Associated Press– A dog escaped from a rest stop along the New Jersey Turnpike and wandered 25 miles (40 kilometers) before being found safe the next day with the help of a drone.
Abby, a 9-year-old golden retriever, was traveling from a shelter in South Carolina to a planned new home in Maine. She was one of several dogs in a truck that stopped at a service area in East Brunswick around 6 a.m. Saturday, according to Final Victory Animal Rescue.
The dog groomer was letting them take a bathroom break when Abby escaped.
Abby is equipped with a tracking tag to show her general location, and volunteers with her New Jersey headquarters Drone search and rescue team — which helps with pet search and rescue efforts as part of its mission — used thermal imaging from a drone to lead rescuers to it. They found the stray dog in a wooded area, and Woodbridge Township police eventually rescued Abby around 2 a.m. Sunday, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) from where she initially escaped.
Police and rescuers said Abby was cold and extremely frightened when officers found her, and it was later found that she had suffered a hip injury that would require surgery.
This was the 123rd dog rescue conducted by USAR, the team said.
in Posted on social media Late Monday night, Final Victory Animal Rescue said Mayne was no longer in Abby’s future — she had returned to South Carolina and would be adopted by the Columbia family who had been fostering her.
“With boots on the ground and eyes in the sky, Abby was located and recovered safely,” the shelter said. “Many thanks to every agency involved for showing up when it mattered most.”