The owner’s were brought to tears by the news and are now planning a trip across the country to be reunited with their pet pooch.
“[Valerie’s] doing really well but we’re still seeing things she’ll need to get through,” Jared Karran from Kangala Wildlife Rescue said.
Fellow rescuer Lisa Karran labelled Valerie as “just incredible” for surviving more than 500 days in the bushland.
“When you see her you think ‘how did survive that long where you were’,” Lisa said.
Rescuers say with so many predators in the bush here, especially deadly snakes and eagles, it’s a miracle Valerie survived so long.
A T-shirt carrying Gardner’s scent proved pivitol to lure Valerie into the rescue cage at Stokes Bay.
“Georgia was able to wear this T-shirt for 12 hours shifts and game of netball games and sent it down to us and that was amazing,” Lisa said.
“So we were able to rip little strips off of it.”
Kangala Wildlife rescuers called Fishlock and Gardner late last night with the news.
“They were just so excited, there were tears,” Lisa said.
“I just can’t even imagine what it’d be like in their position.”
A relieved Gardner told “anyone who’s ever lost a pet” to “never give up hope”.
After thousands of hours of searching for the little sausage dog, there came a couple of sightings in recent weeks, delivering fresh hope to the owners.
On April 15, Valerie was recorded on video entering a carefully prepared cage, filled with Valerie’s toys and clothing from her owners.
Unfortunately, the cage’s trap door couldn’t be closed remotely, so the dog was able to walk out.
Last night, the rescue group posted the news to Facebook that Valerie had finally been secured.
“After weeks of tireless efforts by Kangala Wildlife Rescue volunteers and partner organisations Valerie has been safely rescued and is fit and well,” the group said.
“We are absolutely thrilled and deeply relieved that Valerie is finally safe and able to begin her transition back to her loving parents, Josh and Georgia.
“This rescue was a true testament to the dedication and perseverance of our team, the unwavering support of the community, and the power of collaboration.
“There were many challenging moments over the past month, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who played a part in bringing Valerie home.”
The search for Valerie has garnered international attention, with her story featured in major newspapers and social media users commenting from New Zealand, the Netherlands, and the United States.
“The Kangala team are currently taking a short pause to process this amazing result and gather ourselves after the intense rescue efforts,” the group said.
Valerie will now recover on Kangaroo Island for a week before she’s reunited with her owners.