{"id":65733,"date":"2025-05-15T10:53:42","date_gmt":"2025-05-15T10:53:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shefnews.co.uk\/?p=65733"},"modified":"2025-05-15T13:12:08","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T13:12:08","slug":"volunteers-rally-to-fund-search-drone-in-memory-of-late-dog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shefnews.co.uk\/index.php\/2025\/05\/15\/volunteers-rally-to-fund-search-drone-in-memory-of-late-dog\/","title":{"rendered":"Volunteers rally to fund search drone in memory of late dog"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A South Yorkshire dog search and rescue group is raising money to buy a new thermal drone in memory of a late dog who died in a collision earlier this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Springer Spaniel Darcy died in March 2025, after her family car was crashed into on the M1 Southbound in Sheffield. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe want Darcy\u2019s memory to live on,\u201d Craig Dent, 59, organiser of the fundraiser said. \u201cMy main objective was to remember this poor dog that died in the car crash.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Volunteer group K9-RSQ<\/a> helped to rescue the family\u2019s other dog, German shepherd Athena, after she fled from the scene and ran into Rotherham along the M18. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Athena was eventually found through the use of drones, surveillance cameras, on ground searches and feed stations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"German
German Shepherd Athena reunited with her owner <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"A
The rescue team’s arrival on site<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Springer
Dogs Darcy and Athena sat on a sofa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The group are now raising money to buy a new thermal all weather drone in Darcy\u2019s memory, which they hope will be able to help in saving more pets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Dent said: \u201cWe can fly in strong wind and rain. It will also have much better camera quality and the thermal element is quite critical in drone searches\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The thermal camera will allow them to identify the dogs through white dots of movement, possibly bringing the pets home faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They currently use food like roast chicken and sausage rolls as bait to lure the dogs into traps or slip leads. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said: \u201cIf you know what you\u2019re doing and where the dog is, we will invariably catch it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The group is made up of volunteers who work from home and they do not take any money from owners for successful searches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their work is instead funded by voluntary donations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Dent said that their love for pets is what keeps them going, even in searches that last for long periods of time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe had one last year that was lost for three weeks and her owner was obviously ecstatic [when we found her]. The satisfaction you get from safely getting a dog back especially after that length of time – it\u2019s amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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