‘So much emotion': Valerie and owners reunited at last
World-wide sensation, Valerie the miniature sausage dog, has been reunited with her owners after spending 529 days in the wild on Kangaroo Island.
The fugitive dachshund miraculously survived in the wilderness after she slipped out of her play pen and disappeared into the bush, leaving owners Georgia Gardner and Josh Fishlock devastated.
After 17 months apart, the nervous couple from New South Wales returned to Kangaroo Island to finally hold their beloved pup in their hands again after all this time.
Ms Gardner said she was 'speechless' and 'bawled' her eyes out when she saw Valerie wagging her tail and heard her bark for the first time since her disappearance.
'We were very nervous coming in today but the reaction was just priceless,' Mr Fishlock told The Advertiser.
'I bawled my eyes out and just seeing her come up and wag her tail and bark, I'm speechless.
'Just so much emotion.'
After spending so much time as a free animal in the wild, many questioned if Valerie would still long for the affection her two human owners could offer.
Those fears were squashed though, as the elusive pup was over the moon when she saw her parents, showering them with plenty of kisses and cuddles.
Although presumably ready to return to the luxuries of her regular home, Valerie changed a bit from her days in the bush.
'She has definitely grown and put on some lean muscle,' Ms Gardner revealed.
Valerie's rescue was no easy feat.
Thousands of volunteers, across more than 1000 hours, travelling a combined 5000km, combed the island for signs of Valerie over 529 days.
Spearheaded by local wildlife rescue group Kangala Wildlife Rescue, the adventurous sausage dog was recaptured on April 25.
The team used CCTV surveillance, and meticulous tracking methods to eventually lure the perhaps untrusting dachshund close enough for capture.
Sharing an update on Valerie after she was caught, the wildlife group revealed she had been given the all clear from the vet to return to New South Wales with her family.
'Valerie is in perfect health and ready for her parents and the next chapter of her life,' the group wrote on Facebook. Valerie the Dachshund Credit: Facebook
'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.
'The long drive home should be a walk in the park for her now.'
Ms Gardner and Mr Fishlock are yet to share video of the moment they reunited with Valerie.
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The Advertiser
21-05-2025
- The Advertiser
Heartwarming reunion: former Maitland man reunited with Valerie after 529 days in the wild
In a reunion of the ages, Valerie the Dachshund has returned to her Albury home, 540 days after going missing on South Australia's Kangaroo Island. Former Maitland man Josh Fishlock and partner Georgia Gardner never thought they would get the chance to hold Valerie again when the one-year-old pup escaped from her pen in November 2023. "We left Kangaroo Island thinking we might never see Valerie again," Josh said. Josh, a former St Joseph's Lochinvar student and Aberglasslyn resident, moved to Albury when he was transferred with the NSW police force. Valerie was found on April 25, miraculously fit and well after nearly 18 months on her own on the island. The now almost three-year-old Dachshund was rescued by Kangala Wildlife Rescue, a not-for-profit wildlife rescue service. Josh and Georgia's reunion with Valerie earlier this month is an emotional moment they'll never forget. "Georgia sat in there first on the ground and they brought Val in and she just bolted straight up to Georgia and jumped all over her," Josh said. "I was balling my eyes out," Georgia added. Georgia had brought Valerie's old harness to their reunion, but said Valerie could barely fit into it anymore. "She's in absolutely immaculate condition and she's gained 1.8 kilos of lean muscle mass," she said. Prior to Valerie's capture, Josh and Georgia had been receiving messages of potential sightings of the Dachshund. "It wasn't until someone was able to get a photo that we knew she was still alive," Georgia said. Georgia said Kangala Wildlife Rescue had been absolutely vital in bringing Valerie home. "Without them, she simply wouldn't be coming home," she said. "They put hundreds of hours into planning and executing her safe capture, sacrificing their time, sleep, work and privacy out of genuine care and love for Valerie and us." Since being home, Valerie has also been reunited