Owner of missing dog from York crowdfunds for thermal imaging drone to help find lost pets
Freddie the Golden Retriever from York disappeared while on holiday in Cornwall
A dog from York which went missing during a holiday in Cornwall has sparked a crowdfunding appeal to buy a thermal imaging drone for a pet search and rescue charity.
Jess Cohan's family took her two-year-old Golden Retriever, Freddie, with them on holiday to the Duchy at the beginning of October.
During a walk on Holywell Bay near Newquay, Freddie ran up the cliff face and onto the Kelsey's and disappeared out of sight. It's suspected he picked up a scent of another animal.
A heartbroken Jess travelled from York to Cornwall and spent a further 10 days looking for Freddie after her parents had to return home.
In the days following, Jess was contacted by the local branch of charity Dog Lost, who coordinated on-the-ground searches along with drones from Drone Search and Rescue and kind locals:
Jess Cohan, Freddie's owner, said: "The locals were unbelievably kind and supportive. So many people came out to help us look. They were putting up and printing posters for free and bringing drones out. It was just overwhelming."
Sadly Freddie has still not been found.
Jess has now launched a fundraising appeal to help the charities that have been helping to search for her much loved companion.
She told Greatest Hits Radio's sister station, Pirate FM, she hopes to raise £6,500 for thermal imaging equipment which can be used in searches for missing pets.
And she has very nearly smashed her target!
Jess, added: "When you're trying to cover an area as vast as Cornwall, where there is just land for miles and miles, it's so helpful to have thermal technology that can pick up heat spots in all those fields, it would have been so helpful."
Once enough money has been raised a thermal imaging drone will be purchased, which will be named The Flying Freddie.
You can find Jess' Go Fund Me page here.