In an exciting turn of events, Valerie the missing dachshund has been returned home after spending 529 days in the wilderness. It's a regular doggie Cast-Away story.
For almost two years, the doggie had been surviving in the wild on Kangaroo Island in Australia. Valerie had got loose while on a camping trip with her owners. Georgia Gardner and Josh Fishlock tried to rescue their pooch. But Valerie refused to return to them and ran off into the wilderness. But rather than die, the dog lived her best life.
Fast forward nearly two years, and the Kangala Wildlife Rescue volunteers managed to capture the dog. They returned her home to her owners.
"After weeks of tireless efforts by Kangala Wildlife Rescue volunteers and partner organizations, Valerie has been safely rescued and is fit and well," the Kangala Wildlife Rescue organization shared. "We are absolutely thrilled and deeply relieved that Valerie is finally safe and able to begin her transition back to her loving parents, Josh and Georgia."
Valerie Returns Home
Despite spending more than 500 days in the wilderness, Victor Vet, a local veterinary treatment center, said the dog was in perfect health. She's going to be just fine after her brush with the wild side.
"??Big day out for little Valerie as she got the tick of approval from our friends at Victor Vet," the rescue organization shared. "Valerie is in perfect health and ready for her parents and the next chapter of her life."
The post continued, "After 529 days on foot, riding in the car was a little challenging, but after a gentle reintroduction and lots of little trips, she's doing great and loved her window seat on the Sealink ferry. The long drive home should be a walk in the park for her now."
The dog seems happy to be home as well with Gardner saying she's "making her little happy sounds, and wiggling around with joy." Additionally, the dog gained four pounds in the wilderness. "She's stockier now, strong and healthy," said Gardner.
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"No one thought a little dachshund like Valerie would survive alone in the wild, but more than 12 months after she went missing, regular reports started coming in about a dachshund with a pink collar being seen about 15 kilometres from Stokes Bay," Kangala wrote in a Facebook post.
