phil. “The [Mavic 2] Enterprise Advanced has been a brilliant bit of kit for what we do as a charity.”
Aside from dog rescue missions, Phil’s charity also aims to promote better human behaviour towards dogs and other animals and introduce more female drone operators to the market.
Phil explains that “the charity is proud to announce our first female drone operator who is currently going through the training. Ladies make up only 4% of drone operators in the UK and Drone To Home aims to change that.”
When asked about how his drone operation might grow further, Phil commented: “the drones which are coming out in the future operate in the rain. That would be a massive bonus for us because we could be out in all weathers helping more people.”
Learn more today
To contact Phil and his team about finding a lost dog, or to find out more about his dog rescue missions, please visit www.dronetohome.co.uk.
If you are interested in DJI drones and would like to know more, please contact Andrew Bird on 07376 609 910 or andrew.bird@syndico.net.
