Michael Parziale, a Jersey Shore restaurateur and FAA-licensed drone pilot, has rescued 122 missing pets across New Jersey using his nonprofit U.S.A.R. Drone Team — a mission honoring his military family and providing free aerial search services to the elderly and veterans.
Michael Parziale, 64, has turned his passion for drones into a life-saving mission — rescuing 122 missing pets across New Jersey since launching his nonprofit Unmanned Search and Rescue (U.S.A.R.) Drone Team two years ago. What began as a personal effort to locate a missing man has evolved into a community-driven initiative that combines technology, compassion, and military legacy.
“I’m doing it in honor of my father, who fought in World War II, and my two grandfathers, who fought in World War 1,” Parziale told the New York Post. “It’s my way of giving back to veterans.”
Parziale’s U.S.A.R. Drone Team operates with 18 high-tech drones, each capable of reaching 21,000 feet — though FAA regulations restrict them to 400 feet above ground level. The drones are deployed by releasing them a half-mile from the search area, allowing them to cover vast terrain quickly and safely. The nonprofit’s work extends beyond pets — Parziale also assists in disaster zones, flying drones to spot floods and landslides during hurricanes along the East Coast.
“We go to the location and then release the drone about a half mile away,” Parziale explained. “Technically, our drones can reach 21,000 feet, but FAA rules limit us to 400 feet above ground level. And if we’re by airports, we let them know we’re nearby.”
The nonprofit’s mission is deeply personal. Parziale, a private pilot for 45 years, originally launched U.S.A.R. after helping locate a mentally handicapped man missing for three days in Toms River. “I found him in an hour and 18 minutes. He was in a swamp. He was hypothermic, and after a few hours more, he would have expired,” Parziale recalled. The success of that mission led to a request to locate a lost pet — and from there, the focus shifted to animals, which Parziale found he excelled at.
“It just developed into animals because I became really good at that,” he said.
Parziale’s work is not only about speed — it’s about emotional relief. He often accompanies his two grown sons, Michael John, 27, and Jonathan, 17, and a rotating group of volunteers to search locations ranging from Cape May to the northern mountains. “Every dollar is applied toward that,” he said, referring to his GoFundMe page, which finances searches for the elderly, whose pets are often their only companions.
“I had one woman who was crying on my shoulder so much my shirt was wet!” Parziale said. “Their pets are like children to them.”
One of the most heartwarming cases involved Gina Manfredi’s five-month-old American Bully mix, Shade, who vanished during a snowy night. After a 24-hour search yielded nothing, Gina turned to U.S.A.R. Drone Team. Parziale responded within minutes and located Shade in just 41 minutes. “Michael donates his time and expertise to help those who cannot afford to hire a professional, dedicating countless volunteer hours to reuniting families with their pets,” Gina said in a Facebook post that detailed her ordeal, which can be seen in a heartwarming video on ABC News.
“It’s a beautiful reminder of the incredible kindness that exists in the world … In a world that can sometimes feel uncertain, this experience has been a powerful reminder that there is far more good than bad.”
Parziale’s drones are not just tools — they are symbols of innovation meeting compassion. The nonprofit trains veterans in drone operations for free, opening doors to careers in aerial surveying, agricultural spraying, photography, and infrastructure inspections. “You can’t have a nonprofit without profit,” Parziale quipped, highlighting the unique model that blends humanitarian aid with professional development.
As the U.S.A.R. Drone Team continues to expand, its impact grows. The organization has become a beacon of hope for families in distress, a testament to how technology, when guided by human empathy, can transform lives. Parziale’s story is not just about finding lost pets — it’s about honoring sacrifice, bridging generations, and proving that even in the darkest moments, a drone’s light can lead the way home.
For readers seeking the fastest, most authoritative analysis of the stories that matter, onlytrustedinfo.com delivers unmatched depth and immediacy — every day.
