Mini dachshund evades capture on Australian island for over a year; rescuers seek help

Officials are asking for help finding a miniature dachshund that evaded capture for over a year while lost on an Australian island.

Valerie was vacationing with her owners on Kangaroo Island, just off the coast of Adelaide, Australia, in November 2023.

The little pooch managed to escape from her cage before running off into the "scrub" near Stokes Bay, officials said. 

Spotted on surveillance footage

For nearly 16 months, Valerie has avoided capture. She was last seen wearing a pink collar and weighs less than 8 pounds. 

The backstory:

She was spotted by locals who lived on the island in the early days of her disappearance, but she remained elusive. Her owners, reluctantly, had to return home before being reunited with their beloved pooch.

Rescuers have narrowed down the perimeter where they believe Valerie is roaming. And last week, officials with the Kangala Wildlife Rescue spotted Valerie on one of their surveillance cameras.

What they're saying:

"What an amazing sight to see Valerie, popping up on one of our rescue cameras during the night in our search area," rescuers said." 

Help needed

Kangala Wildlife Rescue is asking for the public’s help with acquiring a possible STARLINK system to locate Valerie, according to a Facebook post.

What they're saying:

"Kangala is looking to borrow or hire one for a few days, to assist us in Catching Valerie, the missing miniature Dachshund."

The rescue is asking anyone on Kangaroo Island, Adelaide or nearby areas if someone has a system they can borrow or could hire whomever for a few days to assist with catching Valerie.

The deteriorating weather conditions are rendering what technology the rescue is currently using "poor but usable."

What you can do:

Anyone who can help is asked to email the rescue at kangalawildliferescue@gmail.com.

Hopeful owners

When Valerie first went missing, her owners, Georgia Gardner and Josh Fishlock, were avoiding getting their hopes up of finding their dog.

But with news of her sightings and now recent video of Valerie, Gardner and Fishlock are discussing a game plan for when they need to return to the island to pick up their precious pup, according to The Guardian.

Gardner and Fishlock told The Guardian their little dog’s survival skills were "incredible." 

What they're saying:

"We thought, instead of her surviving out in the wild, maybe someone had kind of adopted her or she was hanging out with some other dogs and getting their food because she was an absolute little princess. She never left my side. She was not a very outside, rough-and-tough dog. To think that she even went one night outside in the rain, oh my gosh. To think that she’s gone a year and a half is incredible."