I have Pet Search cover
If you have eligible Pet Search cover, use the separate Pet Search claim journey. Not every pet insurance policy includes Pet Search.
Make a Pet Search claimSubject to your policy terms and eligibility.
Lost pet drone search
Drone search for missing dogs, cats and other pets
Professional drone pilots across the UK to assist with searches for missing dogs, cats and other pets.
You can pay privately without Pet Search cover and see your price before payment. If you have eligible Pet Search cover, use the separate Pet Search claim route.
How would you like to arrange your search?
I want to pay privately
You do not need Pet Search cover to arrange a private missing pet drone search through Drone Assisted. Provide your search details and see your price before payment. Your account is created as part of booking.
Private search price
Your total including VAT is shown before you pay.
Minimum 1 hour of flight time
Up to a maximum of 2 hours where further searching is appropriate and battery charge and conditions allow. Actual airborne searching only; early finish circumstances apply.
No Pet Search policy required.
A faster way to search large areas
Professional drone operators can help search fields, farmland, open countryside, woodland edges, scrubland, parks, difficult terrain and other suitable search areas. Viewing ground from the air can help inspect larger areas more efficiently than relying only on searches on foot.
A drone camera only shows what is visible from above. It cannot see through trees or buildings, and no search can guarantee that a pet will be detected or recovered.
Thermal imaging may help in suitable environmental and operating conditions where the assigned pilot has the appropriate equipment. Read more about thermal drone services in the UK.
How much does a private drone pet search cost?
Private search price
Your total including VAT is shown before you pay.
A private search is one package: a professional drone pilot attends and carries out a minimum of one hour of actual airborne searching, continuing up to a maximum of two hours where further searching is appropriate and conditions allow. The price shown is the total including VAT, using the same live pricing as our checkout, and your total is shown again before you pay.
You do not need a Pet Search insurance policy. This is the private booking price only and is not a Pet Search claim charge or policy excess.
What is included in a private pet search?
- Flight time
- A minimum of one hour of actual airborne searching, up to a maximum of two hours where appropriate and conditions allow. Early finish circumstances apply.
- Equipment
- Visual camera searching by a professional pilot. Thermal imaging is included only where expressly confirmed for your booking; not every pilot carries thermal equipment.
- Search area
- The pilot agrees a search area with you based on the last known location and recent sightings. The drone stays within the pilot's visual line of sight, and coverage depends on terrain, visibility, access and restrictions.
- Findings
- If your pet is located, the pilot lands safely and shares its location and relevant evidence. Catching, handling or physically recovering your pet is not included.
- Booking and payment
- You provide the search details, see your total price and book. Payment is taken from your card straight away, and your search is only sent to pilots once the payment has gone through.
- Weather and cancellation
- Weather, airspace, permissions or safety may delay, limit or prevent a search, and the pilot has the final decision on flight safety. If a search cannot go ahead, ends early or you need to cancel, contact admin@droneassisted.co.uk and we will explain what applies to your booking. These situations are not all treated the same way.
How long does a private pet search last?
Each private search includes a minimum of one hour of actual airborne searching, subject to the early finish circumstances below.
Where further searching is appropriate, the search may continue up to a maximum of two hours of total flight time, subject to available battery charge, safe operating reserves, weather, airspace, site access and other operational conditions.
Flight time may be accumulated across several flights. Travel, parking, preparation, discussions, battery changes and charging time do not count towards the flight time allowance.
A search may finish earlier if your pet is found, you ask for the search to stop, Drone Assisted reasonably stands down the assignment, continued flying would be unsafe or unlawful, or the pilot reasonably determines that further searching would serve no useful purpose. The reason for an early finish will be explained and recorded.
The full two hours cannot be guaranteed, and a drone search does not guarantee that your pet will be located or recovered.
Drone searches for missing dogs
When you request a drone search for a lost dog, the most useful details are the last confirmed location and time, any recent sightings, a recent photograph and a description of the dog. Confirmed sightings help the pilot agree a sensible search area rather than flying at random.
Aerial support is most useful over large or difficult ground, such as fields, farmland, scrubland and woodland edges, where searching on foot is slow. Open terrain gives the camera a clear view; dense cover and buildings limit what can be seen from above.
Can a drone help search for a missing cat?
It depends on the circumstances. A drone is best suited to an open, reasonably defined area, for example a cat last seen crossing farmland or rough grassland. Where a cat is more likely to be hiding inside outbuildings, under cover, in gardens or in dense vegetation, a drone camera may not be able to see it, and a search on the ground may be more suitable.
We assess each request, so tell us where your cat was last seen and what the surroundings are like.
Thermal drone searches for missing pets
Thermal imaging is not automatically included in a private search. It is included only where it is expressly confirmed for your booking, because not every pilot carries thermal equipment.
