Airframe Rescue · Andover
Animal & Wildlife Search and Rescue in Andover
Drone-assisted search for lost dogs, escaped livestock and injured wildlife around Andover (SP10 and SP11), from Anton Lakes and the River Anton to Harewood Forest and the wide chalk farmland of Test Valley. Thermal and visual cameras find the animal from the sky and we point the people on the ground straight at it.
- Hampshire-based operator
- CAA Registered Drone Operator
- Thermal and visual cameras
- Fully insured
Local service
Searching for a missing animal around Andover
Andover is the largest town in Test Valley, in the north-west of Hampshire. The River Anton rises on its northern edge, where old gravel workings have become Anton Lakes, a local nature reserve of open water, reed, wet meadow and scrub. From there the river runs south through the town centre and Watermills Park to Rooksbury Mill, another reserve, on its way to join the Test.
Outside the town the land opens into big chalk fields and rolling downland, with Harewood Forest, a large area of ancient woodland, to the east towards Longparish. Harewood Common sits between the forest and the newer estates around Picket Twenty. A dog that runs off at the lakes or on a farm track, or a group of cattle that get through a gate, can soon be a long way off, and from the air we can check the fields, hedges and woodland edges far faster than on foot.
Andover is inside our core coverage zone, which runs to about 50 miles from Basingstoke. To the south-west, Middle Wallop is the Army Aviation Centre, a protected aerodrome with its own flight restriction zone, and Thruxton aerodrome lies to the west, so searches towards Abbotts Ann, Weyhill and Thruxton are checked against them first. The A303 runs along the south of the town. Weather and availability decide the rest on the day.
AT A GLANCE · ANDOVER
- Service
- Drone-assisted search and location of missing, escaped or injured animals
- Area
- Andover and the villages of north Test Valley, inside our core zone
- Airspace
- Middle Wallop and Thruxton airfields lie to the south-west and west; searches on that side are checked first
- Wider coverage
- Core zone to about 50 miles from Basingstoke, extended zone to about 70 miles, nationwide on request
- How to request
- Call 0330 401 1227 for an animal that is missing now; planned work can wait for the form
- What we do not do
- Capture, handle, transport or treat animals, or deploy for dangerous species
Local details checked 8 November 2026.
What we can help with
Our rescue services in Andover
Six ways Airframe Rescue supports people looking for an animal. In every case we find and watch from the air; the people closest to the animal do the recovering.
Livestock Search and Recovery
We sweep fields, hedgerows and woodland with thermal and visual cameras to find missing cattle, sheep, horses, pigs or poultry, with or without tags or trackers.
Farms across north Test Valley keep cattle, sheep and horses on large chalk holdings, where a loose animal can cover a great deal of ground.
You know where the stock is before you send people and vehicles out.
You and your stockmen do the rounding up; we watch and guide from above.
Pet and Companion Animal Search
Lost dogs, cats and other companion animals often go to ground in cover a search on foot walks straight past. Thermal imaging can pick up body heat in vegetation and in low light.
Dogs that run off at Anton Lakes, Harewood or on the farm tracks tend to go to ground in reed, a hedge or a crop within reach of where they were lost.
A focused search around the last sighting, with positions relayed so you can approach calmly.
Built-up areas and roads bring airspace and privacy limits, so each request is assessed first.
Zoo and Collection Animal Location
Discreet aerial support for wildlife parks, zoos, aviaries and private collections looking for a displaced non-dangerous animal.
Eyes over the site and its surroundings, working to your keepers’ recovery plan.
We do not deploy for dangerous species; those are a matter for the emergency services.
Wildlife and Conservation Monitoring
Planned aerial monitoring of protected or vulnerable species across large areas: survey routes, thermal counts and habitat imagery.
Planned surveys along the Anton, in Harewood and on the downs are shaped around protected species, nesting birds and the landowners involved.
Repeatable data delivered to your team, without walking the whole site.
Planned around the species, the season and any disturbance considerations.
Injured or Distressed Animal Location
Where an animal is thought to be injured and lying still, thermal detection can find it in dense cover, on steep ground or in places rescuers cannot easily reach.
Useful for a casualty in a reed bed, in woodland scrub or out in a large field where it cannot easily be seen.
Precise GPS positions, so rescuers go straight to the animal.
We locate and observe. Handling and treatment stay with vets and welfare professionals.