with her fur-siblings, Lucy the rescue cat, Mason the Red Heeler, and met Dorothy, the family's newest Dachshund addition for the first time. "Valerie's separation anxiety played a big role in why she went missing, so we'll be crate training her to provide a safe place to decompress," Georgia said. "We're also keeping her on a raw food diet, considering her incredible condition when she was found." Josh and Georgia never planned to return to Kangaroo Island after they lost Valerie, however, Josh said they've since booked in yearly holidays. Valerie's story of survival is a message of hope and Georgia said she hopes people can find inspiration from it. "If the smallest sausage dog can survive 529 days in the bush, you, too, can survive whatever life throws at you," she said. In a reunion of the ages, Valerie the Dachshund has returned to her Albury home, 540 days after going missing on South Australia's Kangaroo Island. Former Maitland man Josh Fishlock and partner Georgia Gardner never thought they would get the chance to hold Valerie again when the one-year-old pup escaped from her pen in November 2023. "We left Kangaroo Island thinking we might never see Valerie again," Josh said. Josh, a former St Joseph's Lochinvar student and Aberglasslyn resident, moved to Albury when he was transferred with the NSW police force. Valerie was found on April 25, miraculously fit and well after nearly 18 months on her own on the island. The now almost three-year-old Dachshund was rescued by Kangala Wildlife Rescue, a not-for-profit wildlife rescue service. Josh and Georgia's reunion with Valerie earlier this month is an emotional moment they'll never forget. "Georgia sat in there first on the ground and they brought Val in and she just bolted straight up to Georgia and jumped all over her," Josh said. "I was balling my eyes out," Georgia added. Georgia had brought Valerie's old harness to their reunion, but said Valerie could barely fit into it anymore. "She's in absolutely immaculate condition and she's gained 1.8 kilos of lean muscle mass," she said. Prior to Valerie's capture, Josh and Georgia had been receiving messages of potential sightings of the Dachshund. "It wasn't until someone was able to get a photo that we knew she was still alive," Georgia said. Georgia said Kangala Wildlife Rescue had been absolutely vital in bringing Valerie home. "Without them, she simply wouldn't be coming home," she said. "They put hundreds of hours into planning and executing her safe capture, sacrificing their time, sleep, work and privacy out of genuine care and love for Valerie and us." Since being home, Valerie has also been reunited with her fur-siblings, Lucy the rescue cat, Mason the Red Heeler, and met Dorothy, the family's newest Dachshund addition for the first time. "Valerie's separation anxiety played a big role in why she went missing, so we'll be crate training her to provide a safe place to decompress," Georgia said. "We're also keeping her on a raw food diet, considering her incredible condition when she was found." Josh and Georgia never planned to return to Kangaroo Island after they lost Valerie, however, Josh said they've since booked in yearly holidays. Valerie's story of survival is a message of hope and Georgia said she hopes people can find inspiration from it. "If the smallest sausage dog can survive 529 days in the bush, you, too, can survive whatever life throws at you," she said. In a reunion of the ages, Valerie the Dachshund has returned to her Albury home, 540 days after going missing on South Australia's Kangaroo Island. Former Maitland man Josh Fishlock and partner Georgia Gardner never thought they would get the chance to hold Valerie again when the one-year-old pup escaped from her pen in November 2023. "We left Kangaroo Island thinking we might never see Valerie again," Josh said. Josh, a former St Joseph's Lochinvar student and Aberglasslyn resident, moved to Albury when he was transferred with the NSW police force. Valerie was found on April 25, miraculously fit and well after nearly 18 months on her own on the island. The now almost three-year-old Dachshund was rescued by Kangala Wildlife Rescue, a not-for-profit wildlife rescue service. Josh and Georgia's reunion with Valerie earlier this month is an emotional moment they'll never forget. "Georgia sat in there first on the ground and they brought Val in and she just bolted straight up to Georgia and jumped all over her," Josh said. "I was balling