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Michael Parziale, the founder of USAR DroneTeam, got a call Saturday, March 16, from the owners of a dog named Guinness, who got loose in the family's yard and was struck by a vehicle, then ran away.
"The thought of Guinness out there alone, scared, hurting, cold, etc. and just not having him home with us, was the most horrible feeling a pet owner can go thru (a complete nightmare)," Guinness' owner Mary Valetutto said on a GoFundMe for the dog's recovery.
"Our hearts were shattered - thinking the unknown and thoughts of never seeing him again."
And so, they reached out to Parziale.
"I sent up the thermal drone... and we went out there and mapped out about 150 acres of where the dog had run off to after being hit," said Parziale, who also owns the Riverside Cafe in Manasquan.
"We searched that area twice and came back the next morning. I was confused why I couldn't find the dog since it was such a fresh sighting."
Parziale thought to do what no one else did: Check another area.
Lo and behold, after the last leg of a nearly 4-hour search on Sunday, March 17, Guinness was found. About 1,600 feet from the original launch site.
"We were searching north, but Guinness was actually 90 degrees to the right of us, a third of a mile away on Bordentown Road, right next to the Garden State Parkway."
At first, Guinness was scared. But once he heard Mary's voice, his tail started wagging, and rescuers were able to grab him.
"My baby boy," Mary can be heard saying.
Click here for video footage of the search and reunion.
The Valetuttos took Guinness to the vet, who said he suffered scrapes, deep cuts, and some fractures to his knees and leg, requiring surgery. More than $2,600 had been raised on a GoFundMe for his recovery as of press time.
Parziale says he started USAR DroneTeam to find people. He mostly trains veterans in using drones, "since it's an up-and-coming career path," he said.
Then one day, someone called him asking to help find their missing pet.
"So I went out and I found it," Parziale said. "And after that, word spread."
Now, Parziale gets three to five calls for pets per week.
While the company is non-profit, Parziale is looking to raise money as batteries are $700 per set, and he needs six sets.
"It's very rewarding," Parziale tells Daily Voice. "Pets are family members, like an extension of people's children. When you hear Mary in the video saying she found her baby boy, you start shedding a tear.
"It gives you motivation search even harder, and even farther."
Click here to donate to Guinness' recovery and here to donate to USAR DroneTeam.
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