'It's really overwhelming': Drone pilot works to find lost Wisconsin pets
OCONOMOWOC, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Losing a pet happens more often, to more people, than you might think. A dog slips a collar or someone doesn't latch the gate. It happens.
When it happens, time matters. And state-of-the-art technology helps, too.
Flashback to September: A 14-year-old English springer spaniel named Knives has been missing in the area for 32 hours. Owner Tony Arnold posted on social media, where Tony Drake saw and offered his help. Cue the Sky Guardian Rescue Team.
"Here's that moment you pulled him out of the brush," Drake said as he, Arnold, and Arnold's daughter, Autumn, watched a recording of the moment on a tablet a couple of months later. "I think I'm asking, 'is he ok, is he ok?'"
"I think this is my favorite, here." The video shows Arnold picking up Knives, looking up at the drone and waving. "That's that moment that's such a great feeling," Drake said. "When you knew he was safe and when you guys were reunited."
"A lot of people ask me why I do this," said Drake. "It's these moments."
Drake leads his own big pack at his home in Oconomowoc. His family owns five dogs: Maggie, Snoopy, Milo, Ramboo, and Cooper. But it is who is not there that sent Drake on this new path.
"I think part of it was filling that void," he said.
His hunting dog, Kobe, ran off this past summer.
"Me and Kobe were really, really close." said Drake.
He says he and his family did everything they could looking for Kobe. They put up signs and fliers. They asked for help on social media. They are still looking for Kobe, but Drake did find a social media community dedicated to lost pets.
"Some really amazing human beings." he said. He learned about Facebook groups like Lost Dogs of Wisconsin, Billy's Posse, Southern Waukesha County Canine Search and Rescue, Journey Home Animal Control, Jeff's Way Home Lost Dog Search and Rescue, and Thermal Drone SAR Services. When the group used a thermal drone in the search for Kobe, Drake, a pilot himself, took flight with a new calling.
"We just felt compelled to kind of give back," Drake said.
Drake built up a fleet of high-tech drones. Some with thermal imaging capabilities, 400-times zoom, and powerful spotlights to see at night.
Drake owns Drake & Associates, a financial planning business, and is a frequent "financial topics" guest on the CBS 58 Morning News. His new company, Sky Guardian Rescue, is ready at a moment's notice to jump into action.
Sky Guardian charges $200-$300 depending on their involvement (their most expensive drone costs about $25K), but oftentimes, if one of the Facebook groups coordinates the search, there ends up being no charge to the owner.
"The success rate, if we've had a recent sighting, is pretty good," he said. "And if the family is willing to take some advice. It's a lot of the stuff I learned. I did all the wrong things when I lost Kobe."
Drake says there are dos and don'ts when searching for your lost pets:
- Do - Immediate put out flyers, signs, and, most importantly, post photos in lost pets and community groups on social media.
- Don't - Chase, call out, or whistle at a lost pet.
- Do - Use what your pet loves to get them to come back to you. High value treats or phrases.
"Don't feel embarrassed. This happens to everybody," said Drake. "Move quick. Get those groups involved. And the quicker you do that, the higher our success rate to make sure that animal comes home."
When Sky Guardian returns to base after a successful mission, whether it's been hours or days, the emotions are high.
"It's really overwhelming and almost addictive. I mean, it really keeps driving you," he said.
Tony and his team have searched for dogs, cats, even turtles and tortoises.
There is one case that changed his life again.
"Yeah, Maggie…" Drake said. "I don't know what it was about Maggie. She was an emotional one for me."
Drake says Maggie's first year of life had been hard. From a stray in California, to Arizona, to a new life with a new family in Wisconsin, only to slip her collar less than 24 hours later.
"They had us out the very first night," said Drake of the initial search. "We were out flying the drone. Didn't have any luck. But they did everything we asked them to do. Flyers out, road signs. Social media. And all the sightings start coming in."
After nine days, they finally got her. It was an extremely stressful and anxious nine days. Her new owners decided they couldn't go through that again. They called Tony to let him know they were going to bring her back to the rescue.
"I said, hold that thought for a minute. And I talked to the family, and we just decided Maggie had enough." Drake adopted Maggie himself and made her part of the Drake pack.
"She's been an amazing addition to our family." he said.
A family that's a small part of animal lovers across the state, ready to rescue.