Family hired a ‘pet detective’ after their champion show dog vanished for 6 days. He cracked the case in under 2 hours

The detective started the business to help locate missing pets and reunite them with their families.

PUBLISHED 8 HOURS AGO

(L) A dog at dog show. (R) A detective with camera. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | (L) cunfek, (R) Luidmila Chernetska)

Ryder, a champion show dog, vanished for six days, sparking a search that relied on modern technology and determined efforts. The disappearance, which began on December 1, sparked concern among friends, family, and neighbors who organized searches and posted flyers in the area. As the days passed with no sign of the dog, co-owner Sharon Jones decided to call in professional help from a "pet detective", hoping to locate Ryder and bring him home.

Champion dog on a pedestal. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | alexei_tm)

As reported by Fox 29 on December 15, 2025, Ryder, a 2-and-a-half-year-old Norwich Terrier, had been staying at his handler’s home in Landenberg, Chester County, ahead of a dog show at the Oaks Expo Center, when the canine vanished. Cathy Jennings, co-owner, shared with the outlet, "Obviously, I was just beyond upset, and my husband and I jumped in the car and went to Landenberg." Six days after Ryder went missing, Sharon enlisted Phoenixville-based drone pilot and pet detective Rick Rotondo to assist in finding him.

The poster of the missing dog. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | StockSeller_ukr)

A first responder with Friendship Fire Company, Rotondo runs a pet-finding business that relies on thermal drones with spotlights to locate lost pets. He shared that he has found around 20 dogs in roughly 70 searches so far, helping families reunite with their furry companions. After an anxious two-hour search, relief came when Ryder showed up on the drone’s camera. “I realized I thought it was a cat for a brief second, and then I immediately saw him turn his head and said, ‘That is him!’” Rotondo recalled. Ryder had appeared in a bamboo field, just 3 minutes away from the place he had gone missing, just as the drone was about to run out of battery with just 10 minutes remaining.

A farmer using a drone in his fields. Representative Image Source: Getty Images | baranozdemir — A man using a drone in his fields. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | baranozdemir)

Sharon Jones described the emotional moment she saw Ryder, saying, “I looked down, and there was Ryder standing there looking at me like saying, ‘I’m here, I’m ready to go home. Where have you been?'” Ryder is finally home in West Virginia, taking time to recover after his ordeal. Jennings also couldn’t hide her appreciation, saying, “I could not imagine what this Christmas would be without Ryder, so we are very thankful.” The dog is expected to return to the show circuit next month.

The mystery of how Ryder escaped or what caused his fear still lingers, but thanks to a fast response, modern technology, and tireless efforts, he’s finally back home. Rotondo added why he started the business in the first place, "I have two dogs, a Siberian Husky and a Pomsky. You know, just having the ability to find missing pets is absolutely... I can't even put it into words."

Modern technology, particularly drones and cameras, has helped many families reunite with their beloved pets they once thought were lost forever. In another recent case, a cat named Francine, who had been a familiar presence at a Richmond home-improvement store, Lowe's, for years, suddenly vanished in September 2025. Workers feared she had accidentally boarded a freight truck to a distribution center in North Carolina. After days of searching, including using thermal drones and cameras, they found Francine through surveillance footage. A rescue team traveled to North Carolina, set up traps, and successfully brought her home on October 6.