Latest news with #JoshFishlock
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Adorable Miniature Dachshund Lost in Australian Wilderness Finally Found After 529 Days
Adorable Miniature Dachshund Lost in Australian Wilderness Finally Found After 529 Days originally appeared on PetHelpful. Finally. Some (really) good news! In November 2023, Valerie, a miniature dachshund, went missing while on a camping trip to Kangaroo Island, a remote island in southern Australia. Much to the dismay of her owners Josh Fishlock and Georgia Gardner, Valerie ran away from their campsite and into the Australian wilderness. While Valerie was microchipped and also had an Apple AirTag on her collar, a days-long search between Valerie's owners and local community members turned up empty. And so, Fishlock and Gardner had no choice but to return home to mainland Australia without their beloved pup. In an interview with NPR, Fishlock said leaving the island without Valerie was the "hardest decision I think I've ever made in my life." 🐾 🐾 That said, the couple still hoped someone would find Valerie and they'd be able to bring her home. Months went by and the chance that Valerie might not ever return home became more and more in February 2025, their lost hope was reignited when Valerie was spotted by a Kangaroo Island farmer. The farmer took a photo of the tiny dog running through fields and this photograph eventually made its way to Kangala Wildlife Rescue, who began a massive search effort to catch Valerie and bring her home. The search efforts went viral on social media and the Internet anxiously hoped for an announcement of Valerie's safe rescue. Then, on April 25, 2025, Kangala Wildlife Rescue announced the news everyone was waiting for: Valerie was rescued! The wildlife rescue shared the news on a post on Facebook, explaining the mass effort that went into the rescue: "The search for Valerie involved over 1000 volunteer hours and more than 5000 km travelled by volunteers in their private vehicles, the deployment and monitoring of numerous cameras and traps and the use of various forms of technology to successfully secure Valerie while ensuring her physical and psychological welfare," they said. A key component of the rescue was a smelly t-shirt. According to CNN, this t-shirt was worn by her owners in 12-hour shifts and then ripped up and used as a scent trail to coax Valerie into the enclosure. Valerie is now safe and sound back home with her owners. Gardner and Fishlock told NPR that Valerie settled right back in, which is such a relief to Miniature Dachshund Lost in Australian Wilderness Finally Found After 529 Days first appeared on PetHelpful on Jun 17, 2025 This story was originally reported by PetHelpful on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
News.com.au
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Reunited owners of dachshund Valerie share stunning update
Australia's famous lost and found dachshund has just celebrated her third birthday after being reunited with her owners, and that's not all the pooch has been up to. The sausage dog was welcomed home by owners Georgia Gardner and Josh Fishlock after spending 529 days lost on South Australia's Kangaroo Island. 'Valerie has spent almost half her life missing, so to be able to celebrate this birthday with her at home is everything to us,' Ms Gardner said. 'We didn't get to celebrate her second birthday as she was still missing. 'But this year, we're making up for it with a little family party with all the pets together at home, FaceTime with our parents, lots of cuddles, new toys and of course, dog-friendly birthday cake and a puppuccino or two!' International media attention descended on South Australia to cover Valerie's miracle rescue story, but now the dachshund is settling into a new lifestyle in Albury, NSW. The sausage dog has been busy appearing as a 'celebrity guest' at the local RSPCA's Million Paws Walk, 'welcome home' gifts are being sent to the pooch from across the country, and Hollywood has come knocking. 'If you had told me a year ago that we'd get Valerie home and everyone would want to know about it, my head would have exploded,' Ms Gardner said. 'We're getting movie and book inquiries and messages from the New York Times, The Washington Post and BBC. I'm from a small town of 800 people and Valerie is my little dog. 'If those book and movie projects happen, I'd be absolutely gobsmacked!' The dog has even found time to pick up some employment. Valerie was recently appointed as an 'ambassador' for The Paws Room – a company that makes designer pet furniture. In her role, the dachshund has already started showing off the products, recently pictured in a wooden crate designed to calm pets. 'We knew Valerie would initially need a safe and calming space to rest and readjust,' Ms Gardner said. The dog is getting reintroduced to the creature comforts brought from domestication, enjoying puppuccinos and regular walks. 'Valerie is cheeky, bold and full of personality. And after everything she's been through, she deserves a safe space and all the treats in the world,' Ms Gardner said.
