whirrwork

Aerial & Drones

Lost pet search by drone

Short answer Published prices for lost pet search by drone run from $200 per search (3 prices from 3 sources, US-AL, US-MI and US-CA; newest dated Oct 25, 2026). Every receipt is below.

Thermal drones searching for lost dogs, cats and livestock.

People ask for this as: “drone find lost dog”, “thermal drone pet search”

Quick facts

Typical published range
from $200 per search
Price receipts
3 prices from 3 sources
Who does it
4 providers, 4 sell it as a service
Where
1 country with a local provider: 🇺🇸 United States

Last updated · Cite this page

How it works

Robots used

  • Thermal Drone

Ways to buy it

  • Service — you pay for the outcome (one inspection, one show, X acres).

Bot or Not?

A robot makes sense when…

  • The job is high, dangerous, or hard to reach
  • It is huge or repetitive (acres, nights, square metres)
  • You need data you will compare over time
  • You need eyes on it right now

Hire a human when…

  • It is small, low and one-off
  • It needs hands, judgement or a repair
  • Weather, permits or timing make robots awkward
  • Nobody has defined the job yet

Here's the catch for this job

  • Ask for proof of pilot certification and liability insurance (often $1M+).
  • Agree on deliverables, resolution and turnaround before flight day.
  • Weather days are common; clarify reschedule terms.

Rules of thumb, not a sales pitch. Take the Ladder Test →

What it costs

Published ranges, each with a receipt. Not quotes: your price depends on scope, location and date. older price = 18+ months.

USD / searchlinear scale · 7 receipts
  1. Thermal drone lost-pet search, up to 90 min, plus $1/round-trip mile (Iron Sight Imagery, Gadsden AL) · US-ALfrom $200iron-sight-imagery.com · Oct 25, 2026
  2. Thermal drone search for a lost dog or pet, up to 90 minutes, plus $1.00 per round-trip mile from Gadsden, AL · US-ALfrom $200iron-sight-imagery.com · Oct 25, 2026
  3. 2-hour thermal drone pet/livestock search, extended $100/hour (Northstar Drone Solutions, Michigan) · US-MIfrom $250northstardronesolutions.com · Oct 25, 2026
  4. 2-hour thermal drone pet/livestock search; extended search $100/hour; mileage fees may apply beyond 65 driving miles of Pinconning, MI · US-MIfrom $250northstardronesolutions.com · Oct 25, 2026
  5. Two-hour minimum drone search, travel $95/hour extra (NorCal Lost Pet Recovery, Vacaville CA) · US-CAfrom $350norcallostpet.com · Oct 25, 2026
  6. Two-hour minimum drone search (about 50-200 acres); travel billed at $95/hour portal-to-portal from Vacaville; continued flight $175/hour · US-CAfrom $350norcallostpet.com · Oct 25, 2026
  7. Thermal drone search for a missing horse or 1-3 head of livestock, up to 2 hours · US-ALfrom $375iron-sight-imagery.com · Oct 25, 2026
All 3 receipts as a table
WhatRangeUnitRegionReceipt
Thermal drone lost-pet search, up to 90 min, plus $1/round-trip mile (Iron Sight Imagery, Gadsden AL)from $200/ searchUS-ALiron-sight-imagery.com
as of Oct 25, 2026
2-hour thermal drone pet/livestock search, extended $100/hour (Northstar Drone Solutions, Michigan)from $250/ searchUS-MInorthstardronesolutions.com
as of Oct 25, 2026
Two-hour minimum drone search, travel $95/hour extra (NorCal Lost Pet Recovery, Vacaville CA)from $350/ searchUS-CAnorcallostpet.com
as of Oct 25, 2026

Prices published by providers

WhatRangeUnitRegionReceipt
Thermal drone search for a lost dog or pet, up to 90 minutes, plus $1.00 per round-trip mile from Gadsden, AL
via Iron Sight Imagery
from $200/ searchUS-ALiron-sight-imagery.com
as of Oct 25, 2026
Thermal drone search for a missing horse or 1-3 head of livestock, up to 2 hours
via Iron Sight Imagery
from $375/ searchUS-ALiron-sight-imagery.com
as of Oct 25, 2026
2-hour thermal drone pet/livestock search; extended search $100/hour; mileage fees may apply beyond 65 driving miles of Pinconning, MI
via Northstar Drone Solutions
from $250/ searchUS-MInorthstardronesolutions.com
as of Oct 25, 2026
Two-hour minimum drone search (about 50-200 acres); travel billed at $95/hour portal-to-portal from Vacaville; continued flight $175/hour
via NorCal Lost Pet Recovery
from $350/ searchUS-CAnorcallostpet.com
as of Oct 25, 2026

Dataset: Lost pet search by drone price receipts (Whirrwork). 3 published prices for lost pet search by drone, each with its source link and as-of date. Old observations are kept, never overwritten. JSON · history JSON · all downloads · CC BY 4.0

Price history

Only one observation per series so far: we started recording every price on 2026-10-25 and re-check every source on a schedule. A trend appears when a re-checked source shows a different price (we never overwrite old observations).

