After 540 days, Valerie the missing dachshund reunited with owners

Valerie was reunited with her owners, Georgia Gardner and Josh Fishlock, on Tuesday, May 6, in South Australia after spending 540 days apart.

During a camping trip on the state's Kangaroo Island in November 2023, the pooch went missing, spending 529 days in bushland before being captured by Kangala Wildlife Rescue, directed by Jared and Lisa Karran.

It was an emotional and long-awaited reunion for Valerie's owners, after the pooch had spent the last week decompressing at the rescue.

"I was sitting on the ground when Lisa and Jared brought Valerie in, and she ran straight up to me - I just burst into tears," Miss Gardner said.

"She was wagging her tail, making her little happy sounds, and wiggling around with joy. I held her and cried and cried."

She had brought Valerie's harness with her from before she went missing, but it was a squeeze to get it to fit.

"She's stockier now, strong and healthy, healthier than we are, honestly!" she said with a laugh.

Miss Gardner was grateful for the rescue organisation's work in finding Valerie and caring for her.

"Without them, she simply wouldn't be coming home," she said.

"They put hundreds of hours into planning and executing her safe capture - sacrificing their time, sleep, work and privacy out of genuine care and love for Valerie and us.

"Words cannot describe how extremely grateful we are for their work and dedication.

"We have such admiration for their generosity, kindness and care for animals."

The reunion felt unbelievable for Mr Fishlock.

"It was incredible - euphoric! We never thought we'd hold her again, and then suddenly, there she was," he said.

"It still doesn't feel real."

Mr Karran, whose volunteer team had spent more than 1000 hours searching for her, was shocked by her size when he met her.

"We felt like we came to know Valerie through the camera," the rescue's director said.

"But when we met her in person, 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 he had never met a dog like Valerie before.

"She has this ability to look into your soul, it's like she's wise and she's just so smart," he said.

"We've all really fallen in love with little Valerie. She is truly something special."

Kangala Wildlife Rescue was excited to see Valerie reunite with her owners, but saying farewell isn't easy after an intensive mission to save her.

"As rescuers, we always try to keep it professional. But with Valerie, it's hard not to bond," Mr Karran said.

"She is such a special dog, and the rescue effort was so long and so emotional that all of those feelings are amplified.

"It's going to be hard to say goodbye to Valerie, but we know that she'll be so well cared for and loved with Georgia and Josh.

"And if she ever feels like a Kangaroo Island getaway, she's welcome here anytime."

The couple will be working with both Kangala and dog behaviourist Lara Shannon to transition Valerie back into life at home.

The four-legged friend will also be reunited with Lucy the rescue cat and Mason the red heeler and get to meet the family's latest dachshund addition, Dorothy.

"Valerie's separation anxiety played a big role in why she went missing, so we'll be crate training her to provide a safe place to decompress," Miss Gardner said.

"We're also keeping her on a raw food diet, considering her incredible condition when she was found."

She hopes Valerie's story can bring "hope, joy and inspiration" to anyone going through a difficult time or has lost a pet.

"If the smallest sausage dog can survive 529 days in the bush, you, too, can survive whatever life throws at you," she said.