Dog Escapes on New Jersey Turnpike, Rescued with Drone Assistance

A dog named Abby managed to escape from a rest area on the New Jersey Turnpike and, astonishingly, wandered around 40 miles before being located safely thanks to a drone.

Abby, a 9-year-old golden retriever mix, was en route from a shelter in South Carolina to her new home in Maine.

According to Final Victory Animal Rescue, she was part of a group of dogs in a van that took a break at a service area in East Brunswick around 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning.

While the owners were giving the dogs a bathroom break, Abby took off.

Fortunately, she had a tracking tag that provided her general location information. A volunteer from New Jersey utilized this data. The unmanned search and rescue drone team, which supports pet recovery efforts, aimed a thermal camera from a drone to assist in locating her.

They ultimately found Abby in a wooded region, and around 2 a.m. Sunday, Woodbridge County police were able to rescue her about 15 miles from her escape point.

When officers found her, Abby was both cold and frightened, but fortunately, it turned out she had only sustained a lower back injury that would need surgery, as reported by police and rescue teams.

This incident marked the 123rd dog rescue for the USAR team.

Later that same Monday, Final Victory Animal Rescue shared via social media that Abby would not be heading to Maine after all. Instead, she was returning to South Carolina, where she would be adopted by the family that raised her.

“With her boots on the ground and her eyes fixed on the sky, Abby was found and safely recovered,” expressed the shelter in their announcement.

They also expressed gratitude to all agencies that helped in the efforts. It really goes to show how much community support can make a difference in tough situations.