02/02/2026
We found Panda last night! Panda escaped at about 2:00PM from her yard. The family searched for her until dark with one additional sighting, but were not able to catch her. Temperatures were dropping fast, so we knew we had to locate her quickly since she is very small (10lbs) and not used to these overnight winter temperatures. We had the drone up by about 7:30PM and did a grid search of the immediate area surrounding the house-no luck. We suspected she was fairly close and likely seeking shelter under something, so we began grid searching at a very low altitude and in the opposite direction we did previously. Within 5 minutes of starting the new grid search, she was located tucked underneath a spruce tree. She was so well-hidden that we would not have seen her from the drone had we taken any other approach angle. Panda was very cold with ice on her fur, but within a few minutes of being indoors, she was very active. It’s so rewarding to be a part of these pet searches! We do far more deer searches in the fall, but during the winter months, pet searches account for most of our flight hours. If your pet or livestock escapes and you’re in need of some help, don’t hesitate to reach out! We will share some recovery footage of Panda in the coming days.