Karmactive Staff
A tiny sausage dog named Valerie has been found alive and healthy after spending 529 days alone in the rugged wilderness of Kangaroo Island, South Australia.
The miniature dachshund disappeared in November 2023 during a camping trip with her owners, Josh Fishlock and Georgia Gardner from Albury, NSW. Valerie escaped from her pen while the couple was at the beach. When strangers tried to help catch her, she became frightened and ran into the dense scrub.
“For anyone who’s ever lost a pet, your feelings are valid and never give up hope,” Gardner wrote on social media after the rescue. “Sometimes good things happen to good people.”
After five days of searching, Fishlock and Gardner had to return to the mainland without their beloved pet. For over a year, there were no sightings of Valerie.
Hope returned last month when Kangala Wildlife Rescue received reports of a small dog with a pink collar about 15 kilometers from where Valerie vanished. Trail cameras captured grainy images of what appeared to be the missing dachshund.
“This is a tiny dog in a huge area,” the rescue group posted at the time, launching an intensive search operation that captured worldwide attention.
The Rescue Effort
Finding and capturing Valerie required extraordinary effort. Jared and Lisa Karran, directors of Kangala Wildlife Rescue, explained the challenges in a social media video.
“We knew we only had pretty much one shot and we wanted to return her to her beautiful owners the best way possible and not cause her any more trauma or stress,” Lisa Karran said.
The rescue operation involved:
- More than 1,000 volunteer hours
- Around 5,000 kilometers traveled across the island
- A network of 4G cameras to track Valerie’s movements
- A special trap with remote-controlled door
Valerie proved difficult to catch as she was in “survival mode” and wary of humans. The team used a clever technique to finally capture her – scent trails made from strips of her owner’s T-shirt, which Gardner had worn for 12-hour shifts before sending it to the rescuers.
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“Georgia kindly was able to wear this T-shirt for 12-hour shifts and games of netball and sent it down to us and that was amazing,” Lisa Karran explained. “We were able to rip little strips off of it and we started the process of just adding more and more bits to the trap site.”
The team also furnished the trap like “her own little room” with Valerie’s toys and bed from home, her owner’s clothing, hidden food, and items to keep her entertained.
“She came up, would sniff us and we’d just go by her cues, until she was completely calm and snuggled up in our laps. It was amazing,” Karran said.
How Did She Survive?
Wildlife rescuers were astonished that an 8-pound domestic dog survived so long in harsh conditions.
“When you see her you just think, ‘How, how did you survive that long!?'” Lisa Karran said.
Valerie endured a harsh winter, a dry summer, and threats from predators like eagles and snakes. The rescue team noted that Kangaroo Island provided a “perfect oasis” for Valerie’s survival, with abundant overhead cover and many hiding spots to protect her in extreme weather.
“It was only a matter of time before this little girl did eventually pass away… She would definitely have been dead — there’s no way about it, it’s saved her life,” Karran added.
One challenge for rescuers was the island’s vibrant ecosystem. The team had to compete with “hundreds of wildlife like possums, wallabies, kangaroos, goannas and feral cats” that were also attracted to the food left for Valerie.
Coming Home
After her rescue, Valerie needed time to decompress and readjust to human contact before reuniting with her owners.
“The plan is to unlock a few of these memories that have been temporarily locked away since she’s been in survival mode,” the rescue team explained. “We have seen an amazing change in Valerie’s demeanor recently as she begins to remember all those familiar smells, tastes and sounds.”
Jared Karran said Valerie’s owners would be collecting her in the coming week.
“We’re looking forward to handing their little miss over to them,” he said. “She’s doing really, really well… the whole team is just thrilled to be able to spend a little bit of time with her.”
Valerie’s story has captured attention from news outlets worldwide. Her against-all-odds survival and the dedication of the volunteers who rescued her have struck a chord with animal lovers everywhere.
“This rescue was a true testament to the dedication and perseverance of our team, the unwavering support of the community, and the power of collaboration,” Kangala Wildlife Rescue said.
