I'm a pet detective - I've reunited 330 lost dogs with their owners

Meet the pet detective who has helped track down and reunite 330 lost dogs with their owners for free - using a thermal imaging drone.

Erica Hart, 44, got her first drone - a DJI Phantom - as a present from her dad, Eric, 78, in April 2018

After practising with it, Eric told Erica there was a dog missing in their local area and suggested she use her drone to help find it.

Erica called the owner of the missing dog after spotting a post on social media - a schnauzer that went missing on a walk - and went out to help him find it.

Using her drone, she tracked down the pooch who was besides a tree and reunited him with their owner.

Word spread and Erica said it "snowballed" from there and she has since been on 330 dog rescue missions with her drone - and even kept a few of the pooches she's found.

Erica is out every day searching for dogs around Yorkshire.

She said she has been asked to rescue dogs from Scotland to Somerset but has to decline as she doesn't want to leave her dogs for too long.

Erica doesn't accept a penny for her work and says it is worth it when she sees the look on the owner's face when they are reunited with their pet.

Erica, a thermal drone pilot, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, said: "I get called out every day.

"Since I started out, I have found 330 dogs - some have made it and some haven't.

"I don't just help find dogs though - I have found, cats, emus, cows and helped mountain rescue locate missing people.

"It is in my nature to help out."

Erica started out by flying model airplanes before her dad Eric bought her a drone.

In 2018, Eric saw a dog was missing and said Erica could help by flying her drone in the air to try and locate it.

Erica said: "I called the person whose dog was missing and we went out and looked for it.

"It went from there really.

"There was another dog missing a few days later and I went out and found it.

"Then, because people said I have found these dogs, it snowballed from there - I get called out every day."

Erica doesn't get paid for the call outs she attends and does it for her love of animals.

She estimated she has found 330 dogs and been through 30 drones - since she started out.

She said: "I do everything for the love of dogs.

"Imagine not seeing your mum for 10 years and then seeing her all of a sudden - it is that feeling.

"It is like winning the lottery when I find a dog.

"Some people can't have kids so they will get a dog, they are comfort for some people.

"What I see on the day-to-day basis from owners is so sad.

"I have seen large 6ft men burst into tears - it is priceless to see their faces."

Erica's mission to find lost animals is personal - she has eight dogs herself and four of them have came from rescues.

She has five Shih Tzus, Jessy, 16, Judd, 11, Bella, 11, Fudge, five, Tinkerbell, 18 weeks and Shadow, cockapoo, four, Missie, Laparatsu, five, and a dachshund called Brenda, two.

She said: "I have a sausage dog called Brenda - someone posted on Facebook that she was missing.

"I found her but the owner didn't want her back

"I have two Shih Tzus called Bella and Fudge. The owners handed them over to me and said they were just going to let them go in a field.

"I have a cockapoo called Shadow who was handed over to me by police.

"They are the most loving dogs ever."

Erica is on call seven days a week and went to call outs on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

The longest rescue Erica has been part of lasted 12 days but she said the length of the rescue depends on whether the animal missing goes into fight or flight mode.

She said: "If a dog has gone missing on a walk in a field, it can be over within a day.

"If it is lost in a field and everyone is searching and shouting for it, the dog will go into fight mode and only come out at night.

"The longest rescue I have done is 12 days - it was a cockapoo.

"This is all very personal for me, I am not a people person but give me a dog any day of the week."

Erica is saving for a new drone, an Autel Evo 4n, as it has night vision and a thermal camera meaning she will be able to take on more nighttime rescues.