Facebook/Kangala Wildlife RescueA miniature dachshund has been found alive and well on Kangaroo Island off the coast of Australia, more than 500 days after she first went missing.
Kangala Wildlife Rescue had been working "around the clock" to find the dog, Valerie, since she was last spotted by her owners on a November 2023 camping trip.
Georgia Gardner and her boyfriend, Joshua Fishlock, had momentarily left Valerie in a playpen at their campsite while the couple went fishing. When they returned, she was gone.
Valerie survived intense heat and avoided venomous snakes as well intense rescue efforts during her 529 days in the wilderness.
"After weeks of tireless efforts [...] Valerie has been safely rescued and is fit and well," Kangala said in a social media post.
Kangala Wildlife Rescue said volunteers spent 1,000-plus hours searching for Valerie, covering more than 5,000km (8,046 miles).
The effort also included surveillance cameras and a trap cage with a remote door system filled with food, Ms Gardner's clothes and some of Valerie's toys from home.
In the initial days after Valerie went missing, other campers spotted her underneath a parked car which startled the dog and sent her fleeing into bushland, the Washington Post reported.
Months later, island locals reported seeing a pink collar that matched Valerie's, much to the surprise of Jared Karran, a director at Kangala.
"Of all dogs, that would be the last one I would say would survive out there, but they do have a good sense of smell," Mr Karran said.
Ms Gardner sent rescuers a t-shirt that she had worn that helped lead to Valeries' capture by creating "scent trail" inside the large dog trap.
In a 15-minute video on social media, Kangala directors and rescue volunteers Jared and Lisa Karran explained how the "rollercoaster" rescue transpired.
Ms Karran said they had to wait until Valerie was in the right part of the trap and calm enough to ensure she would not attempt another escape.
"She went right into the back corner, which is where we wanted her, I pressed the button, and thankfully it all worked perfectly," Mr Karran said.
"I know people were a little bit frustrated, like 'why is it taking so long?' but these are the things that we were doing in the background," he said.
Ms Karran said she wore the remnants of Ms Gardner's clothes as she approached Valerie and sat with her until the dog was "completely calm".
Ms Gardner said on social media after Valerie's long-awaited rescue: "For anyone who's ever lost a pet, your feelings are valid and never give up hope.
"Sometimes good things happen to good people."
