Valerie did not even weigh 9 pounds when she disappeared into the Australian wilderness.
It was in November 2023, during a camping trip on Kangaroo Island, south of Australia. Her owners, Georgia Gardner and Josh Fishlock, searched for her for days through the brush, but had to return home without her. She had a microchip and an AirTag on her collar. Neither was of any use in that wild terrain full of venomous snakes, extreme heat and predators.
Months passed. Many assumed the worst. Until in February 2025, a farmer on the island photographed a little black dog running through his field, and the image reached Lisa Karran, of Kangala Wildlife Rescue. She and her team set a dozen traps with food and even a scent trail made with one of Gardner’s old T-shirts. They caught possums, feral cats and wallabies before catching her
After 529 days alone, Valerie was rescued when volunteers managed to lure her into an enclosure to prevent her from escaping again. Days later, she returned to her owners healthy, stronger and almost 4 pounds heavier than when she got lost.