Miniature Dachshund Valerie Returns Home: Spending 529 Days Alone in the Australian Wilderness
HOST: Let's dive into the wild tale of Valerie, a feisty mini dachshund who spent 17 long months living it up in the Aussie outback. This little spitfire ran off during a family camping expedition on Kangaroo Island back in 2023, surviving on her wits and wild ways. NPR's Kat Lonsdorf brings us the lowdown.
KAT LONSDORF: Picture this: Valerie, weighing a scant 10 pounds with diminutive legs and her sleek black body wrapped up in a cozy blanket, lounging on the laps of her proud owners, Georgia Gardner and Josh Fishlock, as they chat over Zoom.
GEORGIA GARDNER: This one's the boss around here. She thinks she owns the place, and she's certainly got us wrapped around her little paw.
Apparently, Valerie wasn't always this pampered. She went AWOL during a family camping trip on a remote patch of Kangaroo Island. After a five-day, non-stop search, the frantic duo had to reluctantly leave the island, heartbroken and a two-member family.
JOSH FISHLOCK: Man, leaving the island was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. We left as a threesome, and we returned as a twosome. It was tough.
Valerie's parents held on to hope, but weeks turned into months, and still, there was no sign of their little hero. Marvelously, a farmer on the island snapped a pic of a black dog darting through a field, which eventually made its way to Lisa Karran—co-owner of Kangala Wildlife Rescue.
LISA KARRAN: I remember thinking, "That's gotta be little Valerie who vanished over a year ago."
Enlisting the help of a dedicated volunteer squad, the Karrans devised a plan to catch Valerie, focusing on her off-hours. They trotted out a dozen basic traps but eventually landed on something more sophisticated: a big pen with a roof, wildlife cameras, and a remote-controlled door, all set up in the spot where Valerie was last seen[5].
After a grueling 68 days of toil, everything fell into place. Valerie wandered into the pen, seemed to relax a bit, and then—BAM!—they dropped the door on her[1][5].
Veterinarians later gave Valerie a clean bill of health—some extra weight and muscular development notwithstanding[3]. Thrilled to have their furry friend back, Valerie's parents report that she's adjusting well to home life, cuddling up in bed, playing with her toys, and going on those much-needed walks[1].
However, it seems that Valerie has undergone a slight transformation in her wild kingdom days. Gardner confesses that she's a wee bit more independent now.
GARDNER: I mean, she's certainly more self-reliant than before. I guess living in the wild taught her a thing or two.
Kat Lonsdorf, NPR News.
HOST: Wanna see snaps of this little Aussie daredevil? Swing by npr.org!
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Overall, Valerie, a miniature dachshund, survived for 529 days in the Australian wilderness after running away during a family camping trip in November 2023 at Stokes Bay on Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Despite her small size—weighing about 10 pounds (around 4.5 kg)—and being a highly domestic pet, Valerie managed to endure harsh conditions and evade multiple rescue attempts[3][5].
Her survival has been attributed to several factors:- Resourcefulness: Valerie is believed to have drunk water from nearby farms and likely burrowed for shelter in the wild, which provided protection and warmth.- Scavenging for Food: She scavenged food, reportedly eating roadkill and other available sources to sustain herself[4].- Elusiveness: Despite ongoing searches by volunteers who covered thousands of kilometers and spent hundreds of hours looking for her, Valerie repeatedly evaded capture. She was only caught after volunteers spotted her on camera investigating a trap, which led to her successful rescue[1][5].
After her capture, veterinarians gave Valerie a clean bill of health; she had even gained some weight during her time in the wild[3]. Her owners and a dog behaviorist are working together to help her transition back to home life and address any lingering anxiety from her experience[5][1].
News: Valerie, the mini dachshund that survived 17 months in the Aussie outback, is now back to her plush lifestyle. Lifestyle: After her wild adventure, Valerie has shown signs of being more independent, a trait she may have picked up from her time in the home-and-garden surroundings of the outback. Pets: Interestingly, during her time in the wild, Valerie was reportedly scavenging for food, suggesting that even pets can adapt to survive in harsh conditions.