Priority Call-Outs
When time matters, phone us with the location and what has happened. Each call-out is assessed against location, airspace, weather, light and who is available.
A clear answer on the phone about whether a search is possible, and what it involves.
We do not publish response times; availability depends on the day.
Looking for an animal in or around Andover?
Phone if it is missing now. For planned work, send us the details.
The process
How a drone-assisted animal search works
Every search is different, but most follow the same five stages, from your first call to the handover.
- STAGE 01
Enquiry and information
You tell us what is missing, where and when it was last seen, and what the ground is like.
- STAGE 02
Location and feasibility
We check the location against our zones and look at airspace, access, weather and light.
- STAGE 03
Search plan
We divide the area into search zones from the last known position, the terrain and the animal’s likely behaviour.
- STAGE 04
Aerial search
Our pilot watches the thermal and visual feeds live and checks every heat signature against the animal’s size.
- STAGE 05
Findings and handover
We relay GPS positions to your team and stay on station until recovery or until you stand us down.
Before you call
What helps us most
- Where the animal was last seen: postcode, what3words or a landmark
- When it was last seen, as accurately as you can
- Species, size, colour and anything distinctive
- How to get onto the land, and who owns it
- Who is already searching, and where they have looked
Why aerial search
What a drone adds to a search, and where it is limited
A view from above
From up to 120 metres, the standard UK height limit for most drone flights, one viewpoint covers ground that would take a search team hours to walk.
Heat, not just light
Thermal imaging detects body heat, so it works in darkness and can pick out an animal against cooler ground.
Fewer people on difficult ground
Checking wet, steep or overgrown ground from the air first means people only go in where there is something to find.
Calmer recoveries
Live positions let the people on the ground move quietly to the right place without pushing a frightened animal further away.
- 01Open fieldClear heat signature
- 02Hedgerow and scrubOften visible through gaps
- 03Dense tree canopyDetection reduced
- 04Sun-warmed groundLower contrast by day
The ground we search around Andover
Anton Lakes and the River Anton
At the head of the Anton, the lakes, reed beds and wet meadow north of the centre give a dog plenty of cover, and the River Anton Way follows the water south through the town. Soft ground and thick vegetation make the lake margins slow to search on foot.
LimitationOtters and water voles are recorded here. We keep flights short, avoid hovering low over the water and confirm anything we see on the visual camera first.
Harewood Forest
East of the town, Harewood Forest is a large block of old broadleaved and mixed woodland crossed by rides and tracks. A dog chasing a deer into it can be very hard to find.
LimitationWith leaves on, the canopy hides the ground. We search the rides, clearings and the forest edge and direct people into the cover from there.
Chalk farmland and downs
Wide arable fields, grazing and long hedgerows surround the town in every direction, rising to downland around Danebury, Thruxton and Hurstbourne Tarrant. Open chalk country like this is ideal for a thermal search.
LimitationStanding crops can hide an animal that is lying still, so we start from the last sighting and work along the most likely routes.
The town, the A303 and the railway
Andover has grown fast, with large estates on every side, the A303 dual carriageway to the south and the West of England railway through the town. Escaped animals usually head for the river, the lakes or open fields.
LimitationWe do not fly over the A303, the railway, the town or houses. Searches close to them are assessed one by one and may not be possible.
Coverage
Andover and surrounding areas
We provide drone-assisted animal and wildlife searches in Andover and the villages around it, from Enham Alamein and Smannell in the north to the Clatfords and Abbotts Ann in the south and Weyhill and Thruxton in the west.
Airframe has no office or team in these villages; they sit inside the area our searches cover.
VILLAGES AND AREAS WE COVER
- CharltonVillage on the north-west edge, by Charlton Lakes.
- Upper ClatfordVillage just south of the town.
- Goodworth ClatfordVillage to the south on the Anton.
- Enham AlameinVillage to the north.
- SmannellVillage to the north-east among farmland.
- Abbotts AnnVillage to the south-west, towards Middle Wallop.
- WeyhillVillage to the west on the A342.
- ThruxtonVillage to the west beside the aerodrome.
Andover is inside our core zone, which runs to about 50 miles from our Basingstoke base. See the full coverage map or check a postcode with our coverage checker.
Who we support
Who the service is for
Around Andover the calls we expect come from dog walkers at the lakes and in Harewood, farmers and horse owners across Test Valley, and the councils and groups that look after the river and reserves.
