For many, pets are cherished members of the family. When a dog goes missing, the experience can be both stressful and frightening. And That's where Chad Tavernia of Malone steps in.
Tavernia, a retired trooper and investigator with the New York State Police, spent 20 years in law enforcement. After retiring in 2022, he decided to apply his search and rescue skills in a new way by launching North Country Drone Search & Recovery.
“A lot of those search and rescue principles that I apply on the dog searches are things that I did experience during my career as a trooper,” said Tavernia.
Last November, Tavernia bought a drone to locate wild animals in the region, posting his findings on Facebook. However, in late January, after someone from Berkshire, Vermont, reached out for help finding a lost dog, he shifted his focus to locating missing pets.
“It makes me feel like I'm doing something good for the community, for sure, because several of these dogs, I can honestly say likely would not have survived, especially back in the winter months when I was doing this,” Tavernia said.
Since late January, Tavernia has successfully located 18 dogs, including Amigo from Beekmantown.
On May 11, Amigo, a 9-month-old golden retriever, ran off into the woods after hearing a UPS truck. His owner, Brian Thew, called Tavernia to find his beloved companion.
“He flew the drone for about two and a half hours and then found one single thermal spot about two and a half miles from here in a swamp and was able to switch his camera to live image and see that it was Amigo,” Thew recounted.
Thew waited in the area where Tavernia had spotted Amigo, equipped with food and treats. Sure enough, Amigo emerged from the woods.
Thew expressed his gratitude, saying, “The way he uses technology and the way he is, he actually uses his passion with that technology is just exceptional.”
Tavernia is happy to play a part in ensuring missing pups find their way back home.
“I plan on keep doing it, as long as I've got a thermal drone, I do plan on offering the service. It's something I enjoy doing. And when it's successful, it obviously makes you feel good when you've been able to help somebody get their pet back,” he said.
If you have a missing dog, you can contact Tavernia through the North Country Drone Search & Recovery Facebook page.
