2026年8月29日 美国东部时间晚上9:58 / 哥伦比亚广播公司新闻
作者
卡特·埃文斯 特派记者
卡特·埃文斯自2013年2月起担任哥伦比亚广播公司新闻洛杉矶特派记者，为该电视台所有平台报道新闻。他加入哥伦比亚广播公司新闻时已拥有近20年新闻从业经验，曾报道多起重大国内及国际新闻事件。
阅读完整个人简介
在南加州奥兰治县的一条高速公路上，一场搜寻行动正在展开。
但执法人员并非在追踪嫌犯，他们正全力营救一只走失的狗狗。准确来说，是一只小型㹴犬。
高空的无人机在拼车专用车道发现了它，并引导地面救援人员展开行动。整个救援过程仅用了数分钟。
“这次我们只需放飞无人机，通过无线电协调，直接告知地面人员狗狗的位置，” 米申维耶霍市动物管制官员凯尔·沃纳对哥伦比亚广播公司新闻说道。
沃纳表示，过去搜寻走失宠物往往需要数天甚至数周时间。
“我们从过去那种被动等待、寄希望于奇迹发生的搜寻方式，转变为主动搜索，” 沃纳说道。
这款无人机借助激光和热成像技术，能够在大片区域内精准定位动物的热成像特征。
米申维耶霍动物服务部门的高级动物管制官员JR·斯图尔特表示，这项技术在最近一次搜救名叫拉娜的狗狗的行动中发挥了关键作用。
“我当时正在茂密的灌木丛中穿行，灌木丛比我个头还高，” 斯图尔特说道。“仅凭肉眼我根本不可能发现那只狗。”
但无人机成功在灌木丛中探测到了狗狗，并引导斯图尔特找到了它。
去年，动物管制人员还使用该无人机追踪了一只生性胆小的名叫乔西的狗狗，并准确告知了主人找到它的具体位置。
“狗主人当时坐了下来，保持完全放松的状态，让狗狗主动靠近她，” 沃纳说道。“当看到狗狗摇起尾巴的那一刻，那场面真的非常感人。”
这台无人机耗资近17000美元，资金来自私人捐赠。
沃纳表示，他已经收到其他多个部门对这项技术的咨询。当被问及是否认为这台无人机物有所值时，他回答道：“绝对值得。”
“我们正在让某个家庭的挚爱成员重新回到主人身边，这完全是无价的。”
How drones are revolutionizing the search for lost pets
August 29, 2026 9:58 PM EDT / CBS News
By
Carter Evans Correspondent
Carter Evans has served as a Los Angeles-based correspondent for CBS News since February 2013, reporting across all of the network’s platforms. He joined CBS News with nearly 20 years of journalism experience, covering major national and international stories.
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On a freeway in Southern California’s Orange County, the chase is on.
But authorities aren’t tracking a suspect. They’re trying to save a lost dog. A small terrier, to be exact.
A drone overhead spots him in the carpool lane and guides in ground units. The entire rescue took just minutes.
“This time we were able to just put the drone up and coordinate via the radio and just say, this is where it’s at,” Kyle Werner, an animal control officer for the city of Mission Viejo, told CBS News.
Werner said lost pet searches used to take days or weeks.
“We went from a very passive search, just waiting for something to happen, to actively searching,” Werner said.
The drone uses lasers and thermal imaging to pinpoint animal heat signatures over large areas.
The technology was critical in a recent search for a dog named Lana, according to JR Stewart, a senior animal control officer with Mission Viejo Animal Services.
“I was going through the heavy brush. The brush is above my head,” Stewart said. “There’s no way I would’ve ever seen the dog with the naked eye.”
But the drone was able to detect the dog in the brush and guide Stewart in.
Animal control officers also used the drone last year to track down a skittish dog named Josie, and they were able to tell her owner exactly where to find her.
“She [the owner] sat down and was just really calm and allowed the dog to approach her,” Werner said. “And you’ll see, it was really a touching moment when you see that tail wagging.”
The drone cost almost $17,000, paid for with private donations.
Werner said he’s already hearing from other agencies interested in the technology. Asked if he thinks the drone is worth the money, he responded, “100%.”
“We’re reuniting someone’s family member with them, and that’s completely invaluable.”
