How Thermal Drones Are Helping a Community Find Their Missing Dogs

• Thermal drones are now central to search efforts on the Isle of Man.

• A community Facebook group turned to drones after weeks of failed searches.

• Standard drones struggled in woodland, making spotting the dog near impossible.

• Renting a DJI Mavic 3 Thermal from heliguy™ proved to be the breakthrough, helping the team cover ground quickly and focus their search.

• As a result of the experience, Karen Quayle and seven locals went on to found Noodles’ Canine Rescue.

• The group invested in a Matrice 4T for immediate, on-demand use.

• “Thermal drones have been instrumental in helping us reunite lost dogs with their owners, making searches faster, more accurate, and more efficient,” says Karen Quayle, founder of Noodles’ Canine Rescue.

Earlier this year, a community on the Isle of Man came together to help a neighbour search for her missing dog.

After weeks of searching without success, local resident Karen Quayle decided to rent a DJI Mavic 3 Thermal from heliguy™.

This inspired Karen to establish Noodles’ Canine Rescue, an organisation dedicated to using thermal drones to reunite families with their lost pets, and to purchase a Matrice 4 Thermal to support future missions.

Since then, she has helped three families find their missing dogs and supported many more through Facebook groups across the UK.

In this blog, we’ll explore how thermal drones are being used in search efforts, the workflow that search parties are following, and practical tips for using this technology effectively.

Finding missing dogs with thermal drones

When Elvis the dog went missing in June, an appeal was shared on the community’s Facebook group for lost pets. 

Search parties formed, and some volunteers used standard drones to scan the plantation where he had disappeared. But without thermal cameras, visibility in dense woodland was limited, and after three weeks Elvis was still missing.

At that point, Karen rented a DJI Mavic 3 Thermal from Heliguy and found a qualified pilot through Facebook. The difference was immediate.

The drone’s thermal camera allowed the team to scan large areas quickly and efficiently. This helped narrow the search, and when Elvis was sighted, the team set up food and water stations to encourage him to return to a consistent, known location and reunite with his owner.

Karen explained:

“Using thermal drones was a real game-changer. It helped us cut through the background noise and focus on heat signatures, instead of getting lost in the details.

“If we had been using thermal drones from the start, I have no doubt that we would have located him much sooner.”

Reflecting on the events, Karen added:

“I knew a thermal drone would be efficient, but I was still amazed by how much ground it covered so quickly. It saved us valuable time and meant we didn’t need as many volunteers.”

The experience underlined the importance of proper organisation and showed why thermal drones are far more effective than standard models in search and rescue.

This led Karen and seven others to found Noodles’ Canine Rescue – an organisation dedicated to finding missing dogs with drones.

Lessons learned from using thermal drones in search and rescue

While reuniting Elvis with his owner was a success, Karen explained that many lessons were learned along the way.

Time proved to be the biggest challenge. To make sure future searches could deploy a thermal drone immediately, Noodles’ Canine Rescue invested in a DJI Mavic 4 Thermal (more on this later), opting to buy rather than rent so it could be available 24/7.

Community support was another key factor. Awareness helped, but too many volunteers on the ground created coordination problems and even risked stressing the dog.

Karen said: 

“Drones weren’t just more efficient at mapping areas, but by requiring a smaller group of people actually on the scene it meant we could act faster.”

“It’s better to have a smaller group of skilled people, than too many people doing the wrong thing.”

When it came to operating thermal drones, Karen and her team were new to best practices and had to learn in the field.

They discovered that the DJI Mavic 3T performed best at dawn and dusk, when heat signatures were most visible. At these times, the sun’s heat had not absorbed into objects, creating stronger temperature contrast.

These are also the times when you’re most likely to spot a missing dog, as they tend to come out from hiding when it’s quieter and fewer people are around.

Karen also noted that drones are a safer option than searching on foot – not only for general health and safety reasons, but also because lost dogs can be fearful and defensive, making it better to keep a safe distance.

She advises volunteers to keep a safe distance during searches. If a dog is found, it’s best to contact the owner and have them calmly encourage the dog to approach — avoiding direct eye contact and using strong-smelling food as a lure. Rushing the process can scare the dog and cause it to bolt.

Likewise, once a thermal drone spots the dog, avoid flying too close, as the noise can frighten them.

Checklist of top tips using thermal drones in search and rescue

Since rescuing Elvis, Karen has helped reunite two more families on the Isle of Man and supported many others across the UK through Facebook groups. 

One example is Suzie, who was missing for five days before drone pilots mapped likely routes across farmland and tracked her from the air, allowing the ground team to bring her home safely.

From these experiences, Karen has shared some best practice tips:

• Use thermal drones early: Deploy them from the start to save time.

• Target key areas: Focus drone flights over likely locations while the ground team prepares to respond.

• Apply local knowledge: Focus searches around last known sightings, familiar spots, and typical behaviour patterns.

• Get landowner permission: Always secure approval before accessing private land for searches.

• Have the drone right licence: Make sure you have the right licence for what you’re flying, and where you’re flying. Especially if you’re operating near people or residential areas - it’s vital to have the correct licence.

• Fly at the right times: Dawn and dusk provide the clearest heat signatures.

• Keep a safe distance: Dogs in survival mode can be fearful, so let them approach calmly.

Learn more about which drone licence you need from Heliguy’s dedicated page, which features a drone licence calculator, so you can quickly determine what licence you require. From there, we can support you with finidng the right drone course for you.

Using the DJI Matrice 4T for search and rescue

The DJI Matrice 4T is a compact enterprise drone built for search and rescue. 

Equipped with a thermal camera, NIR light, multiple zoom lenses, wide-angle camera, laser rangefinder, night vision, and AI tools, it delivers fast and effective results in the field.

Key features: 

• Six-module payload: Wide-angle, 3x and 7x zoom lenses, thermal sensor, NIR light, and laser rangefinder give rescuers multiple ways to detect and confirm targets.

• Low-light performance: Thermal imaging and NIR illumination provide clear visibility in night-time or low-light operations.

• AI recognition: Identifies people, vehicles, and ships, helping focus searches on the right targets.

• Operational safety: GNSS + vision positioning, automatic obstacle detection, and five-directional vision assist support safer flights in complex environments.

• Rescue-ready accessories: Compatible with spotlight, real-time voice speaker, D-RTK 3 station, and DJI RC Plus 2 Enterprise controller for improved communication and coordination.

Summary

Overall, drones are a powerful tool for search and rescue, and we at heliguy™ are proud to support Noodles’ Canine Rescue in their work. 

To learn more about how thermal drones can support your missions, contact our team today.