Update 2/18/22: In a last-ditch effort to find his beloved dog Marley, super dad Derek Kirchner hopes to bring in professional trackers and a thermal drone. Seven highly-trained search dogs and their handlers would scour areas of interest across Hilton Head Island where Marley has been spotted or her scent has been tracked.
At the same time, Kirchner hopes to hire world-renowned drone pilot, Douglas Thron. When he isn’t working for National Geographic, the Discovery Channel, Google, or one of the major news networks, Thron uses infrared drones with zoom lens technology to help locate missing and endangered animals.
It’s an amazing plan, but one that comes with a hefty price tag. That’s why the Kirchners are reaching out to their incredible supporters to help them raise the funds. Click here to help bring Marley home!
Original Story: A family in Cobb County, Georgia has been tirelessly searching for their lost dog, Marley, every day for five long months. In fact, they haven’t missed a single day of searching since she went missing. But now, they’re running out of time and resources. So they’ve decided to not only increase the amount of money they’re offering, but to add a sports car to the deal, as well.
“Marley is a gentle soul. She’s 4 years old, a Whippet mix. She means the world to us,” said Alex Kirchner.
It was back in September of last year that the Kirchner family took their sweet pup Marley with them on their family vacation to Hilton Head, South Carolina. A family member accidentally left a door open, and Marley went missing. Losing a dog is a nightmare to many, but to lose your best friend while far from home? It’s unimaginable.
The family extended their trip for a couple of weeks while they started their search, but shortly after that, Alex (Derek’s wife) and their young son had to return home to Georgia. Derek, however, stayed behind in South Carolina and has continued searching every day since.
“I wake up in the morning, go out and start my morning searches. I have posters on the bike, ‘Lost dog’ and I ride around Hilton Head searching. Almost everyone in Hilton Head knows me as Marley’s dad,” said Derek.
Derek rides his poster-covered bicycle around the island every day, spreading the word and asking if anyone has seen his sweet pup. He also has trail cameras set up all around the area, and often scours the island in his car after dark. Meanwhile, back home in Atlanta, Marley’s mom has been busy creating online ads and posting from specific Facebook groups and pages that were specifically created to help bring their lost dog home. The couple has even consulted a psychic, searching for any clue that may lead to their beloved dog.
But now, after months of both living and searching states apart, they have exhausted their savings, and Derek is being forced to leave the island. In a last-ditch effort to find their furry family member, Derek is offering $4,000 and the title of his 2016 Z51 Corvette Stingray, no questions asked, to anyone who is aware of their search and is still choosing to keep her.
“This is a last ditch effort here; This specific reward is for if someone has Marley, is aware, and still deciding to keep her,” Derek wrote on Facebook.
Derek may be heading home soon, but that doesn’t mean they will stop searching.
For more information, to report a sighting, or to receive daily search updates, you can check out the “Find Marley” Facebook group by clicking here.
H/T: fox5atlanta.com
Featured Photo: Facebook
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