A MANDURAH woman has a warning about drones after she had to perform CPR on her dog.
Annaleis Martin was walking her rescue dog Ash on the off-leash dog beach between Blue Bay and Doddies when a drone flew overhead.
The drone startled Ash, causing her to bolt.
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READ NOWBefore Ms Martin could catch up, Ash collapsed into the sand.
“I sprinted over to find her gums white and couldn’t find a pulse,” Ms Martin said.
“I gave her a back rub and called her name, a few chest compressions and opened her mouth.
“A weak heartbeat returned, and I just held her talking to her.”
Ash had suffered a heart attack as a result of an Exercise-Induced Ventricular Arrhythmia (EIVA); an abnormal heartbeat triggered by strenuous exercise.
“It was the most gut-wrenching and distressing experience for her and I,” Ms Martin said.
“She is my best friend and loyal companion.”
Ash survived the ordeal and is now at home recovering.
Ms Martin has travelled around Australia with Ash and said she believes it was the high-frequency buzzing emitted by the drone that scared Ash rather than the fact that it flew over them.
Dogs can hear sounds up to 45,000 Hertz while humans can only hear sounds up to 20,000 Hertz.
Many drone users may not have considered the damage the sounds drones emit can cause, but Ms Martin hopes that people can start to learn about the effects of drones on animals.
“My only hope is that in pursuit of their pretty pictures, recreational drone users spare a thought for the innocent animals they might inadvertently be affecting,” she said.
“I do understand that not all dogs and animals are triggered by drones, and many drone users are well-intentioned and do follow the CASA guidelines.”
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