The search for Samson: How a thermal drone pilot reunited a lost dog with his owner
A Philadelphia area woman is breathing a sigh of relief after her dog, who went missing for four days, was found alive thanks to a thermal drone and a determined pilot.
Angela Ruberto Rodden from Newtown Square, Delaware County, said something outside likely startled her rescue dog, Samson, which caused him to bolt from the yard earlier this month. She said it was the first time it had ever happened.
"I was devastated," Ruberto Rodden said. "The crying wouldn't stop."
Desperate to find him, she started posting on social media and followed every lead. A Facebook user recommended she contact a drone operator who specializes in missing pets.
Joshua Barry, the owner of Precision Drone Services, used infrared technology to search the area from above. Within an hour, he spotted Samson hiding behind a gazebo about a mile away.
"When he found Samson, he's like, 'I think I see Cocker Spaniel ears. Are those ears?' And sure enough, he put the spotlight on him and it was him," Ruberto Rodden said.
Under Barry's guidance, Ruberto Rodden coaxed the frightened dog out using fried chicken and cookies. Samson is now back at home and is healthy.
"When you find it, there's that initial dopamine hit," Barry said. "Everybody's happy."
Ruberto Rodden said she never imagined drone technology could be used to track a missing pet.
"Getting him back, oh my God, it was amazing," Ruberto Rodden said. "I thought for sure we had lost him."
Ruberto Rodden is now taking extra precautions to keep Samson safe.
"Samson is now wearing a collar that he's equipped with an AirTag," she said. "So he will not be coming outside without that collar on."