A dog went missing in the western suburbs during the most recent outbreak of severe storms and tornadoes, but a group of intrepid volunteers helped find him.
That group included people on the ground, as well as a drone pilot, and they were spurred into action after severe weather in suburban Naperville led to the dog’s escape.
With a blue cone still wrapped around his neck, an 11-month-old pug mix is back in the arms of his owner after a terrifying few days.
“He is seemingly unbothered, but everyone else was stressed out by his actions,” said Mirielle Hill, the dog’s owner.
Hill told NBC Chicago her dog Earl slipped out of his harness before a vet appointment on June 11th in Naperville as severe storms rolled through the area.
The incident resulted in a four-day search that involved a lost dog recovery team, a drone, and Good Samaritans.
“Everyone was not sleeping and we’re just focusing on baby Earl only for the whole time,” she said.
His case was first shared on Lost Dogs Illinois on Facebook with several sightings reported.
Mike Smith is the founder of SmithicAir, a drone company that specializes in lost pet recovery and was contacted to help. He’s been able to help search for 40 dogs over the last two years.
“This whole thing was unbelievable to me that we could use this technology to shorten the time that it typically takes to find pets,” he said.
He was able to track the pug’s movement the following day using thermal imaging as seen in drove video provided to NBC Chicago.
Smith said within seven minutes of launching he was able to pick up a heat source in deep brush along a fence line, less than a mile away from where Earl initially took off along Bond Street.
“There was a lot of excitement, but I know once I find the dog, we’re not near a recovery yet,” he said. “It’s the first step in a lot of cases.”
Volunteer Jill Boland set up feeding stations with cameras and traps but couldn’t get Earl to bite, saying the dog was in survival mode.
Days later, Good Samaritans found him miles away hiding under a councilman’s car near 75th Street and Gartner Road.
“These wonderful people of Naperville, who I never met before, I asked them all to lay down around the car to block his exit and Mirielle was able to get there just in time and we were able to pull him out from underneath,” explained Boland.
Earl had a major neck wound that required surgery. The team at Veterinary Emergency Group ER for Pets treated him and pulled off more than 16 ticks from his body.
“We had to flush it, put in like a drain, and over the course of the last couple of days with a couple bandage changes, it’s starting to look a lot better and he’s doing a lot better as well,” said Dr. Christine Kilpatrick, VEG Medical Director.
Earl is on the mend, and his owner is grateful for the community’s support on social media and for the volunteers who helped to find him.
“Thank you so much, you are the reason that baby Earl is okay,” said Hill.
Hill started a fundraising campaign to raise money to help pay for her pet’s medical expenses.
Volunteers said it’s best to report a lost or found pet with PETFBI.org. The website is a free database and information center for lost pets. The website provides resources and can connect pet owners with Lost Dogs Illinois for support.
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