Animal Search & Recovery Services

Animal or Pet Search & Recovery in Rochester, Minnesota

Thermal Drone Searches for Lost Pets and Livestock

When a pet goes missing or livestock escapes, knowing where to look can make all the difference. Eagle Eye Viewings provides drone-assisted animal searches in Rochester and throughout southeastern Minnesota, serving locations up to 75 driving miles from our NW Rochester home office.

We combine thermal imaging, high-resolution visual cameras, and systematic aerial searches to help locate missing dogs, cats, and farm animals. When an animal is located, we can monitor its movements and coordinate with owners or people assisting on the ground.

Searches start at $200 for up to two hours. Call or text 507-398-6756 to discuss your missing animal and current availability.

Animals We Search For

We provide searches for:

• Lost dogs, including dogs that have wandered away, escaped, or become frightened and fled.

• Missing cats, when the location and surrounding cover make an aerial search practical.

• Escaped livestock, including horses, cattle, goats, sheep, and other farm animals.

• Other domestic animals, depending on the circumstances and suitability of a drone search.

Every situation is different. We discuss the animal’s last known location, recent sightings, behavior, and surrounding terrain before recommending a search.

How Our Technology Helps

Thermal cameras detect heat differences that can help reveal an animal against its surroundings, especially after dark or when visual identification is difficult. High-resolution cameras and zoom capabilities help us examine potential sightings from a distance.

Our capabilities include:

• Thermal imaging to identify potential animal heat signatures.

• High-resolution visual imaging to help distinguish animals from other heat sources.

• Low-light and nighttime searching when conditions and flight requirements permit.

• Spotlight assistance when appropriate for identifying an animal or helping people on the ground.

• Location marking and distance measurement to communicate potential sightings and guide recovery efforts.

Drone searches can help cover fields, pasture, woodland edges, and other areas that may be difficult to search on foot. Effectiveness depends on the terrain, vegetation, weather, and animal’s location.

Eagle Eye Viewings is owner-operated by Brad Clark, an FAA Part 107 certified commercial drone pilot with Minnesota commercial operating credentials and experience conducting professional imaging and systematic aerial missions.

What to Expect During a Search

1. Call or Text Us

Contact 507-398-6756 with the animal’s last known location, when it went missing, and any recent sightings. A recent photograph and information about its size, coloring, temperament, and behavior are helpful.

Calling or texting is the best way to reach us for animal searches.

2. We Assess the Situation

We review the available information, surrounding terrain, weather, airspace, and property access to determine whether a drone search is appropriate.

Before dispatch, we confirm availability, the initial search plan, pricing, and any travel charge. Please wait for direct confirmation that a search has been scheduled.

3. We Conduct the Aerial Search

We search likely areas using thermal and visual imaging, prioritizing the last confirmed sighting and other relevant information. The search plan may change as we assess the terrain or receive new sightings.

Live viewing may be available on a separate screen when the setup and conditions permit, allowing you to follow the search and help identify your animal.

4. We Coordinate Upon Discovery

When a potential match is located, we work to confirm the sighting and communicate its location. Where practical, we continue monitoring the animal while you or your recovery team determine how to approach.

Our service provides aerial searching, surveillance, and coordination. We do not physically capture, handle, retrieve, or transport animals.

5. We Review Progress and Next Steps

If the animal has not been located, we discuss the areas searched, any limitations encountered, and whether additional time or a return search would be worthwhile.

Additional search time requires your approval.

Search Pricing

Initial Search — $200

Includes up to two hours of on-site search service.

The $200 minimum applies whether the animal is located quickly or is not located.

Additional Search Time — $50 per 30 Minutes

After the initial two hours, searches may continue in approved 30-minute intervals. Each additional interval is billed when started.

Return Searches — $100 Minimum

A return search for the same missing animal includes up to one hour, with additional time billed at $50 per 30-minute interval.

You do not pay a new $200 initial-search fee for a return visit.

Search time includes aerial searching, routine battery changes, checking potential sightings, monitoring an animal after discovery, and coordinating with people on the ground. Included time is service time, rather than uninterrupted flight time.

Travel charges apply separately to each visit. Payment is for the search service and is required regardless of the outcome.

Service Area and Travel Charges

Eagle Eye Viewings serves locations up to 75 driving miles from our Rochester, Minnesota, home office, subject to availability and search suitability.

• The first 25 one-way driving miles are included.

• Beyond 25 miles, travel is $2 per additional one-way mile.

• This charge covers the round trip; it is not charged again for the drive home.

Example: A search location 40 driving miles from our home office would have a $30 travel charge: 15 additional miles × $2.

We confirm the travel charge before dispatch. Travel charges also apply to return visits.

Can You Search at Night or in Poor Weather?

Our thermal imaging and low-light capabilities allow us to search during daylight and after dark, when conditions permit. Weather-resistant equipment also allows some searches to proceed in light rain. Cold-weather searches may be possible in temperatures as low as −4°F with suitable equipment.

Before every flight, we evaluate wind speed and gusts, visibility, temperature, humidity, precipitation, terrain, and other site conditions to determine whether a search can proceed safely. We continue monitoring conditions throughout the search and adjust or pause operations as needed.

Eagle Eye Viewings does not conduct searches when winds, including gusts, exceed 30 mph. Conditions may require postponing or stopping a search even below this threshold.

Call or text to discuss your missing animal and current search conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a thermal drone see animals through trees or buildings?

Thermal cameras cannot see through walls, roofs, solid objects, or dense vegetation. Animals may be detectable through openings in vegetation, but heavy tree canopy, thick brush, and sheltered hiding places can prevent detection.

Can you guarantee that my animal will be found?

No. Drone searches provide another way to look for a missing animal, but a successful outcome cannot be guaranteed. Animals can move beyond the search area or remain hidden beneath cover. Not finding an animal does not establish that it is absent from the area.

Can you help recover the animal after locating it?

We can help by sharing its location, monitoring its movements, and coordinating with owners or people assisting on the ground. Physical capture, handling, and transportation must be arranged by the owner.

Do you offer immediate or same-day searches?

Same-day searches may be available depending on our schedule, location, weather, and flight requirements. Call or text for current availability. Immediate dispatch is not guaranteed.

What should I have ready?

Please provide:

• A recent photograph and description of the animal.

• The location and time of its last confirmed sighting.

• Details of any additional sightings.

• Information about its temperament, health, and likely response to people.

• Your contact information and the search location.

• Any available information about property access and landowner permission.

Please arrange permission for any private-property access needed by you or your ground recovery team. We will discuss access needed for our own setup before the search.

Can I watch the search?

Live viewing may be available on a separate screen when conditions and the equipment setup permit. Photos, recordings, and search maps are not standard included deliverables.

Need Help Finding a Missing Animal or Pet?

Call or text Eagle Eye Viewings at 507-398-6756.

Tell us what animal is missing, where it was last seen, and when the sighting occurred. We will discuss whether an aerial search is suitable, explain the expected charges, and confirm our availability.

Based in Rochester, Minnesota • Serving southeastern Minnesota within 75 driving miles • Initial searches: $200 for up to two hours