Times
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Valerie the dachshund reunited with owners after 540 days
The last time Georgia Gardner saw her miniature dachshund, Valerie, the dog cut a slight figure, barely 6in tall and weighing 8lb. Her pet's existence consisted of toys, treats and getting wrapped up in a little pink jumper with matching collar and lead when the weather turned cold. Then Valerie disappeared into the wilderness of an Australian island. After 540 days of separation, Gardner has finally been reunited with her beloved pet, who is now 4lb heavier — a muscular and stocky dog who no longer fits into her pink harness. 'It was absolutely incredible,' said Gardner, 24, describing the moment she and her boyfriend, Josh Fishlock, 25, saw their elusive sausage dog in the flesh for the first time since she escaped from their
CNN
07-05-2025
- General
- CNN
Tears of joy as Valerie the runaway dachshund finally reunited with owners
CNN — Valerie the dachshund has finally been reunited with her owners after surviving 540 days alone on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. Owners Georgia Gardner and Josh Fishlock described the moment they got to hold the tiny pup in their arms in a statement published Wednesday. Gardner said she 'burst into tears' when Valerie ran up to her as they saw each other again for the first time on Tuesday. 'She was wagging her tail, making her little happy sounds, and wiggling around with joy. I held her and cried and cried,' she said in the statement. 'She's stockier now, strong and healthy… healthier than we are, honestly!' added Gardner. Fishlock said the pair hadn't expected to see Valerie again. 'It still doesn't feel real,' he said in the statement. Valerie, who will soon celebrate her third birthday, went missing on a camping trip to the island in November 2023. When strangers tried to help, she fled into the undergrowth, and her owners eventually gave up and returned home to the mainland. With no sightings it was assumed Valerie had met her match with a snake or perhaps one of the giant Rosenberg's goannas — reptiles up to 1.5 meters (5 feet) long — that occupy the island. However, reports of sightings started to emerge, sparking a massive search operation led by volunteers from the Kangala Wildlife Rescue, a non-profit group set up in 2020 following the devastating Australian bushfires. Valerie was eventually found on April 25, and has been looked after by the charity since. Director Jared Karran described Valerie as 'truly something special.' 'She was just so much smaller than we imagined. If it was a miracle before that she'd survived — seeing her size — it's just unbelievable that she was able to survive and thrive out there!' he said in the statement. Home to around 5,000 people, Kangaroo Island is about 45 minutes from the mainland by ferry. Tourists go there to see Australian native wildlife, but officials have long had a problem controlling introduced species including feral cats. The island is thick with bush, and there are many places for a small dog to hide. Another difficulty is the island's vibrant ecosystem, according to the charity. 'One of the reasons this is such a difficult rescue and not as easy as just baiting and setting traps, is due to the fact we are constantly competing with hundreds of wildlife like possums, wallabies, kangaroos, goannas and feral cats. All which are all just after a feed also,' the group said in a post on Facebook before the little dog was found. Now Valerie is preparing to return home to Albury, New South Wales, where she will be reunited with Gardner and Fishlock's other pets, Lucy the rescue cat, Mason the red heeler and their latest addition, Dorothy, a fellow dachshund.
The Independent
07-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
Owners stunned as Valerie the dachshund puts on weight after 18 months alone on island
A miniature dachshund named Valerie, who had been missing for 18 months on an Australian island, has been reunited with her shocked owners. The Kangala Wildlife Rescue announced on Wednesday that Valerie, who had spent around half her life lost on Kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia, was back with her family. Miraculously, the dog had put on six pounds in that time. There is speculation that she survived on road kill and animal droppings. Owner Georgia Gardner said that when they were reunited on Tuesday, Valerie approached her without hesitation, marking the end of their separation that began in November 2023. 'She ran straight up to me — I just burst into tears,' Gardner said in a statement released on Wednesday. 'She was wagging her tail, making her little happy sounds and wiggling around with joy. I held her and cried and cried,' Gardner added. The almost three-year-old Valerie was trapped on April 25 in remarkably good condition after 529 days spent living like a feral animal. Valerie had weighed four kilograms (nine pounds) when she was lost and now weighs 6.8 kilograms (15 pounds). Gardner and her partner, Josh Fishlock, had been holidaying on the island and were away from their campsite fishing when their pet escaped from a pen. Map of Kangaroo Island: The couple searched but eventually had to return to the mainland without her. Volunteers from Kangala Wildlife Rescue, a not-for-profit service, spotted the distinctive addition to the Australian wilderness in March. She was captured after volunteers spent an estimated 1,000 hours searching while covering 5,000 kilometers (3,000 miles) of the island. Having seen video camera images of the dog sniffing a trap last month, Kangala Wildlife Rescue director Jared Karran said he was surprised by how small she was in reality. 'If it was a miracle that she's survived — seeing her size — it's just unbelievable that she was able to survive and thrive out there,' Karran said. Gardner and Fishlock will drive Valerie back to their home in Albury in New South Wales state. She will be reunited with rescue cat Lucy and cattle dog Mason. She will also be introduced to her owners' new dachshund, Dorothy. Garner said she had been working with a dog behaviorist to help Valerie transition to home life. Valerie will be kept on a raw food diet 'considering her incredible condition when she was found,' Gardner said.
