Best Furry Friend - Search and Rescue

10/23/2025

Dozer is a 3 year old male Great Pyrenees. Dozer was riding in his mom's jeep when he got spooked and pushed his way out along the bottom of the soft top. His mom stopped the car and saw where he existed the road and entered a wooded area. Dozer had on a collar and harness along with a leash attached to the harness. Dozers family was very proactive both communicating the loss to the public and setting up a feeding station on the other side of the wooded area Dozer disappeared into. I joined the search on the third day. The area was an industrial park to the west and lush corporate park including tree lines and lakes to the east. We searched both the industrial park by air and foot as well as the corporate park and lakes. I would think that a white Great Pyrenees would be easy to find but he was not. Our concern was that Dozer had caught the leash on an object and was unable to freely move around. I have seen previously where a leash had been pulled under a resting vehicle tire and the dog was unable to free it. It wasn't until the fourth day that we had another sighting. It was in the same area as where he escaped from the Jeep. This made us feel better that he was safe and had not traveled out of the area. We expanded sign coverage and continued searching. On day five we were joined by recovery expert Linda and she walked with Dozers family out to the feeding station. Out of nowhere Dozer appears and see's his mom but was not approaching. His mom followed our guidance on how to get a lost dog to come to you. Dozer responded and the family was reunited.

10/19/2025

I do not generally get involved with pets that do not have a clear owner only because I usually wait for families to contact me for services. In this case the local police were looking for help and contacted a recovery resource who then contact me. The unfortunate scenario was a person dumped a mother and 4 puppies into a residential area. Although not happy about that, this was better than dumping them in a remote area with no support. The police were called and was able to catch the puppies but not the mother. We would focus on getting the mother back to her puppies. We had 2 locations of interest. The first was where the dogs were dumped with many sightings. The second was about 3/4 miles north in a sprawling estate. The owners of the estate were very helpful giving us access to the grounds night and day. I arrived early afternoon the first day and began an aerial search. Within 20 minutes I found the mother basking in the warm sun. This was ideal as she was safe in a good place. Linda (the recovery expert resource) had not arrived yet but was on her way. I landed and tried to do a soft lure with no luck. The mother disappeared before I even got close. After Linda arrived we began searching again, her by ground I me by air. We received additional sightings the first day and so we were learning her travel patterns. Linda setup a feeding station at the estate. The next day we both came with traps. She setup at the south location and I set up in the north location. Both were set for conditioning only. We left for the day but cameras caught the mom first eating from the south trap and then eating from the north trap within 30 minutes. Wow she traveled 3/4 miles for a second meal. The third day we arrived and set the traps for live catch. We had not had a sighting that morning. We were laughing because we were highly optimistic we would catch her but not sure whose trap it would be. Later we received a call. A woman said the dog was in her side yard resting. This was very near the south trap. We both relocated near there and I got my drone in the air to maintain visual on the mom. A little over an hour later the mom got up and started walking towards the street. Linda was positioned to see her if she came out that way. She walked in front of Linda's vehicle and straight to the trap where she immediately went in for a meal and we had her. Although the mom was shaking I was able to give her water through the trap. It took about 20 minutes but the mom relaxed, stopped shaking and I believe relieved not to have to run anymore. A great ending and in a pretty short period.

10/14/2025

Bunny is a 4 year old female Dachshund. Bunny lives in a rural community and a subdivision with rather few homes on large lots. I was a little apprehensive of committing to the search because a small dog in a wooded area surrounded by farms does not present an effective backdrop for aerial recoveries. I did commit and arrived late afternoon so I could get some daylight and some night flying in for better thermal effectiveness. When I arrived the owner walked me through the area. They had done a thorough search through the yard, neighbors yards and nearby farms. I was happy to see neighborhood kids involved walking the streets looking. By the time I got there the owners were not optimistic about the outcome but wanted closure. Many coyotes frequent the area. I like to hold out hope as the reality is coyotes are not involved in failed recoveries as much as other humans. I spent hours searching but could not locate Bunny. We had no sightings even though the neighbors were aware and actively keeping an eye out. I left that night feeling there was not more I could do which is frustrating. I followed up the next day but still nothing. Day 3 comes around and I get a call. A neighbor spotted Bunny in their yard out in the open. The owner quickly went over and Bunny was working her way back home. As near as we could figure Bunny was chased by something that caused her to flee the yard and find a place to take cover. She then may have remained hidden for a day out of fear. This is the second case in about 3 months where a small dog disappeared from their yard to be found days later coming home with no injuries.

10/12/2025

Lincoln is a 3 month old 20 pound male Akita. The family had him for 3 days when he ran past someone opening the front door and his adventure began. Lincoln's mom followed him to a local park where he disappeared over a hill. She immediately posted and contacted me. She was distraught as you can imagine. There are a couple scenarios where I drop everything and this was one of them. My biggest concerns in this case were the railroad junction by the park and nearby major roads. I spent a little time getting signs and flyers together knowing the owners were in panic mode and were better used canvasing the area. This was a pup in pup mode with no apparent baggage. I arrived on sight about 2 hours after the call. The first thing we did was get the signs up in key locations. The families daughter was anxious to help and the signs were a perfect task. Then I readied my drone. I was in the air about 30 minutes before a call came in with a sighting. Some of Lincoln's family was out driving so they responded to the sighting which was in a fenced in storage facility. They waited for someone to drive out and entered the area. They walked around looking everywhere and then under a parked truck. There he was. Although a happy young pup he was still scared and had little bond with the family members. He wouldn't come out on his own but the dad was able to get under and grab him. It took another 15 minutes to get Lincoln home and the full family reunion began. I included a second photo of Lincoln to show then and now. This is why we do it.

