Owner searches for escaped Australian shepherd for two days before rescuers bring in thermal drones to locate her

A one-year-old Australian shepherd named Lana went missing for two days in Orange County, California. She was finally found and rescued using thermal drone technology. Lana had just been adopted by her owner, Fred Tarsky, after he lost his 12-year-old dog of the same breed.

According to People, the dog ran away during a walk with Tarsky when strong winds scared her. She disappeared into a remote canyon area between Dove Canyon and Coto de Caza. Tarsky immediately started searching the entire area on his own, but after two days of looking, he still couldn’t find her.

The Mission Viejo Animal Services Center quickly responded to help. Animal Control officers started a large search operation on the ground and using a thermal drone. Later, the organization shared details about the rescue in a post.

Thermal imaging technology proved crucial in the challenging rescue operation

The thermal drone can detect heat signatures even in thick brush or total darkness. However, the same strong winds that scared Lana made it hard for the drone operators to get a clear view. Officers couldn’t find her before nightfall on the first day of their search.

The breakthrough came on Saturday morning when someone reported hearing barking from a remote canyon about a mile from where Lana was last seen. Officers went to the area and used the thermal drone again. This time, they were able to find Lana’s exact location using the technology.

Getting to Lana was not easy. Officers had to go through very rough terrain and thick brush to reach her. They climbed down steep slopes and pushed through dense plants to get to the bottom of the canyon where Lana was stuck. Many dogs display unusual behaviors when frightened by their surroundings, which can help owners understand their pets better.

Lana was brought back to Tarsky safely and had no visible injuries from her two-day experience in the canyon. Tarsky was extremely happy and relieved after the difficult search. He told reporters, “We love her. We’re so, so happy that she was not injured.”

This rescue shows how important high-tech tools have become for finding lost animals. Pet owners often wonder what their dogs think when left alone, which makes reunions like this even more meaningful. Last week, a golden retriever mix named Abbie was found after running 26 miles when she escaped while traveling to her new home. 

The USAR Drone Team, a veteran-led search-and-rescue nonprofit, used thermal imaging to locate her. Michael Parziale from that team explained why these rescues matter so much, saying, “Our reward is seeing the smiles on everybody’s face, especially the owners of their pets. I mean, we consider them family members.”