my eyes out," Georgia added. Georgia had brought Valerie's old harness to their reunion, but said Valerie could barely fit into it anymore. "She's in absolutely immaculate condition and she's gained 1.8 kilos of lean muscle mass," she said. Prior to Valerie's capture, Josh and Georgia had been receiving messages of potential sightings of the Dachshund. "It wasn't until someone was able to get a photo that we knew she was still alive," Georgia said. Georgia said Kangala Wildlife Rescue had been absolutely vital in bringing Valerie home. "Without them, she simply wouldn't be coming home," she said. "They put hundreds of hours into planning and executing her safe capture, sacrificing their time, sleep, work and privacy out of genuine care and love for Valerie and us." Since being home, Valerie has also been reunited with her fur-siblings, Lucy the rescue cat, Mason the Red Heeler, and met Dorothy, the family's newest Dachshund addition for the first time. "Valerie's separation anxiety played a big role in why she went missing, so we'll be crate training her to provide a safe place to decompress," Georgia said. "We're also keeping her on a raw food diet, considering her incredible condition when she was found." Josh and Georgia never planned to return to Kangaroo Island after they lost Valerie, however, Josh said they've since booked in yearly holidays. Valerie's story of survival is a message of hope and Georgia said she hopes people can find inspiration from it. "If the smallest sausage dog can survive 529 days in the bush, you, too, can survive whatever life throws at you," she said. In a reunion of the ages, Valerie the Dachshund has returned to her Albury home, 540 days after going missing on South Australia's Kangaroo Island. Former Maitland man Josh Fishlock and partner Georgia Gardner never thought they would get the chance to hold Valerie again when the one-year-old pup escaped from her pen in November 2023. "We left Kangaroo Island thinking we might never see Valerie again," Josh said. Josh, a former St Joseph's Lochinvar student and Aberglasslyn resident, moved to Albury when he was transferred with the NSW police force. Valerie was found on April 25, miraculously fit and well after nearly 18 months on her own on the island. The now almost three-year-old Dachshund was rescued by Kangala Wildlife Rescue, a not-for-profit wildlife rescue service. Josh and Georgia's reunion with Valerie earlier this month is an emotional moment they'll never forget. "Georgia sat in there first on the ground and they brought Val in and she just bolted straight up to Georgia and jumped all over her," Josh said. "I was balling my eyes out," Georgia added. Georgia had brought Valerie's old harness to their reunion, but said Valerie could barely fit into it anymore. "She's in absolutely immaculate condition and she's gained 1.8 kilos of lean muscle mass," she said. Prior to Valerie's capture, Josh and Georgia had been receiving messages of potential sightings of the Dachshund. "It wasn't until someone was able to get a photo that we knew she was still alive," Georgia said. Georgia said Kangala Wildlife Rescue had been absolutely vital in bringing Valerie home. "Without them, she simply wouldn't be coming home," she said. "They put hundreds of hours into planning and executing her safe capture, sacrificing their time, sleep, work and privacy out of genuine care and love for Valerie and us." Since being home, Valerie has also been reunited with her fur-siblings, Lucy the rescue cat, Mason the Red Heeler, and met Dorothy, the family's newest Dachshund addition for the first time. "Valerie's separation anxiety played a big role in why she went missing, so we'll be crate training her to provide a safe place to decompress," Georgia said. "We're also keeping her on a raw food diet, considering her incredible condition when she was found." Josh and Georgia never planned to return to Kangaroo Island after they lost Valerie, however, Josh said they've since booked in yearly holidays. Valerie's story of survival is a message of hope and Georgia said she hopes people can find inspiration from it. "If the smallest sausage dog can survive 529 days in the bush, you, too, can survive whatever life throws at you," she said.
ABC News
07-05-2025
- ABC News
VIDEO: Valerie the dachshund reunited with owners after Kangaroo Island rescue
Valerie, the dachshund, has been reunited with her owners 540 days after she first went missing from a campsite.
