In Western Washington, where forests and fields blur into neighborhoods, a new kind of search-and-rescue is quietly taking off. When a Siberian husky named Niko disappeared in Thurston County, his frantic family turned to an unusual ally: a thermal drone. The high-tech search first picked up the glow of several deer grazing in a field. Then a darker heat signature appeared nearby. It was Niko, calmly hanging out in the same field while his people worried. Coordinates were sent to the owners, they rushed to the spot, and a high-tech reunion followed. Stories like this are becoming more common thanks to Seek and Rescue, Seattle’s only thermal drone lost pet service.
Seek and Rescue is the brainchild of Stephanie Seek, who created what might be one of the most fittingly named services in the Pacific Northwest. She had been working at an engineering firm and earned her FAA license to fly drones for the company. At the same time, she had been volunteering in animal rescue for years and was looking for her next career move. When traditional engineering opportunities did not pan out, she and her husband discussed a different path: launching a nonprofit-style drone operation focused on missing pets.
Starting Seek and Rescue required a significant leap of faith. Thermal drones are not inexpensive, and there was no guarantee that people would call a drone pilot when their dog or cat went missing. Seek decided to trust her instincts, combined her love of pets with her technical skills, bought the thermal drone, and committed to building the service. She has since said that the risk paid off and the work has “worked out so well,” a reflection of both the demand and the emotional impact of reuniting families with their animals.
One of the most memorable rescues involved Hobie, a senior lab and akita mix who wandered away from her home in Arlington. Hobie had significant challenges: impaired vision and hearing, along with neurological issues that made her especially vulnerable. Seek launched her thermal drone and began scanning the area. After about 45 minutes, the drone spotted Hobie alone in a field, and Seek was able to guide the owners to her location.
What happened next showed just how critical timing can be in lost pet search services. As Seek watched the live feed, she noticed a coyote stalking Hobie. She immediately told the family and emphasized the urgency of getting to their dog quickly. On the video, the coyote began trying to nip at Hobie and came disturbingly close. Seek used the drone itself as a deterrent, flying it low over the coyote to startle it. The animal stared up, apparently confused by this strange object buzzing overhead. The interruption broke its focus on Hobie, and when the coyote tried again, Seek repeated the maneuver, hovering low until it finally moved away. Hobie’s owners reached her in time and brought her home safe.
Stories like Niko and Hobie highlight how powerful a thermal drone can be in the right situation. Seek explains that she uses a two-camera setup: on one side of her screen is the thermal view, where all warm bodies show up as heat signatures. On the other side is a powerful zoom camera. She first identifies a heat source, then zooms in to see what kind of animal it is. That combination helps her distinguish between deer, raccoons, cats, and the specific dog or cat she is trying to find.
Seek primarily operates in King County and occasionally travels to Snohomish and Pierce counties. Most searches begin the same way. A worried pet owner submits a form on her website requesting help. She does her best to respond within a few hours because she understands how stressful it is to have a missing animal. If the location is safe for drone flight and not too close to an airport, she calls the owner and schedules a search, often for early the next morning.
Pre-dawn is ideal for this kind of work. Before sunrise, the environment is cooler, which makes warm bodies stand out more clearly on a thermal camera. Typical searches last between two and a half and three hours. Seek suggests a donation of about three hundred dollars for that time, reflecting both the operating costs and the specialized nature of the service.
Although the drone is the most dramatic tool, Seek and Rescue also provides guidance on lost dog behavior and practical search strategies. For dogs, she often recommends starting around nearby water sources, since many frightened or disoriented pets tend to stay close to streams, ponds, or other reliable water. She stresses one piece of advice that can be surprisingly hard for people to follow: do not chase a lost dog, even if it is your own. She cautions against calling their name, whistling, or clapping. Instead, she recommends sitting down, avoiding direct eye contact, and letting the dog approach at its own pace.
Her experience suggests that many lost dogs enter a kind of survival mode and may not immediately recognize familiar voices or faces. According to Seek, they often need to get close enough to smell their person before everything clicks. Once they catch the scent, many dogs go from wary to overjoyed, but that moment only happens if the human stays calm and nonthreatening.
She also shares a practical, sensory-based tip that many dog owners might appreciate. A Costco rotisserie chicken can be a powerful tool in coaxing a nervous dog closer. The scent carries far, and Seek notes that many dogs adore it. Placing pieces strategically or simply having it nearby can sometimes be enough to get a dog to move close enough to recognize their people and feel safe again.
Over time, Seek has noticed patterns in when calls spike. Her busiest seasons tend to be around the holidays, when dogs are often staying with pet sitters or relatives. In unfamiliar environments, with doors opening and closing frequently, animals can slip out and run. She recalls being out on searches on Christmas Eve, Christmas morning, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day. Her advice is to choose pet sitters carefully and make sure they understand how important it is to use leashes, secure doors, and take reasonable precautions.
Seek and Rescue also supports cat owners, though the strategy changes significantly. If a normally indoor-only cat gets out, Seek does not typically deploy the drone. Since these cats often hide very close to home and may take shelter under porches, decks, or other solid structures, a thermal drone may not pick them up. Instead, she suggests going out at night with a flashlight and scanning for the reflection of their eyes. For cats that go missing away from home or are accustomed to being outdoors, a drone search can be more effective.
One example involved a cat in Fall City that had been out on a leash and harness when something spooked him. He bolted, dragging the leash and harness behind him. Seek flew her drone that first night and spotted him on the riverbank, calmly using it as a personal litter box. The real challenge, though, was bringing him home. The cat was too nervous to approach his person, and the process of recovery stretched to six weeks. Eventually, he made his way to a nearby neighborhood where someone recognized him from a posted sign and contacted the owner, leading to a very happy reunion.
Throughout all of these searches, Seek has noticed a common thread. In her experience, the biggest reason people never see their lost pets again is that they give up too soon. She encourages guardians to stay patient, to keep looking, and to use every available tool from flyers and neighbors to search support and, when appropriate, thermal drone services. For many families in the Seattle area, that persistence, partnered with Seek’s unique blend of technology and compassion, has made all the difference between heartbreak and a joyful homecoming.
