A dog lover has been hailed a ‘real-life superhero’ for using her drone to reunite families with their lost pups–most recently, just in time before a ‘deadly’ storm hit.

Details

September 9th was a normal Friday for Erica Hart, as she abandoned her shopping trip to rush home and launch a drone search for a schnauzer before a rumbling thunderstorm made things worse. Jamie Hollinshead called her from Clayton in Yorkshire to report that Hilda, their rescue dog, had run away from their yard and they were searching for him for over two hours.

The 33-year-old rushed to the last-known location and within 20 minutes spied the escaped pooch running down a residential road. When the two-year-old dog darted into a nearby field and kept moving, Erica was able to direct Jamie and his wife to the best spot for intercepting her.

The couple from Clayton, who adopted the rescue dog this past April, has hailed Erica a ‘real-life superhero’ and believes Hilda could have been killed had she not been found before the thunderstorm hit minutes later.

“What she did is brilliant. She is a true hero and a superhero.”

“She saved her life. She could have been run over or the storms could have panicked her–you just think the worst straight away.”

“Erica kept in touch with us. Leah said that Erica knew exactly what was happening and pointed out where she should be looking. Although Leah had no clue how the dog got away from their yard, Leah believed it might have been scared by thunder.

“As it got later, we were afraid we would never see her again. When she was brought back .”

Erica, from Goldthorpe, joked, “It was great to see the owner’s face when they’d been chasing the dog for hours, then I turn up and it’s over in 20 minutes.

“Thank God we located her. The storms started minutes after I got the drone down.”

“Once that drone’s above the dog, it’s not going anyway because I can guide people in quick enough. It’s like a military operation.”

The humble drone operator believes she’s rescued more than 200 dogs in seven years and has started a Facebook group where users share lost dog posts and Erica shares the happy endings. She does not charge for this service, and she says that it is for the love of her dogs.

“I’ve gone without stuff for myself to put petrol in the car to find a dog (but) when I post it on Facebook and I see the comments I lay in bed with a smile on my face and realize why I do it.”

“Thank you so much Erica Hart for all your help,” wrote one fan. You are a star .”