A runaway dachshund who disappeared in the wilderness more than a year ago has been spotted alive – leaving wildlife experts stunned.
When Valerie went missing on an Australian island in November 2023 all the odds were stacked against her and it was thought ‘impossible’ she would survive.
Owner Georgia Gardner had been on holiday with her partner Josh Fishlock before disaster struck when the tiny dog escaped from her pen at a campsite on Kangaroo Island.
Search parties scoured the area for any sign of the pet – who weighed just 4kg and was wearing a pink collar – but she appeared to have vanished without a trace.
‘We spent probably five days of the rest of our trip looking for her, but without any luck unfortunately,’ Mr Fishlock told Nine News.
Ms Gardner was left heartbroken and cried for days thinking she had lost her beloved companion who would usually ‘never leave her side’.
After failed attempts to find their pet the pair had to return home to New South Wales empty-handed.
But now the couple’s hopes of being reunited with Valerie have been reignited following an apparent sighting.
Ms Gardner had been on holiday with her partner Josh Fishlock before disaster struck and Valerie escaped into from her pen at a campsite on Kangaroo Island. Pictured: Georgia Gardner and Josh Fishlock with Valerie
When Valerie went missing on an Australian Island in November 2023 all the odds were stacked against her and it was thought ‘impossible’ she would survive
The couple heard via social media that the little dog had been spotted on the island. Pictured: The dog believed to be Valerie in a photo taken by a Kangaroo Island local during the search
The couple heard via social media that the little dog had been spotted on the island.
Mr Fishlock told Nine News: ‘We were initially a bit sceptical of all the sightings, then only probably three weeks ago, we received a photo from one of the locals and that sparked a lot of hope in us.
‘It’s given us nearly 100 per cent certainty that she’s still alive.’
Kangala Wildlife Rescue sprung into action and volunteered its services towards Valerie’s search after being told the news.
The organisation wrote on its Facebook page last week: ‘Based on first-hand accounts and video evidence, we now know that Valerie is alive.’
‘She runs at the first sign of humans or vehicles, and despite the best efforts of dedicated Island locals, Valerie has been impossible to catch.’
The dog was last seen 15km from where she went missing, according to the wildlife rescue service which has now set up traps and cameras to try and coax the tiny dog out of hiding.
Ms Gardner said she and Mr Fishlock couldn’t believe it when they heard Valerie had been spotted alive.
‘It’s been so crazy. Even with the really recent sightings, we were both just like, ‘No, don’t get your hopes up,’ she told Guardian Australia.
‘But, especially with the photograph that we got sent and with the confidence in Kangala Wildlife Rescue, now we’re just starting to edge to more like, ‘OK, how are we going to get to the island if we have to pick her up?’, she added.
Kangala Wildlife Rescue sprung into action and volunteered its services towards Valerie’s search after being told the news. The organisation wrote on its Facebook page last week: ‘Based on first-hand accounts and video evidence, we now know that Valerie is alive’
Ms Gardner said she and Mr Fishlock couldn’t believe it when they heard Valerie had been spotted alive. ‘It’s been so crazy. Even with the really recent sightings, we were both just like, ‘No, don’t get your hopes up,’ she told Guardian Australia
The little dog’s resilience is made even more remarkable by the fact she appears to have been fending for herself in area renowned for its native wildlife and where she is likely to be seen as pray. Pictured: Kangaroo Island, Australia
Ms Gardner finds Valerie’s apparent survival skills ‘incredible’ given that she is a a ‘princess’ and not suited for the wild.
The little dog’s resilience is made even more remarkable by the fact she appears to have been fending for herself in area renowned for its native wildlife and where she is likely to be seen as pray.
A Kangala director, Jared Karran, told the Adelaide Advertiser he was ‘amazed’ that Valerie had survived and suspected she had lived on a diet of roadkill and dam water.
Some experts suggested Valerie may have received help from people on the island, but Prof Paul McGreevy, of the University of Sydney’s veterinary school disputed this.
He said: ‘If a human had been keeping Valerie alive, why hadn’t they spotted she was wearing a pink collar and so probably was being missed by someone?’
Prof McGreevy added that dachshunds, like all dogs, were ‘extremely resourceful’ and said to survive Valerie simply needed water, shelter in the winter and food.
He also said that despite not being adapted to the Australian bush, mini dachshunds have no problem finding food on the ground.