Mutts & Mayhem Emergency Search and Rescue

Our all volunteer Team specializes in locating and capturing sick, injured, and elusive dogs where all traditional measures have failed, or in emergency situations where an animal has fled the scene after a major vehicle collision, or they have been displaced during a major event or disaster.   We work around the clock using aerial and ground equipment including thermal imaging, night vision, and live cellular cameras to safely locate, track, and capture animals, and we provide immediate lifesaving veterinary treatment. 

In the past year, our capture requests and emergency response requests for our specialized team have drastically increased. We receive multiple requests per week for an animal in need and in order to sustain this critical service to animals and to the community, we need your support!

Aerial Operations

Utilizing state of the art thermal imaging and high resolution cameras on board our DJI Mavic 3T Enterprise Drone, we are able to conduct thorough aerial searches in support of our ground searches and tracking.  This allows for us to confirm den locations and search for injured and hiding animals, all without ever having to get close to an elusive canine.  Most of the time our Team is never even seen by the canine prior to capture. 

Tracking

We utilize confirmed public sightings to effectively track the movements of an elusive canine. We use this intel to map their locations, routes and travel patterns which helps us locate their dens, helps us with more precise deployment locations of our video monitored feeding stations, and helps us to lure them to where we want them to be in preparation for capture. 

Feeding Stations

During a search, we deploy one or more video monitored feeding stations along their routes in order to intercept them so that they will stop and eat.  Feeding stations are placed in undisclosed locations out of public view. Once they visit one of the feeding stations, we demobilize the others and utilize that one feeding station as a reliable food source for them.  We feed them nutritious food and top it with food they cannot resist such as bacon, brisket, or rotisserie chicken!  Once he/she has eaten at the station consistently, then we will deploy one of our custom built traps (corral or drop net) at the feeding station and prepare for capture.  

Capture Equipment: Corral Trap & Drop Net System

Our custom built corral trap can be configured from 50 ft.² to 400 ft.² based on the needs and demands of the animal and their tolerance of the size of trap that they will enter into.  We do not use small box traps.  When we deploy our corral trap we set up video cameras inside and out in a 360° configuration.  Our custom built electronic system powers the corral door open using electronic magnets and a very powerful marine battery. Our Drop Net System is powered utilizing the same electronics system as our Corral Trap.  We suspend our huge 25’ X 25’ drop net 15-20 feet in the air using very strong magnets.  We capture the dog by remotely dropping the net as he/she is eating in the middle of the net.  Regardless of which apparatus is used, our team is always staged on site within 200 yards during capture and we simply watch the equipment via our live feed.  We do this for their safety and so that we may start treatment and or the decompression period immediately.  Our motion sensors and live cameras alert us when the dog is at the site, inside the corral or under the drop net and we remote trigger the equipment.  

Community Based Search Teams

In emergency situations where animals have fled from an emergency scene or been displaced after suffering a major trauma such as a vehicle collision, major weather event, etc. and they are lost but their mechanism of injury suggests they may be injured and unable to ambulate, MMESAR develops, deploys, activates and commands a foot search utilizing community search volunteers.  Our command Team will also initiate an aerial search in support of a ground foot search. 

Rehabilitation & Adoption

Occasionally, when we have an opening to intake one of the strays that we capture after their stray hold at the municipal shelter, we offer them short or long term medical, physiological & social rehabilitation tailored to their individual needs, as well as adoption.  This rehabilitation takes place in an experienced and well balanced foster home where they prepare for domestic family life.  For the more severe cases of fear, anxiety, and psychological trauma, rehabilitation takes place in the 24 hour care of our advanced canine behavioralists and training team at the Happy Gentle Dog Place ranch.