A senior basset hound who became lost has been found safely, and the drone footage of the moment he was reunited with his owner has melted hearts online.
When the senior dog, named Frank, wandered away from his home recently, his owner, Lucy Saxelby became increasingly concerned. She told Newsweek that he “doesn’t usually wander off,” so this was very unusual behavior for him.
However, it turns out Frank had been diagnosed with a urine infection, which Saxelby said “made him confused” and disoriented. Shortly after he wandered off, she contacted the charity Drone to Home to help locate him.
Drone to Home, based in the U.K, has hundreds of drone operators and Wellbeing Walkers who volunteer their time to search for missing animals. The charity’s founder, Phil James, helped scour the area from above, as Frank wouldn’t know how to get back home “due to being elderly and having dementia.”
James told Newsweek: “We located Frank within 25 minutes of arriving, using good old-fashioned detective work to pinpoint his location and then finding him on the drone. He was about 600 meters [a third of a mile] from his farm.”
“When I found him, I was just so pleased that he was safe, and we could get him home,” James continued.
Frank was found approximately seven hours after he went missing. Thankfully, he didn’t sustain any injuries, but he was dehydrated by that time.
Footage of the incredible moment when Frank was finally found was shared on Facebook by Drone to Home, and the clip has delighted many. Since it was posted on April 2, the video has amassed almost 100,000 views and more than 3,100 reactions at the time of writing.
The caption alongside the clip reads: “We love how he’s just bumbling along with not a care in the world.”
While Frank can be seen ambling along the fields, the clip shows the moment Saxelby runs over and brings him to safety. When they are finally reunited, Frank and his owner both look so relieved, and the dog is even seen galloping alongside her as they return home.
Saxelby said that Frank is doing very well since he was found. She remains extremely grateful for the help of James and his team who helped save him.
“I am without doubt that he would have quickly deteriorated and we wouldn’t have found him alive if Drone to Home hadn’t found him for us,” Saxelby told Newsweek.
James has been amazed by the overwhelming reaction to Frank’s rescue, as internet users can’t get enough of the “beautiful old doggie.” He added that Drone to Home wouldn’t be able to reunite so many missing animals with their owners without the incredible support and generous donations they receive.
“The reaction to our videos is always amazing, but everyone loved Frank as he is so adorable. Thank you to everyone that donates and keeps this wonderful charity going. Thank you for your support, loyalty and follows on social media,” James continued.
Frank’s rescue has touched plenty of hearts online, leading to more than 130 comments on the viral Facebook post already.
One comment reads: “All of a sudden, the tail is up and wagging, the hopeless lost walk has gone, another wonderful rescue.”
Another Facebook user added: “Just beautiful. He was so slow walking so lost on his own but certainly got a shifty on once found.”
One comment read: “Great job, always love the tail wags and big hugs at the end.”
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