Not sure if we can help?
Call and describe the situation, and we will suggest the most useful next step.
Call 0330 401 1227Pet owners
Dogs, cats and other companion animals lost on a walk or from home.
Farmers and livestock keepers
Stock that has broken out across fields, hedges and woodland.
Landowners and estates
Searches and planned monitoring across large private land.
Animal welfare organisations
Rescues, charities and vets who need eyes on a casualty or a stray.
Wildlife and conservation groups
Planned surveys, counts and habitat imagery.
Animal collection operators
Wildlife parks, zoos, aviaries and private keepers of non-dangerous species.
Search coordinators
Anyone running a search who needs aerial support alongside their team.
How we operate
How we fly safely and legally
A search only helps if it is flown safely and legally. This is how every Airframe Rescue deployment is run, in Andover and everywhere else we work.
More on how we plan and fly operations and the aircraft we use.
Common questions
Questions about animal searches around Andover
Something we have not covered? Call us and ask.
0330 401 1227Can a drone help find a lost dog in Andover?
Often, yes. Around Andover a missing dog usually hides in reed at the lakes, in a hedge or at the edge of Harewood Forest, where the thermal camera can pick it up. In the town and near the A303 we are restricted, so we check exactly where it went missing first. Call 0330 401 1227 without delay.
Do Middle Wallop and Thruxton affect searches?
They can, on the south-west and west sides. Middle Wallop is an Army airfield with its own flight restriction zone, and Thruxton is an active aerodrome. Searches towards Abbotts Ann, Weyhill and Thruxton are checked first, and some may need permission or not be possible.
Can you search Anton Lakes?
Yes. The reed, scrub and wet meadow are slow to search on foot and quick from above. It is a nature reserve with sensitive wildlife and a popular walk, so flights are short and kept away from people.
Can you search Harewood Forest?
Partly. The rides, clearings and forest edge can be checked from the air. Under the closed canopy we rely on people on foot, with the drone narrowing down where to look.
Can you help if cattle or sheep get out?
Yes. On the open chalk around Andover, livestock is easy to find on thermal. We tell you where the animals are and keep watching while you move them, which matters near the A303 and the busier roads.
Is it better to search at night?
Often. The fields cool quickly after dark, and a warm animal then shows up sharply. We fly at night within CAA rules.
How soon can you start in Andover?
We do not give a set response time. It depends on the weather, availability and the location. Andover is in our core zone; ring 0330 401 1227 and we will be honest about what we can do.
What do you need from me?
The place the animal was last seen, such as a lake car park, a farm gate or a what3words reference, and when. What it looks like, how it is with strangers and which way it went. The landowner if known, and anywhere already searched.
Which villages near Andover do you cover?
Andover, Charlton, Enham Alamein, Smannell, Upper and Goodworth Clatford, Abbotts Ann, Weyhill, Thruxton, Penton Mewsey, Longparish and the farms between them, all inside our core zone.
Do you cover the newer estates such as Picket Twenty and Augusta Park?
Yes, on the open land around them. Andover has grown outwards, so many homes now back onto fields, Harewood Common or green corridors. A dog that gets out of a garden usually heads for that open land rather than the roads, and that is where we can help. We will not fly over the houses themselves.
Is a search free?
No. Airframe is a commercial drone operator and searches are paid for. Each job is priced on where it is, how long it should take and what it needs, and you agree the figure before take-off.
Do you handle dangerous animals?
No. Call 999 for a dangerous animal. That is for the emergency services, and if they have a search under way we leave it with them.
Related: Airframe Rescue service overview, thermal imaging surveys and drone services across Hampshire.
Animal search nearby: Whitchurch, Winchester, Kingsclere, Hungerford.
Need help finding an animal around Andover?
Share the spot and time of the last sighting with us. We will quickly tell you whether a drone search could help and what it would involve.
- 01You call or send detailsLocation, time last seen and a description.
- 02We assessZone, airspace, weather and availability, then a clear answer.
- 03We searchThermal and visual sweeps, with positions relayed to your team.
Request search assistance
Discuss a search in Andover
If an animal is missing right now, please phone. The sooner we speak, the sooner we can tell you whether a drone search can help. For planned work and general enquiries, use the form and include a postcode.
If an escaped animal is a danger to the public, call 999. Dangerous species are a matter for the emergency services.