A dog rescuer lost faith when search drone was destroyed. A stranger restored it.

A devoted rescuer of abused and abandoned animals in Las Vegas, Kelly Winder isn’t as fond of his own kind.

“I’m a firm believer our species sucks,” Winder said.

He thought he had that belief affirmed when Paws Patrol LV, a volunteer animal search and rescue nonprofit that Winder helps lead, had its $7,000 drone destroyed on a recent mission. But a social media callout to help fix the critical search tool resulted in a donation that restored some of his faith in humanity.

In July, volunteers were on a nighttime search for a dog that was hit by a car. The dog was spotted, but limped into the thick brush of the Las Vegas Wash that spans over a half mile in the east valley. Paws Patrol deployed its drone, which has thermal imaging to help locate animals in low visibility and the vast desert surrounding the valley.

The drone operator mistook a group of homeless people in the wash for volunteers, and began a low-elevation pass over the group. According to several volunteer accounts, the people living the wash, afraid they were being surveilled, threw a rock at the drone, knocking it into the wash before they destroyed the device.

The drone was recovered. But after several days of check-ins and correspondence with locals living in the wash, the dog was not found, and Paws Patrol was out its most important tool for saving animals.

“We do this day and night. We put our hearts and soul into this, and when we cannot accomplish what we set out to do, which is to save a life, that hurts a lot,” Winder said.

The following days of support have helped restore Winder’s faith and advance Paws Patrol’s efforts in animal rescue.

Seeking funds to replace the drone through its social media channels, Paws Patrol received a generous donation from a stranger over 700 miles away. Pam Stallings, the owner of Crosswinds Inn in West Yellowstone, Montana, donated the funds to supply Paws Patrol with two new drones. The damaged drone is also expected to be repaired.

Stallings’ daughter-in-law, Anna, and her son vacation in Boulder City often and discovered Paws Patrol through social media. When Anna saw Paws Patrol needed to replace the drone, it was an easy ask for Pam.

“The people are volunteers. They need all the help they can get. I appreciate that they’re going out and volunteering and try so hard,” Pam Stallings said. “So, if I can help them to make it a little bit easier… that’s the objective.”

Winder acknowledged that not everyone has the time or energy to volunteer, and that the highs and lows of animal rescue can be taxing along with the financial burden of medical bills for animals.

However, medical costs are welcomed result of saving an animal, which Paws Patrol is better equipped than ever to do — thanks to the Stallings donation.

“You get beautiful people like that, that don’t do what we do, but recognize our efforts,” Winder said of the Stallings family. “You get angels like that, every once in a while that give a very timely, much needed donation and restores our faith in our species.”