Valerie the sausage dog is 'healthy and healthy' after 529 days alone in Australian bush

Valerie's dog is missing — Valerie managed to survive in harsh conditions for more than a year (Photo: Kangala Wildlife Rescue)

Sausage dog found 'in good health' despite spending 529 days alone in Australian bush

Valerie's story has shocked Australian society since she went missing on Kangaroo Island in November 2023.

“After weeks of tireless efforts… by volunteers and partner organisations, the miniature dachshund has been successfully rescued and is now healthy,” Kangala Wildlife Rescue said last night.

Volunteers are estimated to have spent around 1,000 hours and travelled more than 3,000 miles across the island searching for the dog before it was eventually captured using cameras and specially prepared traps.

In a TikTok video posted last night, the group said they were “very happy” to announce the “successful rescue” of Valerie, adding that she was “fit and healthy.”

“We are incredibly happy and deeply relieved that Valerie is finally safe and can begin her journey back to her loving owners,” the statement said.

Valerie went missing while on holiday in Stokes Bay with her owners, New South Wales couple Georgia Gardner and Josh Fishlock.

It's home to some of Australia's best beaches, but there's also farmland and thick bush making it difficult to find.

Missing dog Kangala Wildlife Rescue — The search for Valerie has attracted worldwide media attention (Photo: Kangala Wildlife Rescue)

Valerie had escaped from her enclosure at their camp before taking refuge in the bush. The couple searched for her with the help of locals, but to no avail.

There were fears that she would never be found.

Then in March, reports began to come in that Valerie had been spotted.

One of the photographs showed the dog's huge ears peeking out from under the bushes in the paddock.

Kangala Wildlife Rescue volunteers immediately began monitoring, setting traps and bait to try to find Valerie on the island, which is six times the size of Singapore.

They filmed her, but she remained at large, drawing worldwide media attention to the search.

Valerie when she was caught — Valerie was eventually captured using traps and bait (Photo: Kangala Wildlife Rescue/Facebook)

“Kangaroo Island is famous for a lot of things… dogs living for 500 days is not what you expect,” island resident and animal lover Louise Custance said in April, commenting on why the search has attracted so much attention.

“I think people just want to hear good news; otherwise the world seems too dark. The last headline that hit the news about Kangaroo Island was about the fires (2020).”

“There have been many challenging moments over the last month,” the group said, “and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who played a part

Sourse: metro.co.uk