www.smithsonianmag.com
This Eight-Pound Miniature Dachshund Survived 16 Months on a Rugged Australian Island. But Shes Still Evading RescuersValerie the wiener dog is still on the loose, more than a year after she escaped during her parents vacation on Kangaroo Island Valerie was just a year old when she went missing on Kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia. Kangala Wildlife Rescue via FacebookA tiny, eight-pound dog has defied the odds by surviving in the wild on a rugged Australian island for more than a year. But even as rescuers have tried to bring her to safety, so far, the scrappy pooch has eluded capture.Volunteers and wildlife experts are trying to lure in a miniature dachshund named Valerie on Kangaroo Island, a 1,700-square-mile outpost off the coast of South Australia.Valerie has been on the run for the last 16 months. In November 2023, the then-1-year-old wiener dog came to the island on a camping vacation with her human parents, Georgia Gardner and Josh Fishlock. On the second day of their trip, the couple decided to go fishing at a nearby beach, so they placed Valerie in a playpen with food and toys.But while her owners were away, Valerie broke out of the pen and hid under a parked car. Vacationers who were camping nearby tried to capture the dog, but she got spooked and darted off into the wilderness.The couple spent the rest of their vacation searching for Valerie, with help from some of the islands 5,000 residents. Eventually, though, they had to return to their jobs in Broken Hill, New South Wales, without their beloved pup.Gardner and Fishlock were heartbroken. They assumed Valerie would not survive in the bushland, which is home to several potentially fatal hazardsincluding at least two venomous snake species and wedge-tailed eagles that are known to hunt wallabies, possums and lambs.Even if she did dodge the islands many threats, Valerie was not accustomed to a life of hardship. She slept in bed with her parents each night, wore sweaters when the weather turned cold and got upset if she was left outside for too long. Valerie, who had been a college graduation gift from Gardners family, also loved accompanying her parents to cafes and shops.She was an absolute princess, Gardner tells the Washington Posts Victoria Craw, adding that Valerie was anxiously attached to her parents.She was not a very outside, rough-and-tough dog, Gardner says to the Guardians Daisy Dumas. To think that she even went one night outside in the rain, oh my gosh.But roughly a year after Valerie went missing, reports started coming in of a small dachshund on Kangaroo Island, wearing a pink collar. The sightings occurred roughly nine miles from Stokes Bay, the area where Valerie had escaped.Now, volunteers with Kangala Wildlife Rescue, a local nonprofit, are doing everything in their power to capture Valerie and reunite her with her parents. Theyre using several trapping and luring methodsincluding aromatic foods like roast chicken and tunato try to catch the dog. Theyre also using video surveillance to keep tabs on her movements.We now know that Valerie is alive, the rescue organization wrote on social media on March 21. She runs at the first sign of humans or vehicles, and despite the best efforts of dedicated island locals, Valerie has been impossible to catch.The island is roughly 75 times the size of Manhattan, so rescuers are hoping they can catch a break in their quest to corral Valerie.This is a tiny dog in a huge area, and we will need help from the public to report any sightings and a lot of luck, according to the social media post.How has a small, domesticated dog managed to survive for so long in the wild? Rescuers believe Valerie is likely subsisting on roadkill and dam water.Its also possible shes receiving help from the islands residents. But, more than likely, shes been making it on her own, because if someone had seen her, they probably would have noticed her collar and reported her.Plus, dogs are extremely resourceful, says Paul McGreevy, a veterinarian at the University of Sydney, to the Guardian. They are the greatest opportunists in the animal kingdom: Thats one of their core skills.Dachshunds, in particular, were bred to be tireless hounds and independent hunter[s] of dangerous prey, according to the American Kennel Club (AKC). These short-legged dogs are known for their bold, vivacious personality, and they can be brave to the point of rashness, per the AKC.Debbie Farnden, a 50-year-old nurse who volunteered to search for Valerie on Kangaroo Island, is not at all surprised the sausage dog has lived this long. Farnden has two dachshunds of her own, so she knows firsthand how quick and agile these dogs can be.Theyre sneaky little buggers and smart enough to stay away from snakes, Farnden tells the London Times James Salmon. They are fast and cunning and will play the waiting game.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Animals, Australia, Dogs, Mammals, Pets, Wildlife
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/fb/12/fb12f0f2-0aba-4db9-b85c-34044f244b9e/485364030_971223968473463_4890904149377284659_n.jpg)
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/48/9c/489cae08-6242-4d11-9aa9-a704d1907da3/25-03-27_troja.jpg)
