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Drone used to track down missing puppy

Kirsten RobertsonWiltshire
Drone helps to find lost puppy at Roundway Hill

A puppy has been rescued after being missing for four hours in the countryside.

Poppy, the nine-month-old chihuahua, had been spooked in a freak accident at Roundway Hill near Devizes, Wiltshire on 3 January and disappeared.

A drone was flown into the air to scour the surroundings, and after a search volunteers who had gathered on the hill were able to locate the small dog in some nearby long grass.

Annie Sheppard, Poppy's owner, said the rescue was made possible thanks to the "amazing teams who gave their time, expertise, dedication and calmness when I was struggling to keep it together".

News imageRSPCA Wiltshire Mid Branch Three women and a man standing in a row on dry grass in warm jackets and woolly hats. Two of the women are in bright pink jackets with a small white dog tucked into one of them. The other woman is in a black leather jacket and white scarf and the man is in a brown waterproof. They are all smiling.RSPCA Wiltshire Mid Branch
Amanda, Annie, Jess and Matt were involved in Poppy's rescue operation
News imageRSPCA Wiltshire Mid Branch Small white dog with a brown beagle behind her on a grey checked sofaRSPCA Wiltshire Mid Branch
Poppy is now recovering at home with her brother Buzz

Poppy had gone missing in the afternoon and initial concerns stemmed around how the looming darkness and drop in temperature could impact the puppy.

Posts on social media helped spread the word and bring volunteers to Roundway Hill.

Jess Scull and Matthew Pinches from RSPCA Wiltshire Mid branch teamed up with Amanda Wood-Wooley and Andrew Wilcox from Drone SAR for Lost Dogs and Search and Scan to launch a drone and find Poppy.

Both are free services helping to locate and reunite lost dogs with their owners.

DroneSAR works across the UK, using a database of more than 7,000 volunteer drone pilots, ground searchers, sniffer dogs and trap operators.

Scull said: "We were concerned about losing the light, but we all worked together and between the drone from Drone SAR for Lost Dogs and the ground support from Search and Scan, we found out which field she was in and managed to keep eyes on her."

News imageDrone SAR for Lost Dogs / Search and Scan A blurry shot shows a small white dog in what looks like a pink harness amongst long, dry grass.Drone SAR for Lost Dogs / Search and Scan
Poppy was spotted by a drone which was deployed above Roundway Hill

Poppy's small figure was seen on the drone and Sheppard was directed closer to her pet by volunteer rescuers.

Scull said: "Because we all worked together and listened to each other, that dog was able to be reunited quicker than most."

Poppy is now at home with her beagle brother Buzz and will have a tracker attached to her collar as an extra layer of security in the future.

Sheppard added: "Overall, the kindness, knowledge, equipment and fantastic teamwork from these guys made such a difference to the search and the success in finding her and I will never forget it.

"It truly reminded me how incredible people can be when it matters most."

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