(@kangala_rescue)Valerie the Miniature Dachshund hails from a land Down Under, where her doting Aussie parents took her along on a trip to Kangaroo Island in November 2023. Her persons set up a playpen area for Valerie while they tried their hands at fishing, but Valerie escaped and was nowhere to be found when they returned. After an extended search, the worst was presumed for Valerie’s chance of survival; she was but a wee little thing in a harsh climate teeming with venomous snakes. Oh, and did I mention that the Aboriginal name for Kangaroo Island is Karta Pintingga, which translates to “island of the dead”? So yeah, it was looking like a tragedy, until one month ago — after 16 months gone — Valerie was spotted again, still alive and wearing her pink collar. Then the best news of all came over the weekend: Valerie was recovered by a local wildlife rescue! After 529 days! The local group, Kangala Wildlife Rescue, is now sharing the careful, thoughtful efforts they took to ensure a safe and lasting recovery.
The escape: Kangala Wildlife Rescue said it had been working “around the clock” to find the dog, Valerie, on Kangaroo Island, off the coast of Australia. She was last seen by her owners on a camping trip in November 2023. Georgia Gardner and her boyfriend, Joshua Fishlock, had momentarily left Valerie in a playpen at their campsite while the couple went fishing. When they returned, she was gone.
The rescue: “After weeks of tireless efforts […] Valerie has been safely rescued and is fit and well,” Kangala said in a social media post. The charity said volunteers spent more than 1,000 hours searching for Valerie, covering more than 5,000km (3,109 miles). The rescue effort included surveillance cameras and a trap cage with a remote door system filled with food, Ms Gardner’s clothes and some of Valerie’s toys from home. Lisa Karran, a director of Kangala, said she wore the remnants of Ms Gardner’s clothes as she approached Valerie after the dog had been trapped, and sat with her until the dog was “completely calm”.
Why don’t you come on over, Valerie? In the initial days after Valerie went missing, other campers spotted her underneath a parked car which startled the dog and sent her fleeing into bushland, the Washington Post reported. Months later, island locals reported seeing a pink collar that matched Valerie’s, much to the surprise of Jared Karran, another Kangala director. “Of all dogs, that would be the last one I would say would survive out there, but they do have a good sense of smell,” Mr Karran said.
Rescuers Down Under: In a 15-minute video on social media, Mr and Ms Karran explained how the “rollercoaster” rescue had transpired. Ms Karran said they had to wait until Valerie was in the right part of the trap and calm enough to ensure she would not attempt another escape. “She went right into the back corner, which is where we wanted her. I pressed the button and thankfully it all worked perfectly,” Mr Karran said. “I know people were a little bit frustrated, like ‘why is it taking so long?’ But these are the things that we were doing in the background,” he said.
A relieved mama: Ms Gardner said on social media after Valerie’s long-awaited rescue: “For anyone who’s ever lost a pet, your feelings are valid and never give up hope.”
I watched Kangala Wildlife Rescue’s full video about how they approached the recovery, and walked away so impressed. They knew they couldn’t shut the door on the trap the first time she walked in, no matter how tempting it was, recognizing that doing so would spook a floof who’d been operating in survival mode for over a year. So they let Valerie walk in a few times to get comfortable, before somehow miraculously gauging the perfect moment to make the capture permanent. And luring Valerie to the area with her old toys — that her parents had kept, SOB! — and her mama’s clothing was brilliant. The family hasn’t been reunited yet, but will be soon as Valerie transitions out of lost/missing dog syndrome and is ready to go home. With an “escape proof” harness furnished by 2RoyalHounds Australia, according to KWR.
I didn’t think I’d encounter a rescue/recapture story more harrowing than Scrim the Terrier, the scruffy New Orleans dog who spent a total of 10 months on the lam from back-to-back stints of running away. But Valerie’s tail is epic! What were you thinking, Miss Val?! Valerie and Scrim… tramps like them, baby, they were born to run. (But please, don’t!)