Area Kennels Begin Picking Up, Dropping Off Pets Via Drones
ST. LOUIS — With drone delivery officially headed to the St. Louis area, local businesses are already finding innovative new uses for the technology, including several area kennels that announced plans to begin picking up and returning customers’ pets entirely by air.
“People are already comfortable having drones deliver toothpaste, batteries and a six-pack of Diet Coke,” said Chesterfield kennel owner Doug Barksdale. “We just asked ourselves, ‘Why not Bailey?’”
Under the new service, customers simply select “Drone Pickup” while making their boarding reservation, attach a lightweight harness to their dog, and place the animal in a designated 10-by-10-foot “Pet Landing Zone” in the backyard.
Within minutes, an autonomous drone arrives overhead, lowers a cable, secures the pet and transports it directly to the kennel.
“It eliminates all the hassle of loading the dog into the car,” Barksdale explained. “No slobber on the windows. No whining. No stopping at every fire hydrant between Ballwin and Creve Coeur.”
Area kennel operators say initial testing has been extremely successful, although several minor problems remain.
“We’ve learned that dogs weighing more than 40 pounds require two drones,” said Barksdale. “And Great Danes are still pickup only.”
Cats have presented additional challenges.
“Our first cat delivery went beautifully until we reached about 200 feet,” said one employee. “That’s when Mr. Whiskers apparently reconsidered the entire arrangement.”
Kennels are also asking customers to make sure pets are clearly labeled after a Ladue family expecting the return of their Goldendoodle reportedly received a 24-pack of Great Value paper towels instead.
“They were disappointed at first,” said a Walmart spokesperson, “but technically the paper towels were delivered six minutes ahead of schedule.”
The service is expected to be especially popular during holidays, when boarding facilities become crowded and pet owners traditionally spend several hours driving across St. Louis County dropping off animals.
For an additional $14.95, kennels will offer Premium Drone Boarding, which includes a climate-controlled flight, complimentary Milk-Bone and aerial sightseeing over Forest Park.
Dogs riding in first class may stick their heads out.
The Federal Aviation Administration has reportedly approved the service on the condition that drones remain below commercial aircraft, avoid Lambert International Airport and immediately yield the right-of-way to any golden retriever chasing them.
Animal-rights organizations initially expressed concerns but withdrew their objections after researchers confirmed that dogs already enjoy sticking their heads out of automobiles traveling 70 mph down Highway 40.
Meanwhile, St. Louis entrepreneurs are reportedly considering other applications for the emerging technology.
Local groomers are testing drone pickup.
Veterinarians are studying emergency airborne pet transport.
And one St. Louis County man has reportedly begun construction of what he describes as “the world’s first drone-operated poop-scooping service.”
Industry experts believe that one may ultimately prove to be the technology’s killer app.
At press time, St. Louis County officials were preparing emergency legislation requiring all airborne dogs to be licensed, vaccinated and kept on a leash no longer than 400 feet.
