Drone pilot helps family find lost dog missing in the cold for 2 weeks

An eagle-eyed drone pilot helped spot a missing foster puppy who had been out in the cold for more than two weeks in Chicago's northwest suburbs.

Lola escaped as her foster family was moving last month, kicking off a desperate search to bring her home.

Nine-month-old Lola is back home after an incredible journey that started on Jan. 18, when Amit Roy, his wife, and his daughter were moving into their new home in Hoffman Estates.

"I went back into the van without realizing that I had the door a little open," Roy said.

Lola ran into street, and her family went after her, spending hours pursuing the dog.

"We just lost trace of Lola," Roy said.

Eventually, he contacted Lost Dogs Illinois .

"We started getting flyers up and working through the process," said the organization's co-director, Linda Hartman.

The group helped lead efforts with volunteers to spread the word and search for Lola.

"She'd been out in subzero temperatures for a long time. We knew that she was going to be in dire needs," Hartman said.

It wasn't until Feb. 1, a full two weeks after Lola went missing, that she was spotted again by volunteers handing out flyers.

Mike Smith, founder of drone photography and search and rescue company SmithicAir, jumped in to help.

"I could get the drone down lower, and then we recognized Lola," he said.

Smith used thermal detection technology on his drone to locate Lola. On Feb. 2, Lola was secured in a trap.

"We're all crying, you know, happy tears, because it's really an amazing thing," Hartman said.

"There was that moment of relief and joy," Roy said. "I'm really happy, because I missed her a lot."

Hartman and Smith said Lola's case highlights what pet owners should know if their furry friend is lost. Immediately report lost pets to police, animal control, and databases like petfbi.org. Then spread the word through flyers and social media, as well as help from organizations like Lost Dogs Illinois.

"Owners should feel comfortable to their family, their friends, and their community, as well as volunteers to help them," Hartman said.

Smith said drones are not the right tool in every situation with a lost pet. He said they work best when a general location of the pet is known and the area is not densely populated so pet heat signatures are easier to spot.

As for Lola, her foster family is now in the process of officially adopting her, and they hope this puppy's story can inspire other families.

"Keep hoping, keep trying, like the way we did," Roy said.