Where thermal is used, a warm spot may be another animal or a warm object, so possible detections usually need visual confirmation. Thermal cameras cannot see through walls, roofs or dense tree cover, and they do not need darkness to work, although results depend on ground temperature, vegetation and weather. Read more about thermal drone surveys.
How a drone pet search works
- Step 01
Search requested
The missing pet's details, last known location and relevant circumstances are provided.
- Step 02
Search assessed
The location, terrain, weather, airspace and operational suitability are reviewed.
- Step 03
Pilot matched
A suitable professional drone pilot from the Drone Assisted network is identified.
- Step 04
Search undertaken
The pilot attends the agreed search area and carries out the aerial search where conditions allow.
Professional pilots. Real world search capability.
Every location presents different challenges. Drone Assisted matches assignments with professional pilots based on the location, operating environment and equipment requirements of the search. Availability and suitability vary by assignment.
For other requirements you can hire a drone pilot in the UK or review our commercial drone pilot services.
Powering Pet Search
The drone network behind Pet Search
Pet Search is the insured or policy based route for eligible missing pet searches. Drone Assisted provides the nationwide professional drone pilot network and also accepts direct private bookings.
Pet Search customers with eligible cover can access the network through their policy. Customers without Pet Search cover can also book a missing pet drone search directly with Drone Assisted and pay privately.
Pet Search × Drone Assisted
Where a drone search can help
Open countryside
Fields, farmland and other large open search areas.
Woodland and difficult terrain
Aerial visibility can help inspect areas that are slow or difficult to search on foot.
Urban edges
Parks, scrubland and other suitable areas around built up locations.
Time sensitive searches
Rapid mobilisation can help increase the area that can be searched during the early stages of a missing pet incident.
Because they are more than just a pet.
Technology provides another way to search. The goal is simple, help bring missing pets home.
Every search is different
Before a drone search is undertaken, the assignment must be assessed for operational suitability. Pilot availability, weather, airspace, terrain, access and equipment requirements can all affect whether and how a search can be carried out.
- Pilot availability
- Weather
- Airspace
- Site access
- Terrain
- Operating restrictions
- Safety
- Required equipment
Learn more about how Drone Assisted works.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a private drone pet search cost?
The current price is shown on this page and again before you pay, as a total including VAT. It is calculated from the same live pricing used at checkout.
Do I need Pet Search insurance to book a drone search?
No. Customers without Pet Search cover can book and pay for a missing pet drone search privately through Drone Assisted. Customers with eligible Pet Search cover use the separate Pet Search claim journey, subject to their policy terms.
What is included in the price?
A professional drone pilot carrying out a minimum of one hour of actual airborne searching, up to a maximum of two hours where appropriate, over an agreed search area. If your pet is located, the pilot shares its location and relevant evidence. Thermal imaging is included only where confirmed for your booking, and physical recovery of your pet is not included.
How long does a private pet search last?
Each private search includes a minimum of one hour of actual airborne searching and may continue up to a maximum of two hours of total flight time, subject to battery charge, safe reserves, weather, airspace, access and other conditions. Flight time can be spread across several flights; travel, parking, preparation, discussions, battery changes and charging do not count. A search may finish earlier if your pet is found, you ask to stop, Drone Assisted stands down the assignment, flying would be unsafe or unlawful, or further searching would serve no useful purpose. Two hours cannot be guaranteed.
Is thermal imaging included?
Only where it is expressly confirmed for your booking. Not every pilot carries thermal equipment. Where used, thermal cannot see through walls, roofs or dense tree cover and cannot guarantee detection.
How is pilot availability confirmed?
After you book, your search is offered to suitable pilots in the Drone Assisted network. Payment is taken when you book, and your search is only offered to pilots once that payment has gone through.
Can I book a drone search for a lost pet near me?
Provide the last seen location and any recent sightings so we can assess the search area and suitable pilot availability. Drone Assisted accepts private pet search requests across the UK, with each search subject to local conditions, access and flight suitability.
What happens if weather or airspace prevents the flight?
Poor weather, restricted airspace, missing permissions or unsafe conditions may delay, limit or prevent a search, and the pilot has the final decision on safety. Contact admin@droneassisted.co.uk and we will explain what applies to your booking.
Is finding my pet guaranteed?
No. A drone camera only shows what is visible from the air and cannot see through trees or buildings. We make every reasonable effort, but no search can guarantee that a pet will be located or recovered.
How does Pet Search relate to Drone Assisted?
Pet Search is the insured or policy based route for eligible missing pet searches. Drone Assisted provides the professional drone network and also accepts direct private bookings from customers without Pet Search cover.
Ready to arrange a search?
Pay privately and see your price before payment, or use the separate claim route if you have Pet Search cover.
Every request remains subject to pilot availability, weather, airspace, terrain, site access, safety and suitable equipment. Payment or eligible cover does not guarantee that a search can legally or safely take place.