Dachshund Still Roaming Kangaroo Island After Year-Long Search

After disappearing from her owners’ sight while on a vacation, Valerie has been spotted numerous times, raising hopes for her rescue amidst challenges faced by wildlife rescue teams.

In an extraordinary tale of survival, a miniature dachshund named Valerie continues to roam the wilds of Kangaroo Island, Australia, over a year after she went missing. Said to be wearing a distinctive pink collar, Valerie disappeared from her owners while they vacationed on the island in November 2023, darting into the Australian bush, leading her owners, Josh Fishlock and Georgia Gardner, into a five-day desperate search before they had to return home to New South Wales.

The island, known for its rugged terrain and natural beauty, has posed many challenges for the rescue efforts aimed at locating the tiny dog. “It was like finding a needle in a haystack,” Fishlock lamented in an interview shortly after Valerie was lost. The situation became dire when the couple ultimately decided to leave the island, seeing little hope for their beloved pet.

Recently, however, the narrative took a hopeful turn. Kangala Wildlife Rescue announced via social media that definitive sightings of Valerie have been confirmed. Reports indicate she has been seen approximately ten miles from the original location of her disappearance, in an area known as Stokes Bay. Despite these sightings, Valerie remains wary of humans and has proven difficult to capture, swiftly evading attempts by the rescue team and local volunteers.

"We are using surveillance and various trapping and luring methods in the area she was last seen to try and bring her home,” the organization noted. Coordinated efforts and public assistance are being called upon to help pinpoint her location due to the vast area and Valerie's small size.

The news of her survival has sparked mixed emotions for her owners. “We were initially skeptical, but we kept getting more and more sightings,” Fishlock admitted. Both he and Gardner are in a whirlwind of hope and disbelief, contemplating the unlikely journey their former housepet has undertaken. “To think that she even went one night outside in the rain... to think that she’s gone a year and a half is incredible,” Gardner reflected on the situation.

Dachshunds, although not inherently designed for expansive outdoor living, are recognized for their resilience. According to the American Kennel Club, they possess considerable survival instincts rooted in their history as hunters of small game.

Kangala Wildlife Rescue has stated they remain optimistic about a successful outcome for Valerie’s return, with updates from their ongoing rescue mission keeping the public engaged and informed. As community members rally around this heartwarming story, there’s a palpable hope that this adventurous dachshund will soon be reunited with her family.