After staying in the forest for 529 days, the dog was finally rescued – National
In the 529-day forest, the miniature dachshund Valerie was finally rescued.
Valerie, a small dog with a pink collar, escaped her pen from the beach on Kangaroo Island in southern South Australia in November 2023 and ran into the bushes of surrounding Stokes Bay.
Her owner, with the help of locals and staff at Kangala Wildlife Rescue, searched for their furry friends over the next five days before giving up and returning to New South Wales.
Although lost dogs often catch the heart, Valerie has attracted international attention while watching and waiting in the world, after several witnesses reported in recent months.
“Valerie was rescued safely, healthy and well.” Kangala Wildlife Rescue announced on its Facebook group Friday night that he shared that a worn T-shirt that once belonged to Valerie's owner was the key to her rescue.
“We were able to tear some of the segments out of it, we started a process that was just adding more and more debris to the trap site,” said Lisa Karran, one of Kangala's directors, in a video shared on the social media platform. He explained that the ultimate rescue was on Valerie's curiosity, who was increasingly interested in Cage, which was shared on the social media platform, which was accompanied by Valerie, which was on Cage. owner.
Eventually, Karran explained that the puppy started to enter the cage, and at some point, they were able to remotely trigger the cage door to close when she sniffed the hidden food.
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Karran, knowing that the dog might be nervous and shy after running freely in her time, said she put on her current “Tatty” shirt and began to approach the dog, giving a slow introduction.
Karan said: “She got up and would sniff us, we just followed her prompts until she was completely calm and urged on our legs. It was amazing.”
Valerie found global headlines late last month when she was rescued by Kangala Wildlife, but more than 500 days after her disappearance.
Valerie is ahead of her masters Josh and Georgia disappearing in November 2023.
Kangala Wildlife Rescue/Facebook
“No one thinks a small dachshund like Valerie will survive alone in the wild, but more than 12 months after her disappearance, regular reports started with about a dachshund dog, about 15 kilometers from Stokes Bay,” the animal rescue agency said in a Facebook post on March 21.
On March 27, a Kangala rescuer reported that this allowed the team to narrow the search area, adding that they can now feed Valerie and have a camera installed to track her movements.
“She looks really healthy,” the staff confirmed in a separate Facebook video.
Since her rescue, Valerie’s nursing team has been working to build trust and strength in dogs.
“Of course, we have her favorites,” Karan said of the meals that were originally brought to Valerie. “Same goes for roast chicken and her favorite dog food – it’s the first thing that helps her realize we’re safe and we’re not a threat.”
She also wore a special “avoid escape” seat belt to ensure she couldn't escape again.
Kangala's team said Valerie will soon be reunited with her “on the moon” owner, but first, the puppy will have a short amount of stress relief and relaxation.
“We want to return her to her beautiful master in the best way, without causing her more trauma or stress. Because there is no doubt that she will experience a lot in 16 months.”
– Documents with Global News' Rachel Goodman
& Copy 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
