Mann’s best friend reunited

PHOTOS COURTESY OF RURAL ROUTE DRONE

Pictured right, Hopper’s chain is shown tangled around the spine of a deer. Pictured below, an image from the thermal drone footage show’s Mann and Hopper after they were reunited and as they were headed back home. Pictured far right, it’s evident that Mann and Hopper are both happy once together and safe at home.

Many pet owners, at one time or another, have experienced a pet slipping out of the front door or escaping from a fenced in yard or kennel, leaving them worried and searching for their beloved pet. Sometimes these instances can lead to heartbreak but in Hopper’s story it was described using words such as fairytale or miracle, according to Hopper’s owner, Philip Mann of Friendship.

On Friday, Feb. 20, at the usual time in the afternoon, Mann went out to feed his bird dog, Hopper. What Mann discovered was that Hopper wasn’t there, nor was the chain that had been attached to Hopper. Mann spent much of the evening walking and searching for Hopper with no luck.

This wasn’t the first time Hopper went on an adventure. Mann described another instance where he received a call from a neighbor in the area who found Hopper on her front porch. Hopper has always worn a tag with Mann’s name and phone number on it.

Early Saturday morning, Mann had to make a trip to Franklin, Indiana to watch his granddaughter, Iris, cheer. While visiting his family, Mann broke the news to his daughter, Jenn, and Iris, that Hopper had gotten loose and no sightings of her had been made. Susannah, Mann’s other daughter, made a social media post on Facebook with pictures of Hopper and information about her escape. Mann continued the search for Hopper once he was home again.

A family member of the Mann’s reached out to Susannah after seeing her post and recommended they contact Rural Route Drone based out of North Vernon. Clint Norton started his thermal drone business around 3 years ago. “It gets used mostly for deer. I’ve found hundreds of deer for hunters, located around 25 pets, and have been asked to look for two people,” Norton told The Versailles Republican.
Susannah quickly reached out to Norton. “I was on the phone with him at 10:30 p.m. and around midnight Hopper was found,” Susannah shared. Hopper was located by the drone almost directly south of Mann’s property and very close to Laughery Creek. Norton shared parts of the drone footage on his Facebook page. When Hopper was located, it was evident to Norton that the dog and the chain she had been dragging had become entangled with something to prevent her from going anywhere.

Norton called Mann with the good news and Mann left his home after midnight to rescue Hopper. Norton explained that he would keep the drone, along with a spotlight shining from it, overtop of Hopper’s location so that Mann could easily make his way to her. In Norton’s video, Mann is shown approaching Hopper while Hopper’s tail immediately starts to go crazy wagging back and forth. “Her chain was tangled around the spine of a deer and that got stuck in a tree root,” Mann described of what he discovered as he worked to free Hopper. When Mann and Hopper returned to Norton’s truck where he was operating the drone he asked what he owed Norton for his services. Norton responded saying “Nothing, it has been taken care of.” Susannah had already venmo’d the balance to Norton. “I was in Indianapolis. It felt good to be able to help when I was so far away,” Susannah told The Versailles Republican.

If you are in need of Norton’s thermal drone services, his Facebook page can be found by searching “Rural Route Drone” or he can be reached at 812-953-0217.