Latest news with #JoshFishlock
Times
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Valerie the dachshund reunited with owners after 540 days
The last time Georgia Gardner saw her miniature dachshund, Valerie, the dog cut a slight figure, barely 6in tall and weighing 8lb. Her pet's existence consisted of toys, treats and getting wrapped up in a little pink jumper with matching collar and lead when the weather turned cold. Then Valerie disappeared into the wilderness of an Australian island. After 540 days of separation, Gardner has finally been reunited with her beloved pet, who is now 4lb heavier — a muscular and stocky dog who no longer fits into her pink harness. 'It was absolutely incredible,' said Gardner, 24, describing the moment she and her boyfriend, Josh Fishlock, 25, saw their elusive sausage dog in the flesh for the first time since she escaped from their
CNN
07-05-2025
- General
- CNN
Tears of joy as Valerie the runaway dachshund finally reunited with owners
CNN — Valerie the dachshund has finally been reunited with her owners after surviving 540 days alone on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. Owners Georgia Gardner and Josh Fishlock described the moment they got to hold the tiny pup in their arms in a statement published Wednesday. Gardner said she 'burst into tears' when Valerie ran up to her as they saw each other again for the first time on Tuesday. 'She was wagging her tail, making her little happy sounds, and wiggling around with joy. I held her and cried and cried,' she said in the statement. 'She's stockier now, strong and healthy… healthier than we are, honestly!' added Gardner. Fishlock said the pair hadn't expected to see Valerie again. 'It still doesn't feel real,' he said in the statement. Valerie, who will soon celebrate her third birthday, went missing on a camping trip to the island in November 2023. When strangers tried to help, she fled into the undergrowth, and her owners eventually gave up and returned home to the mainland. With no sightings it was assumed Valerie had met her match with a snake or perhaps one of the giant Rosenberg's goannas — reptiles up to 1.5 meters (5 feet) long — that occupy the island. However, reports of sightings started to emerge, sparking a massive search operation led by volunteers from the Kangala Wildlife Rescue, a non-profit group set up in 2020 following the devastating Australian bushfires. Valerie was eventually found on April 25, and has been looked after by the charity since. Director Jared Karran described Valerie as 'truly something special.' 'She was just so much smaller than we imagined. If it was a miracle before that she'd survived — seeing her size — it's just unbelievable that she was able to survive and thrive out there!' he said in the statement. Home to around 5,000 people, Kangaroo Island is about 45 minutes from the mainland by ferry. Tourists go there to see Australian native wildlife, but officials have long had a problem controlling introduced species including feral cats. The island is thick with bush, and there are many places for a small dog to hide. Another difficulty is the island's vibrant ecosystem, according to the charity. 'One of the reasons this is such a difficult rescue and not as easy as just baiting and setting traps, is due to the fact we are constantly competing with hundreds of wildlife like possums, wallabies, kangaroos, goannas and feral cats. All which are all just after a feed also,' the group said in a post on Facebook before the little dog was found. Now Valerie is preparing to return home to Albury, New South Wales, where she will be reunited with Gardner and Fishlock's other pets, Lucy the rescue cat, Mason the red heeler and their latest addition, Dorothy, a fellow dachshund.
The Independent
07-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
Owners stunned as Valerie the dachshund puts on weight after 18 months alone on island
A miniature dachshund named Valerie, who had been missing for 18 months on an Australian island, has been reunited with her shocked owners. The Kangala Wildlife Rescue announced on Wednesday that Valerie, who had spent around half her life lost on Kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia, was back with her family. Miraculously, the dog had put on six pounds in that time. There is speculation that she survived on road kill and animal droppings. Owner Georgia Gardner said that when they were reunited on Tuesday, Valerie approached her without hesitation, marking the end of their separation that began in November 2023. 'She ran straight up to me — I just burst into tears,' Gardner said in a statement released on Wednesday. 'She was wagging her tail, making her little happy sounds and wiggling around with joy. I held her and cried and cried,' Gardner added. The almost three-year-old Valerie was trapped on April 25 in remarkably good condition after 529 days spent living like a feral animal. Valerie had weighed four kilograms (nine pounds) when she was lost and now weighs 6.8 kilograms (15 pounds). Gardner and her partner, Josh Fishlock, had been holidaying on the island and were away from their campsite fishing when their pet escaped from a pen. Map of Kangaroo Island: The couple searched but eventually had to return to the mainland without her. Volunteers from Kangala Wildlife Rescue, a not-for-profit service, spotted the distinctive addition to the Australian wilderness in March. She was captured after volunteers spent an estimated 1,000 hours searching while covering 5,000 kilometers (3,000 miles) of the island. Having seen video camera images of the dog sniffing a trap last month, Kangala Wildlife Rescue director Jared Karran said he was surprised by how small she was in reality. 'If it was a miracle that she's survived — seeing her size — it's just unbelievable that she was able to survive and thrive out there,' Karran said. Gardner and Fishlock will drive Valerie back to their home in Albury in New South Wales state. She will be reunited with rescue cat Lucy and cattle dog Mason. She will also be introduced to her owners' new dachshund, Dorothy. Garner said she had been working with a dog behaviorist to help Valerie transition to home life. Valerie will be kept on a raw food diet 'considering her incredible condition when she was found,' Gardner said.
