It can move into woods or wetlands.
The search radius grows.
This is why knowing the animal's location can be so valuable.
A drone does not automatically recover the pet.
But it can dramatically change the information available to rescuers.
Instead of saying:
"We think the dog might be somewhere in these woods,"
the search team may be able to say:
"We can see a heat signature in this specific area."
That is an enormous difference.
More Than 100 Reunions
By early January 2026, News 12 reported that U.S.A.R. Drone Team had participated in more than 100 pet rescues.
Another report published around that period put the figure at 122 animals, including dogs, cats and even a cow.
Then the number continued climbing.
By March 2026, News 12 reported that the organization's drone had helped reunite 135 missing pets with their families.
So the widely shared claim that Parziale's team has helped recover "more than 120" animals is supported by reporting, although it is now slightly outdated.
The total has already moved higher.
And the team's mission extends beyond animals.
The Story Behind U.S.A.R. Drone Team
Parziale's organization is called the U.S.A.R. Drone Team, short for Unmanned Search and Rescue.
It operates as a nonprofit and uses drone technology for search-and-rescue work.
The organization also has a connection to military veterans.
According to its own fundraising materials, U.S.A.R. describes itself as a veteran-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit. It says its volunteers conduct searches for lost pets and wildlife while also using its work to support drone training.
Independent reporting has also documented the veteran-training component.
News 12 reported in March 2026 that the volunteer organization uses advanced thermal drone technology to locate missing pets while providing hands-on UAV training opportunities for military veterans.
That makes the organization's work unusual in another way.
The same technology can serve two purposes.
It can help a family find a missing animal.
At the same time, it can give veterans experience with technology that may translate into civilian careers.
Drone skills now have applications in fields ranging from surveying and infrastructure inspection to agriculture, photography and emergency response.
For veterans transitioning into civilian life, hands-on experience can therefore have value beyond a single rescue mission.
A Mission That Grew Unexpectedly
Parziale did not originally build his entire mission around missing dogs and cats.
In an interview reported in early 2026, he said the idea developed after he used drone technology to help locate a missing person in the Toms River area.
After that search, someone asked whether he could use similar technology to find a lost pet.
He succeeded.
Then another request came.
And the animal-rescue side of the operation grew.
It makes sense when you think about it.
The same qualities that make a thermal drone useful for locating a person can make it useful for locating an animal.
Both can disappear into areas that are difficult to search.
Both produce body heat.
Both may be in danger from exposure, traffic or terrain.
And in both cases, finding the missing individual quickly can be critical.
What changed was the frequency of the need.
Missing pets are common.
And their owners are often desperate for help.
"It's Just a Pet" Misses the Point
Anyone who has loved an animal understands why these searches matter.
A pet may technically be an animal living in someone's house.
Emotionally, the relationship can be much deeper.
A dog can be a companion for an older person living alone.
A cat can be the first living thing someone sees every morning and the last one beside them at night.
A pet can grow up alongside children.
It can become connected to years of family memories.
So when an animal suddenly disappears, people do not experience the loss as a missing possession.
They experience it as a missing member of their household.
U.S.A.R. Drone Team makes that idea explicit in its fundraising materials, saying that for many people, a pet is family and that financial circumstances should not necessarily prevent someone from receiving help during a search.
CBS Philadelphia's coverage of Shade's disappearance showed that emotional reality clearly.
Manfredi described the experience of losing her puppy as devastating and hopeless.