SeriesLatestObservationsObservedTrendReceipt
Thermal drone lost-pet search, up to 90 min, plus $1/round-trip mile (Iron Sight…from $200 / search1Oct 25, 2026—iron-sight-imagery.com
2-hour thermal drone pet/livestock search, extended $100/hour (Northstar Drone…from $250 / search1Oct 25, 2026—northstardronesolutions.com
Two-hour minimum drone search, travel $95/hour extra (NorCal Lost Pet Recovery,…from $350 / search1Oct 25, 2026—norcallostpet.com
Thermal drone search for a lost dog or pet, up to 90 minutes, plus $1.00 per round-trip…
via Iron Sight Imagery
from $200 / search1Oct 25, 2026—iron-sight-imagery.com
Thermal drone search for a missing horse or 1-3 head of livestock, up to 2 hours
via Iron Sight Imagery
from $375 / search1Oct 25, 2026—iron-sight-imagery.com
2-hour thermal drone pet/livestock search; extended search $100/hour; mileage fees may…
via Northstar Drone Solutions
from $250 / search1Oct 25, 2026—northstardronesolutions.com
Two-hour minimum drone search (about 50-200 acres); travel billed at $95/hour…
via NorCal Lost Pet Recovery
from $350 / search1Oct 25, 2026—norcallostpet.com

Append-only: we never overwrite a recorded price. JSON: /api/prices/history?use_case=drone-search-lost-pet

What to specify and ask

Put these in your request and you'll get a real price instead of "it depends":

  1. Type of animal and when and where it was last seen
  2. Terrain (woods, fields, urban) and whether a thermal camera is wanted
  3. Location (address or coordinates)
  4. Date(s) and time window
  5. Area size (acres/hectares) or number of structures
  6. Deliverables (photos, video, orthomosaic, 3D model, report)
  7. File formats and turnaround time
  8. Airspace class / proximity to airports if known
  9. Insurance requirements

Rules and regulation

Drone operations need a licensed remote pilot and local aviation rules: FAA Part 107 (US), EASA Open/Specific categories (EU), CAA (UK), Transport Canada RPAS, DGCA Digital Sky (India), CASA (Australia), CAAC (China). Controlled airspace, night or BVLOS flights may need waivers.

General information, not legal advice. Rules change; ask the operator which permits they hold and verify them.

Providers who do this

Droners.io

🇺🇸 US Serves global

Marketplace connecting clients with local freelance drone pilots.

  • Service
  • Public quote page
  • 13 jobs
  • Oct 25, 2026

Iron Sight Imagery

🇺🇸 US Serves US-AL

Gadsden, Alabama drone operator offering thermal drone searches for lost pets, horses and livestock with published flat rates, plus thermal…

from $200 / search as of Oct 25, 2026

  • Service
  • 2 sourced prices
  • Public quote page
  • 1 job
  • Oct 25, 2026

Northstar Drone Solutions

🇺🇸 US Serves US-MI

Michigan drone services company (Pinconning) offering thermal drone pet and livestock recovery searches, day or night, with a published flat rate.

from $250 / search as of Oct 25, 2026

  • Service
  • 1 sourced price
  • Public quote page
  • 1 job
  • Oct 25, 2026

NorCal Lost Pet Recovery

🇺🇸 US Serves US-CA

Northern California drone search service for lost pets and livestock, based in Vacaville, with published search, travel and standby fees.

from $350 / search as of Oct 25, 2026

  • Service
  • 1 sourced price
  • Public quote page
  • 1 job
  • Oct 25, 2026

Questions buyers ask

How much does lost pet search by drone cost?

Published prices for lost pet search by drone run from $200 per search (3 prices from 3 sources, US-AL, US-MI and US-CA; newest dated Oct 25, 2026). Every receipt is below.

Who offers lost pet search by drone near me?

We list 4 providers for lost pet search by drone. 1 country has at least one provider whose own site says it works there; the most covered are United States (3). 1 provider says they work worldwide. Pick your country on this page to see who serves it, local first.

What should I put in a quote request?

Start with type of animal and when and where it was last seen; terrain (woods, fields, urban) and whether a thermal camera is wanted; location (address or coordinates). The full checklist has 9 items, and a request that covers them gets a real price instead of "it depends".

Do I actually need a robot for this?

Not always. If a competent person with a ladder could do it in an afternoon, hire the person (the Ladder Test). Here's the catch for this job: Ask for proof of pilot certification and liability insurance (often $1M+).

Are there rules or permits?

Drone operations need a licensed remote pilot and local aviation rules: FAA Part 107 (US), EASA Open/Specific categories (EU), CAA (UK), Transport Canada RPAS, DGCA Digital Sky (India), CASA (Australia), CAAC (China). More on rules (a summary, not legal advice).

Cite this page

Whirrwork. "Lost pet search by drone: cost, how it works & providers." Last updated 2026-10-25. https://whirrwork.com/use-cases/drone-search-lost-pet/. CC BY 4.0.

BibTeX
@misc{whirrwork_drone_search_lost_pet,
  title = {Lost pet search by drone: cost, how it works \& providers},
  author = {{Whirrwork}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://whirrwork.com/use-cases/drone-search-lost-pet/},
  note = {Last updated 2026-10-25. CC BY 4.0. Prices link to their original sources.}
}

Quoting a price? Cite its original source too (linked in the table). We're the index, not the origin. Add the date you read this page.

Want real numbers for your job?

One form. We match you with providers who cover your country and forward it. Free.

Request quotes for lost pet search by drone