The Independent
07-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
A miniature dachshund is reunited with its owner after 18 months lost on an Australian island
Valerie, a miniature dachshund lost for 18 months — or around half her life — on an Australian island, has been reunited with her owners, her rescuers said Wednesday. Owner Georgia Gardner said her pet approached without hesitation when they were reunited by Kangala Wildlife Rescue on Kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia state on Tuesday for the first time since November 2023. 'She ran straight up to me — I just burst into tears,' Gardner said in a statement released on Wednesday. 'She was wagging her tail, making her little happy sounds and wiggling around with joy. I held her and cried and cried,' Gardner added. The almost 3-year-old Valerie was trapped on April 25 in remarkably good condition after 529 days spent living like a feral animal. Valerie had weighted 4 kilograms (9 pounds) when she was lost and now weighs 6.8 kilograms (15 pounds). There is speculation that she survived on road kill and animal droppings. Gardner and her partner, Josh Fishlock, had been holidaying on the island and were away from their campsite fishing when their pet escaped from a pen. The couple searched but eventually had to return to the mainland without her. Volunteers from Kangala Wildlife Rescue, a not-for-profit service, spotted the distinctive addition to the Australian wilderness in March. She was captured after volunteers spent an estimated 1,000 hours searching while covering 5,000 kilometers (3,000 miles) of the island. Having seen video camera images of the dog sniffing a trap last month, Kangala Wildlife Rescue director Jared Karran said he was surprised by how small she was in reality. 'If it was a miracle that she's survived — seeing her size — it's just unbelievable that she was able to survive and thrive out there,' Karran said. Gardner and Fishlock will drive Valerie back to their home in Albury in New South Wales state. Garner said she had been working with a dog behaviorist to help Valerie transition to home life. Valerie will be kept on a raw food diet 'considering her incredible condition when she was found,' Gardner said. In Albury, Valerie will be reunited with rescue cat Lucy and cattle dog Mason. She will also be introduced to her owners' new dachshund, Dorothy.
ABC News
07-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Valerie the dachshund reunited with owners after Kangaroo Island rescue
A missing sausage dog that captivated the world after she disappeared on a South Australian island for a year-and-a-half has been reunited with her "euphoric" family. Valerie the dachshund escaped from a Kangaroo Island campground while on holiday with her owners, Georgia Gardner and Josh Fishlock, in November 2023. After an island-wide hunt, numerous reported sightings, and "round-the-clock" search and rescue efforts by Kangala Wildlife Rescue, Ms Gardner and Mr Fishlock made the trip from their home in Albury, NSW, to Kangaroo Island yesterday where they were emotionally reunited for the first time after 540 days apart. Josh Fishlock and Georgia Gardner with Valerie after 540 days apart. ( Supplied: Kangala Wildlife Rescue ) "I was sitting on the ground when [rescue owners] Lisa and Jared brought Valerie in, and she ran straight up to me — I just burst into tears," Ms Gardner said. " She was wagging her tail, making her little happy sounds, and wiggling around with joy. " Mr Fishlock also expressed his relief at finally laying eyes on Valerie, adding that the moment still did not feel real after so long apart. "It was incredible — euphoric — we never thought we'd hold her again, and then suddenly, there she was," he said. Josh Fishlock says he still could not believe Valerie was found. ( Supplied: Kangala Wildlife Rescue/Georgia Gardner ) The pair brought Valerie's old harness with them to the island but soon found out she could barely fit into it. "She's stockier now, strong and healthy … healthier than we are, honestly," Ms Gardner said. 'Welcome here anytime' The almost three-year-old dachshund has been cared for by Kangala Wildlife Rescue since her rescue 11 days ago. Her successful capture came after weeks of extensive searching which spanned thousands of kilometres and involved sophisticated cameras and trap set-ups. Kangala directors and rescue volunteers Jared and Lisa Karran said they felt they had built a "deep connection" with Valerie after all of their efforts. "We felt like we came to know Valerie through the camera," Mr Karran said. "But when we met her in person, she was just so much smaller than we imagined. "If it was a miracle before that she'd survived, seeing her size, it's just unbelievable that she was able to survive and thrive out there." Jared Karran (second from right) says the rescue team have formed a bond with Valerie. ( Supplied: Kangala Wildlife Rescue ) Mr Karran admitted that while the entire rescue team was thrilled to see the trio reunited, saying goodbye to the sausage dog would not be easy. He said those feelings were amplified by Valerie being a "special dog" and the "emotional" efforts that went into bringing her home. "It's going to be hard to say goodbye to Valerie, but we know that she'll be so well cared for and loved with Georgia and Josh," Mr Karran said. " And if she ever feels like a Kangaroo Island getaway, she's welcome here anytime. " Valerie survived months in the wilderness. ( Supplied: Georgia Gardner/Kangala Wildlife Rescue ) Ms Gardner expressed her gratitude to Kangala for their efforts in successfully bringing Valerie home. "Without them, she simply wouldn't be coming home … words cannot describe how extremely grateful we are for their work and dedication," she said. Boat and car ride to home Valerie is now preparing to leave the island and embark on a more than 1,000-kilometre journey, by boat and car, to her Albury home. At home, she will be reunited with her "fur-siblings" — cat Lucy and red heeler Mason — and meet the family's new dachshund, Dorothy, for the first time. Ms Gardner said they are also working with a dog behaviourist to support Valerie to "transition back to home life". Valerie was lost on Kangaroo Island for 529 days before being rescued. ( Supplied: Facebook ) "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," she said. She also had a final message of hope for anyone who has lost a pet or might be going through a challenging time. "If the smallest sausage dog can survive 529 days in the bush, you, too, can survive whatever life throws at you," Ms Gardner said.
