In November 2023, young couple Josh and Georgia were enjoying a camping trip on the picturesque Kangaroo Island, just off the coast of South Australia. Along for the trip was their adorable miniature Dachshund named Valerie. Their relaxing holiday took a tragic turn when Valerie managed to escape her pen while her owners were at the nearby beach, and despite the valiant efforts of fellow campers, she disappeared into the wilderness. A devastated Josh and Georgia stayed on the island searching for their beloved pup as long as they could, but they eventually had to admit defeat, returning home to mourn the loss of Valerie, now presumed deceased.

However, there have been numerous sightings of the wayward wiener dog by locals and visitors, and thanks to the wildlife cameras from Kangala Wildlife Rescue, a local not-for-profit animal charity, we now have footage, less than 2 weeks old, showing a remarkably healthy-looking Valerie.

Valerie’s survival after 16 months of fending for herself is something of a miracle. Despite the lack of predators on the island, few could have predicted that this tiny dog of less than 9 lbs would have been able to survive in the wild; but survive she has, for more than 16 months. There has been speculation over how she has been able to maintain what appears to be quite a healthy weight, with some suggesting that locals and tourists may have been leaving food down for the lost pup, while others believe she may have been relying on her primitive instincts for hunting and foraging. This might seem laughable when considering the pampered little sausage dogs we know today, but it wasn’t all that long ago that the Dachshund was an able hunting dog, sent down tunnels in pursuit of badgers.

Of course, a dog of Valerie’s size would be no match for a badger, not that there are any to be found on Kangaroo Island, of course. She may well be using her instincts to flush out some small mammals, as well as taking advantage of any roadkill that invariably occurs in an area shared by humans and wildlife. Whatever the case, she has obviously been eating something!

Although proof of Valerie’s survival has elated her owners, as well as the community of fans who have been following her story, her continued evasion of rescuers is proving frustrating. A dedicated group of volunteers has been working tirelessly to coax, herd, or trap the delinquent Dachshund without success. She has even ignored the calls of her owners when they returned to the island. However, the community remains optimistic that Valerie’s wild adventures will soon be coming to an end, and we are all desperate to see her back in the arms of her loving owners.

A fund has been set up by Kangala to help pay for the efforts to rescue Valerie, and donations can be made via their website. You can also follow along with her story and find out how to contribute to Kangala’s fully volunteer-run, donation-funded animal welfare efforts by visiting kangalawildliferescue.com. Stay tuned and subscribe to Dogster.com for updates.

All images courtesy of Kangala Wildlife Rescue

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