hands-he CHARITY
Sharing the secret to success
“ When a dog runs off , an owner ' s first reaction is to shout the dog ' s name or call for them to come back , which is understandable as it ' s a natural instinct , but in fact it ' s the worst thing you could do ,” Phil explains . “ The dog will have gone feral within minutes and will continue to run , either because something has frightened it or it ' s chasing prey . Both are primeval mental states , meaning nothing will be able to bring them back in that moment .”
It is for this reason that when Phil and the team do locate an animal , they don ’ t retrieve it . Instead , they bring in the owner and carefully instruct them on what to do . “ When a dog is in that primeval state , it can think everything is a predator , even its owner .” says Phil . “ I ' ve known owners who have had dogs for more than 10 years and the dog doesn ' t recognise them when it ' s in that state . Instead of approaching the dog , we encourage the owner to sit down nearby and talk to it . It ' s vital to let the dog come over in its own time . Often owners break down at this point because they don ' t understand why their pet isn ' t bounding over to them or excited to see them . It could take anything from a couple of minutes to a couple of hours for their domestic instinct to override the primeval one .”
Statistical data indicate that a dog will run off at least three times during its lifetime . Yet , owners are often shocked at the idea their dog , which always comes when called in from the garden , for example , would go missing . If a dog goes AWOL on a walk away from home , Phil advises owners to return to their car , open the car boot and doors and wait , as the dog will usually return within 2 – 6 hours .
“ In this situation , an owner ' s instinct is to search the area while calling the dog ' s name , or drive around the vicinity looking for them , but this will only push the dog further away ,” adds Phil . If a dog goes missing on a usual walking route , the best thing to do , he says , is go home and wait because , in most situations , the dog will return of its own accord , often after having been missing for between 2 and 9 hours .
The importance of education
“ Understandably , owners love and care for their dogs , but they don ' t know what to do when they go missing because they ’ ve never been taught ,” Phil observes .
This is where the charity comes into its own . Since its inception , Phil and the team have produced a host of resources aimed at educating and helping owners , from a dog-finding checklist to a dedicated helpline and website . Phil has even developed a training course for aspiring drone operators who want to assist the charity .
“ The truth is that anyone can fly a drone with practice , but that ' s not enough when it comes to locating a lost animal ,” Phil says . “ I ' ve had years of experience of searching dense areas of woodland during storms , for example , and can tell the difference between a dog , badger , pheasant and deer simply by looking at the image on my screen . But those without such experience could fly their drone right over the missing dog without even knowing it , which is why the training course is so vital for those who want to help find missing pets .”
A voice in the veterinary profession
Phil believes that the veterinary profession also has a vital part to play when it comes to educating owners and helping when an animal goes missing . He says those who want to join the search party are more than welcome . However , if they spot the missing animal , they are advised not to approach or shout , in case it takes flight again , but instead to call the Drone To Home team for advice .
Travis with one of Drone To Home ' s thermal drones . © 2024 Drone To Home .
Volume 39 ( 3 ) • June 2024
25