Courtesy KJ's Lost and Found Pet Finder Facebook

By Regan Tate

Local company using drone to search for missing dog

Feb 1, 2023 | 4:16 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – A local land survey company is volunteering its time to search for a dog that has been missing since Jan. 26

Nova, a two-year-old German Shepherd and another dog escaped when the wind blew the gate open. The other dog was located but Nova has not been found.

There have been several reported sightings of Nova near the IGA, APARC and Police Point Park.

Benchmark Geomatics Inc is utilizing its thermal drone to search Police Point Park for any sign of Nova. Adam Thompson says after an employee told him about the missing dog, he reached out to the owner online and offered to help in the search.

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Thompson has spent several hours over the past two days using the drone to get a closer look at the park and river banks. “There is no better way to search for something like this than with a drone. The heat, we are picking up dens, we’re picking up all sorts of heat traces and we can cover a mile in 15 seconds,” said Thompson.

Thompson brought his own dog down to the park Tuesday to give him a better idea of what the heat signature for a dog that size would look like. He said the company has never been on a search and rescue mission but felt this was a good time to test the drone’s capabilities in that area.

Nova has a smaller build, is completely blind in her right eye and also has a small hunch back making her spine easier to spot.

If you see Nova, please reach out to KJ’s Lost & Found Pet Finder on Facebook.