In brief
Valerie, a miniature dachshund who went missing in November 2023, is now safe after 529 days in the Australian wilderness, as rescuers work to prepare her for a reunion with her owners, who had nearly given up hope.
Valerie the dachshund has finally been located after an incredible journey that lasted 529 days in the Australian wilderness. The miniature dachshund went missing on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, in November 2023, when she slipped out of her pen and ventured into the bush. Despite numerous attempts to locate her by concerned locals and her owners, Josh Fishlock and Georgia Gardner, she evaded capture for an astonishing year and a half.According to Jared Karran from Kangala Wildlife Rescue, who played a significant role in the search for Valerie, the efforts to locate her were a “long tough battle.” The couple, who were visiting Kangaroo Island at the time, initially searched for Valerie for five days before they reluctantly acknowledged that they might not find her.Seventeen months later, miracle struck when Valerie was spotted approximately 10 miles from her previous location. Distinguished by her unmistakable pink collar, she was finally captured and brought to safety. Rescuers believe that the survival strategy for the dachshund, who had been described by Ms. Gardner as “not a very outside, rough-and-tough dog,” could involve drinking from natural water sources (dams) and scavenging for food such as roadkill and edible plants. With her rescue successful, Valerie is now undergoing a process of re-acclimatization to domestic life as preparations for her emotional reunion with her owners continue.
