By Emily Clark

AYRSHIRE dog lovers have turned to drone technology to help them find lost pooches.

The Ayrshire Drone Dog Rescue (ADDR) has been helping distraught dog lovers find their pets since 2022 but the use of high-tech equipment means they are now able to literally cover more ground.

The non-profit organisation is made up of a dedicated team of volunteers with the goal of helping Ayrshire citizens find their lost dogs across the vast landscape and the organisers are in no doubt the drones are giving community members a greater sense of hope in what can be a scary and desperate situation.

Through the use of a thermal camera, volunteers can have a bird’s eye view of the area the dog has wandered off into although they are quick to admit that the majority of the time the pet pooches are found by their human volunteers.

UWSnews spoke to founder and lead volunteer, Liz Milligan to find out more about the charity and how the drones have significantly cut search time and means searchers are not wading through grasslands on cold winter days and nights.

She said: “When a dog is reported missing, a risk assessment is conducted to establish the situation. In certain circumstances, drones can be deployed immediately to establish a location for the rescue team to step in.”

But Liz was quick to add that it is the dedicated team of dog-loving volunteers who are the real heroes.

“A drone doesn’t bring the dog home it just gives us insight for the search team to take over.”

ADDR can be contacted on Facebook or via email at ayrshireddr@gmail.com