A Nanaimo-based drone flight school mobilized on short notice to help locate a lost dog, using small unmanned aircraft to find the animal in dense woods where on-foot searches had proved ineffective.
Quick response in wooded terrain
The call for help came July 14 to 1st SQUADRONE RPAS Flight School after a three-year-old dachshund named Moose slipped away from a dogwalker and went missing near South Forks Road. Owner Kevin Parks said the family had been searching for more than 24 hours and were exhausted when they contacted the school.
Pilot Larry Parks deployed a drone several times over the area, which the flight school described as a large, heavily wooded landscape where searchers had reported bears. After a few hours of coordinated drone flights and ground searches, the operators spotted Moose running across a road.
“I was on the ground and I saw him and he was running across the road and I yelled Moose and he looked at me like how do you know my name and then he just booked it down the logging road,” said Kevin Parks.
According to the flight school, the drone team hovered over the dog’s position to keep visual contact until the owners arrived and recovered Moose. The reunion prompted visible emotion; the family immediately secured the dog with a leash.
Technology augmenting community searches
The incident highlights how remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) can assist local searches in difficult terrain by providing an aerial perspective that is faster and safer than ground-only searches in some circumstances. The school’s owners said they were dog lovers who felt compelled to respond despite not having undertaken a search-and-rescue request like this before.
- Who responded: 1st SQUADRONE RPAS Flight School (Kevin and Larry Parks)
- When: July 14
- Where: wooded area around South Forks Road, Nanaimo
- Outcome: Moose located and reunited with owners
| Event | Detail |
|---|---|
| Initial search duration | More than 24 hours (by owners) |
| Drone deployment | Multiple flights until dog sighted |
| Recovery | Owners arrived after notification and reunited with Moose |
While this case ended positively, it underscores ongoing questions for local authorities and community groups about coordinating volunteer or private drone support during missing-animal or missing-person incidents. Drone operations near wildlife and in search areas require caution to avoid disturbing animals or interfering with official response efforts.
The Parkses said they were glad they answered the call and that the owners expressed strong gratitude after the reunion. The flight school did not indicate whether it will formally adopt a search-and-rescue role going forward but demonstrated how small, locally based RPAS operators can assist neighbours in urgent situations.