10/09/2025

For those of you that do not know the 3-3-3 rule please take some time to read this and the attached link. For those of you that know the 3-3-3 rule please share this information with friends that recently adopted a rescue or are considering adopting a rescue.

ISWMP - I stand with my pack.

https://istandwithmypack.org/what-is-the-3-3-3-rule-and-why-should-we-honor-it-when-adopting-a-rescue-dog/

10/09/2025

Molly is a 5 year old female German Shepherd. Molly is a reactive dog which required some extra thinking about the process and recovery. Molly and her owners were new to Illinois so they were not familiar with the area. Molly was at a private daycare in the backyard bordered by a six foot fence. As you probably anticipated soon as the owner dropped off Molly she jumped the back fence and disappeared presumably to find her mother. So begins the 3 day ordeal. There were 2 sightings the first day but in different directions from the daycare. Molly is very capable of traveling as a prime aged GSD. With additional sightings on day 2 a positive pattern emerged. She was circling at about a 1/2 mile radius. Good girl attempting to find her owner and familiar scents using triangulation. Day 3 early morning and the woman at the daycare called ecstatic that Molly was across the street in a neighbors backyard. It took the owner about 20 minutes to get to the location. We talked while she drove to the site about best practices to approaching her dog. We had discussed the process the previous 2 days but her adrenaline was spiking so one more time couldn't hurt. The owner attempted a slow approach and wait scenario but Molly was not displaying any signs that she recognized her owner. The owner also saw that Molly was hurting. A super tough position to be put in for any dog owner. The owner attempted to move closer and Molly ran off. At this point the owner was fully vested in getting Molly back now so she followed. A few blocks of travel with many people outside pointing out her direction Molly finally stopped moving and allowed the owner to leash her. Molly was safe with only minor injuries.

10/08/2025

Does your neighbor have a new dog?

10/08/2025

Zero is a 5 year old female white German Shepherd. She got out from the owners backyard at night after a utility worker left the side gate open. Once out of the backyard she must have been scared by something because she took off running and was not seen until the next morning 1 mile away. Fortunately she found a place to rest before she reached a heavily trafficked cross road. I got involved on day 3. When I drove up to the field she was last seen Zero came out of the woods and was standing on top of a hill looking like a stoic wolf gazing upon us. The owner attempted to slowly approach Zero but she was not ready and casually went back into the woods. We now had a basis for a plan. We setup a feeding station and I drove home to get a trap. I came back the same day and setup the trap and cameras for one conditioning night. She did show up and went fully in and ate the food, a success. Next night we set the trap for live catch but she did not show. That may have been due to the raccoon activity including one setting off the trap. That brought us to day 5. We kept the trap set since we were in the area. Then a sighting across the street near a lake. It was hot but I still attempted a visual drone search but could not locate her. I decided to drive around the latest sighting and about an hour later I spotted her near a shed in a backyard. She looked at me but she was not motivated to change her location. I quickly called the owner who was also driving around and she arrived at my location within about 5 minutes. The owner and I had a quick chat and she slowly worked her way to a spot where Zero could see her. She worked it perfectly calmly holding food with soft words while Zero began to approach her and within 60 seconds Zero was visually relieved to be back with her mom.

10/07/2025

Missing for only 27 hours but seems like an eternity. July 2025
Shay is a 12 year old Pit that has a youthful demeanor. She wandered out of the backyard while being watched by a sitter. Lost early morning she disappeared into a field. The owner was very proactive and put together a barrage of flyers and handouts. I was called in the same day and began a drone search of the area over the field, the local neighborhood including lakes and up and down a neighboring primary road. The first sighting came the same morning a couple hours later. The search did not come up with further sightings. Late that first night we decided to halt efforts for the night and start again in the morning. I got on sight in the morning and resumed searching neighboring commercial sights and open areas. Then a call about a dog seen on a ring camera and the dog was staying put. Owner raced over and was quickly reunited. The reunion did not require luring as Shay was not in a heightened state of vigilance. Perfect outcome.

10/06/2025

By my lack of postings you might think I retired or have been sitting on my butt too much. Neither are true. I am trying to catch up and you should start seeing new postings soon.

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08/08/2025

“Pets are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.” — Roger Caras

RIP Gracie

Always in our Hearts. We are deeply saddened to post that GRACIE from , IL has been found deceased. Our sincere condolences go out to Gracie's family. Rest in Peace Gracie, you were loved.

PetFBI # 734148

07/15/2025

A dog, a car and a happy ending. July 2025.
Fiona Luna is a 7 year old female Terrier mix. Apparently she does not like the groomer. When the owner got to the groomer and was getting Fiona out of the car she took off. Fiona ran with her owner in pursuit when she crossed a major roadway and was hit by a car. Fiona was scared, possibly hurt and still able to run another 3/4 miles where she lost her owner and a local police officer attempting to help. With her condition unknown her owners contacted me early that evening. I collected the information I needed and walked the owners through the process. Since it was night I told them I would make and place the needed signs. I wanted signs out before morning traffic began. The next day at 6:30 am we had a sighting. She entered a fenced yard through an open gate and was resting on their deck. The resident opened the back door but Fiona ran from the yard. Fiona's owners began driving the neighborhood and I made some early flights attempting to locate her. About six hours later a second sighting came in. Fiona was spotted 2 houses from the earlier sighting. The owner drove to the second sighting and got out of her car to talk to the resident. Before she got the chance Fiona walked right up to the owner, the owner opened the car door and Fiona jumped in. After the owner explained how it played out I was a little amazed. It wasn't that long she was missing but the trauma of being hit by a car could have changed her demeanor. All was well, Fiona was taken to the vet and checked out with no apparent injuries.