Michael Parziale

Michael Parziale

Son: Johnathan Parziale

Son: Michael Parziale

Manasquan, New Jersey

Michael Parziale is a former big-game hunter from Brooklyn who leads an unmanned search-and-rescue team specializing in lost, stolen, and missing pets. Based on the Jersey Shore, Michael works alongside his two sons, combining search technology, instincts developed through decades of hunting, and a determination to bring animals home. His work began nearly three years ago with searches for missing people. After locating a man who had been missing for three days in a swamp, Michael was asked whether he could use those same skills to find a missing pet. That request became a mission: Michael reports conducting more than 200 searches and recovering 156 pets.

Michael receives between one and five calls a day from owners desperate for help. Some believe their animals have been stolen, and it’s up to Michael to determine if the pet is stolen, or has gone missing. On the other side, many supposedly “missing pets” can in fact be stolen pets.  Michael prides himself on his ability to read people, recognize inconsistencies, and question a story that does not make sense.

Michael’s process starts before he reaches the scene. He gathers the circumstances of the disappearance, the pet’s health and history, and what the owners have already done to find it. He then coaches families on how to avoid frightening the animal farther away. Drawing on his hunting experience, he searches patiently for movement, studies places an animal could hide, and revisits areas rather than assuming one unsuccessful pass means nothing is there. Thermal drones give him an aerial view and help identify heat signatures in darkness, while the team moves on the ground to investigate sightings and reach animals. A search can involve hours of methodical observation before a single movement changes everything.

Michael and his sons travel hours from home, searching everywhere from risky inner-city streets to remote woods and active railroad tracks. Working late into the night and through harsh weather.

They travel in a specially equipped truck that supports long hours in the field, with equipment, shelter, and supplies. His son Michael Jr., a photographer and editor, helps with searches, equipment, and the rapid battery changes that keep their aerial searches running. His younger son Jonathan, an aspiring attorney, handles social media, assists with equipment, and joins searches on foot, including pushing through brush to investigate possible sightings.

Together, the Parziales bring sharp humor, constant family banter, and an ability to focus when a search becomes urgent. Michael knows that the people calling him are often terrified, and keeping a family calm can be as much a part of the job as locating its pet. His sons enjoy the adventure and working alongside their father, but the greatest reward is seeing an animal returned to someone who feared it was gone forever. Those reunions are what keep them driving for hours, searching through the night, and heading back out when another call comes in.