Our Sally is 17 years old — not a bad achievement for any dog. She has her share of senior issues and sleeps most of the time, but she still enjoys life in her own way. We know her time is near and trust she’ll tell us when. But one recent night, that moment almost arrived too soon, and in the worst possible way. This is the story of how our neighborhood — friends, strangers, first responders and even landscapers — came together, using both modern and ancient tools — a drone and a machete — to save Sally from a lingering, painful and lonely death.

Sally is a shelter special — or, as her DNA test says, a Supermutt, her heritage too mixed to trace. She came to us as a pup from Marin Humane, shutdown and anxious, but has known only love and care for 17 years. A few years ago, she developed Idiopathic Vestibular Syndrome. It’s common in seniors and affects balance and orientation. Though she recovered, her hearing was diminished, her balance never fully returned and she eventually lost sight in one eye. Still, she adapted and lived a happy life.

Then came the night everything changed. Around 4 a.m., Sally woke us with frantic barking and darting around the room — maybe a vestibular episode, maybe something worse. We got her outside, where she seemed to seize up and then bolted down the hill toward the road and disappeared into the darkness.

We spent the early morning hours searching with flashlights, calling her name. At sunrise, Jean posted on Nextdoor. Neighbors Deirdre and Kathleen responded quickly, thinking they’d heard a distressed dog near the highway. They searched through thick brambles but found nothing. I looked for buzzards or crows that might signal something grim — but again, nothing.

Still unwilling to give up, Jean went to the local fire station. Four firefighters joined us, but even with a chainsaw, the thicket proved impenetrable. Late the second night, Deirdre and Kathleen again heard what they thought was a dog. By morning, Deirdre had a new idea: a drone. Jean asked Andrew, who manages our landscaping, and he happened to own one. Andrew launched it over the area where barking had been heard. He and Leo, our maintenance manager, scanned the screen and noticed one spot where the leaves moved oddly — maybe something was beneath them.

They hacked their way in with difficulty but found nothing — until Sally started barking. Andrew ran to get a machete from his truck and began cutting through the thorns like a jungle explorer. Then came the words we’ll never forget: “I can see her!” Sally had run into the dense brambles and become entangled, suspended above the ground and completely hidden from view. Andrew carefully cut her free and carried her to safety. She was dazed, dehydrated and scratched — but alive. At the vet, they treated her eye, cleaned wounds and pulled thorns from her fur. Remarkably, there was no serious damage.

Deirdre, Kathleen, Andrew and Leo — and others we may never know — were Sally’s guardian angels. Our vet said she’d never heard of a drone being used to find a missing dog. But it worked! And our Supermutt came home.

Sally has since resumed her routines, reclaimed her futon, and at this very moment, lies under my desk with her head on my foot. She looks content. I can’t move my leg — but I couldn’t be happier.

Neil Lurssen is a longtime volunteer with Marin Humane, which contributes Tails of Marin and welcomes questions and comments from the community. Visit marinhumane.org, find us on social media @marinhumane, or email lbloch@marinhumane.org.