Over 500 days after being lost, Valerie, the miniature dachshund, who went missing on Kangaroo Island, Australia, has been found at last. While lost dogs rarely capture international attention, Valerie's search and rescue operation has been keenly tracked by people across the globe.
As per a report in CNN, the tiny sausage dog with a pink collar was roaming the island when it was finally found after 529 days. Volunteers from Kangala Wildlife Rescue said they were "absolutely thrilled" to announce that Valerie was finally found.
"After weeks of tireless efforts by volunteers and partner organisations Valerie has been safely rescued and is fit and well," read the statement.
"We are absolutely thrilled and deeply relieved that Valerie is finally safe and able to begin her transition back to her loving parents."
Kangala directors Jared and Lisa Karran informed that the key to Valerie's rescue was a smelly T-shirt worn by her owner. The rescue team used the shirt as a scent trail to attract Valerie to the enclosure.
“We were able to rip little strips off of it, and we started the process of just adding more and more bits towards the trap site as we went along,” said Ms Karran.
Social media reacts
Social media users who were constantly monitoring updates about the dog have erupted in euphoria after the completion of the rescue operation.
"This is the best news I've heard all day," wrote one user while another added: "The other dogs at the park are never gonna believe her."
A third commented: "Nice to read some happy news for a change. It's a miracle that she survived."
Valerie managed to remain alive for so long by entering survival mode. As per the rescuers, she was now exhibiting behaviours associated with "lost dog syndrome".
"When a dog gets lost...once that dog realises the stress that's going on, they basically have to fend for themselves," Ms Karran said.
Valerie had escaped from her pen at a campsite during a family trip with her owners, New South Wales couple Georgia Gardner and Josh Fishlock. In the following months, reports about her sightings began to emerge, but she ran away at the sight of humans or vehicles.
