How volunteers, drones found a dog that was missing for 18 days

A goldendoodle named Mia was lost for 18 days in the 3,400-plus-acre Glacial Park Conservation Area in Ringwood.

It took dedication from her owners and volunteers – and plenty of hope – to get the dog back home safe.

Owners Donna and Jim Davis of Spring Grove were walking their dogs in the park on Feb. 12 when their leashes got tangled, and Mia took off running.

The couple gathered friends and family to search for Mia. But as the sun started to set, and with the expansive terrain, they knew they needed serious help.

“It was awful,” Donna Davis said.

They contacted Michael Smith of Bartlett, who owns the drone operating company SmithicAir, and Michael Davis of Crystal Lake-based Best Furry Friend Search and Rescue.

Smith located Mia that same night with his thermal drone. But since she was so far away and it was dark, they knew it would be best to continue the rescue mission the next day.

Linda Hartman, a volunteer who helps find missing dogs, described Mia’s case as challenging because they didn’t initially have a permit to set up a trap in the conservation area. Instead, they had to attempt to lure Mia back to her owners, which is difficult to do when dogs are in “survival mode,” Hartman said.

“They start seeing everything as predators,” she said. “The adrenaline rises, and fear kind of takes over. So they’re no longer thinking like your pet. They’re thinking about safety, distance and hiding.”

The group went to the conservation area every day. Food stations were set up with cameras, and they would get hopeful glimpses of Mia eating. But sometimes, the dog would go undetected for days at a time.

“She’s resilient. She’s a survivor,” Donna Davis said. “She learned how to navigate all the coyotes in the area.”

Using air and ground tactics, trackers tried to urge Mia towards her owners, who were waiting on a trail. Mia got within eyesight a few times but would run off because of that survival mode.

“Those were really heartbreaking situations where you’re so close,” Donna Davis said. “It’s a rollercoaster. A nightmare.”

Finally, the group got permission to set up a cage in the park to trap Mia. Two days later, at 5 a.m. on March 1, Donna got a call that Mia had been successfully caught.

During her adventures, Mia suffered a soft tissue injury but is expected to fully recover. Despite spending over two weeks in the wilderness, Mia lost only one pound.

Though Smith’s thermal drone was able to spot Mia the same night she went missing, he gives all the credit to Michael Davis and Hartman, who do the ground work every day.

“It’s not just all about the drone, or it’s not all about the ground team,” Smith said. “It’s Team Mia, and I had a really small part of it. But I’m proud of the work I did with it.”

Smith posted a YouTube video about the group’s efforts at youtu.be/Y1R2StfvhtY.