-
Valerie, an 8-pound dachshund who disappeared while on vacation with his owner in November 2023 and has been rescued safely
-
Valerie escapes 529 days of capture and survives on Kangaroo Island in Australia
-
A rescue team of over 1,000 hours covered more than 3,000 miles to save elusive pets
Valerie has been planning for more than a year, and the dachshund is formally safe and sound after more than a year of adventure.
The 8-pound dog disappeared on the rugged Cangaro Island in Australia while on vacation with its owner in November 2023. After 529 days of search, the puppies were finally safe and regained human care.
“After weeks of unremitting efforts by Kangala Wildlife Rescue Volunteers and Partners, Valerie was safely rescued and healthy,” said Kangala Wildlife Rescue Video Shared with Valerie Post Rescue. “Valerie is finally safe and we are extremely excited and relieved to start the transition to her loving parents Josh and Georgia. ”
The bold dog fell ill after the Kangala Wildlife Rescue released about the then missing puppy in March. At the time, rescues showed that they had been searching for Valerie for months since November 2023 when she escaped from her masters Georgia Gardner and Josh Fishlock.
After Valerie's initial disappearance, her owner and helpful locals searched for pets for several days. Gardner and Fishlock eventually had to return home, but Kangala Wildlife Rescue Volunteers and others were moved by the dog's story and continued the search.
“No one thinks a little dachshund like Valerie would survive alone in the wild, but more than 12 months after her disappearance, regular reports started about a dachshund, about 15 kilometers from the pink collar of Stokes Bay,” Kangala wrote on social media in March. “Based on first-hand accounts and video evidence, we now know Valerie is still alive. She ran as the first sign of a human or a vehicle, and despite the best efforts of the dedicated island locals, Valerie could not have caught it. ”
Kangala Wildlife Rescue/Facebook
Valerie was found and rescued by Kangala Wildlife Rescue.
Never miss a story – Sign up for people's free daily newsletters to do your best, from the latest information people provide, from celebrity news to compelling stories of human interest.
Kangaroo Island is Australia's third largest island, located in a base in the southern mainland. It is known for its untouched terrain and impressive wildlife, including kangaroos, sea lions and koalas.
After Valerie discovered Valerie in 2025, Kanagla Rescue Team started a new effort to return the dog to her pet parents. They spent more than 1,000 hours of volunteering, traveling over 3,000 miles, and shared regular updates from Valerie witnesses on their Facebook page.
In recent weeks, the team has begun tracking Valerie's movement mode and setting up methods to get her into a safe and reliable rescue site filled with snacks and her toys. The team had several approaching calls to try to bring her in, including an instance of Valerie entering the rescue site, only to find a group of possums coaxing on her snacks, which led her to leave the volunteers to catch her. Ultimately, the program was successful.
Kangala Wildlife Rescue/Facebook
Valerie's rescue took more than 1,000 volunteer hours, spanning more than 3,000 miles.
People contacted Kangala Wildlife Rescue for other updates about Valerie's status and her upcoming reunion with her owner, but have not received comments yet.
The rescue team shared this long legend on Facebook and it made me happy to end.
Kangala Wildlife Rescue notes: “Valerie’s story reminds people that hope and determination can lead to incredible results.”
Kangala Wildlife Rescue/Facebook
Valerie's owner is ready to welcome her home after a long period of time.
“Oh my God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A commenter wrote in a post announcing the dog's arrest. “But besides the tears of joy! I'm so relieved that this little girl is safe now and is back home! I have been praying for Valerie and today my prayers and many others have been answered! ”
Another praised their hard work, writing: “Absolutely incredible team effort! You must have a lot of emotions and tears in the last moments of the final capture. A huge respect for everyone involved. No one will forget Valerie, the out of control dog. We are not crying.”
Read original articles about people
