"Stay still! Stay still! The dog's going towards them!" The words come in a rush of excitement from a thermal drone operator after Finn, a lost hound/beagle mix was spotted in the snowy wilderness.

A thermal drone image shows the location of a lost New York State dog (North Country Drone Search & Recovery via Facebook)
A thermal drone image shows the location of a lost New York State dog (North Country Drone Search & Recovery via Facebook)
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Lost Animals in New York State

Lost animals are unfortunately a steady reality across the state. With countless local community pages in New York dedicated to returning animals to their families, one group takes things a bit further.

Dog Rescued by Thermal Imaging Drones in New York

"January has been a spectacular month… Our thermal drones & community reach helped 8 lost dogs return home safely", North Country Drone Search & Recovery (NCDSR) recently posted on Facebook. Recently, the group completed a particularly impressive rescue. 

A drone operator was able to spot a lost dog using thermal imaging as well as a standard video feed (North Country Drone Search & Recovery via Facebook)
A drone operator was able to spot a lost dog using thermal imaging as well as a standard video feed (North Country Drone Search & Recovery via Facebook)
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New York Dog Rescue on National News

The mission, which NCDSR says may be featured on the nationally-broadcasted NBC Nightly News this Sunday, involved a five-year-old beagle mix named Finn that was lost in cold and snowy conditions (below).

Lost Dog Found in "Heavily-Wooded Area"

The dog, which NCDSR shares was found "bedded down in a heavily-wooded area", was found thanks to a drone equipped with thermal imaging technology. Even though the dog was located, however, it took some special human (and animal) ingenuity to finally make contact.

NCDSR said that like many lost animals, the beagle mix was skittish and didn't allow humans near enough for a rescue. Luckily, a "familiar dog" was utilized to ease the attention, and the lost dog was eventually secured and reunited with its owners (below).

The moment that a lost dog was rescued after being lost in a snowy upstate New York town (North Country Drone Search & Recovery via Facebook)
The moment that a lost dog was rescued after being lost in a snowy upstate New York town (North Country Drone Search & Recovery via Facebook)
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While every rescue is special, the most notable moment so far this year may have been when the drone team helped located a lost puppy. The small dog, named Aurora, was located in over four feet of snow, surely avoiding a tragic outcome (below).

City of Newburgh Firefighters Save Dog on Frozen Hudson River

Lilly, the dog needed a little help from Truck 1 and the City of Newburgh Fire Department back on February 11th. Thankfully, she was returned to her owners without injury. Round of ap-PAWS for the City of Newburgh Fire Department for their quick response and heroic efforts.

Gallery Credit: Timothy Dexter

Dog Rescued After Being Trapped in Rocky Crevice at Minnewaska

A 12-year-old dog named Liza was rescued after being trapped in a rocky crevice at Minnewaska for 5 days.

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