It's home sweet home for global star Valerie, the 'best feeling in the world'

The Advertiser

16-05-2025

When Georgia Gardner and Josh Fishlock reunited with their beloved dachshund after 540 days, it was only fitting what song they wanted to listen to first.
The sounds of Amy Winehouse's Valerie played through the speakers of their car as they left South Australia's Kangaroo Island earlier this month, now as a trio.
During a camping trip on the island in November 2023, Valerie the sausage dog escaped her pen, spending 529 days in bushland before being captured by Kangala Wildlife Rescue, directed by Jared and Lisa Karran.
They were brought back together on Tuesday, May 6, and the pooch has now settled into her home comfortably on the Vic/NSW border at Lavington.
"It's just the best feeling in the world, especially that first night when we just lay down and had her in bed, it was just pure content and happiness," Miss Gardner said.
"I was like, I don't have anything to stress about anymore because even in the year, your mind would wander like, 'I wonder where she is now and just to have her home, it's just wonderful."
When Valerie went missing during their first camping trip with her, the couple were living in Broken Hill before moving to Lavington.
During her disappearance, Miss Gardner and Mr Fishlock got another dachshund, Dorothy.
"They were a bit jealous of each other to start with, but now they're best friends, they're just like two sisters," Mr Fishlock said.
Miss Gardner never gave up hope that she was still out there.
"I couldn't deal thinking of the fact that she was dead," she said.
"It was just way too upsetting for me, so we kind of always thought, like we always had hope we'd get her back, but it was always in the picture of, maybe a nan or someone's looking after her who doesn't have Facebook and then she'll take her to the vet's one day and we'll get a call."
Holding onto her old toys also helped in the search, as Miss Gardner sent them down to Kangala Wildlife Rescue as a familiar scent to lure the dachshund to a set-up trap.
One of her worn T-shirts was also torn up and used around the area where Valerie was sighted on wildlife cameras to encourage her into the enclosure.
Valerie will be turning three in June and now weighs 5.8 kilograms. She weighed four kilograms when she disappeared.
Since returning home, the pair has noticed Valerie has less separation anxiety than she once did and has become more independent.
"It's Valerie's world and we're living in it!" Miss Gardner said with a laugh.
Introducing Valerie back into domestic life has been easier than expected, also with help from Kangala Wildlife Rescue, who supported her during her first week of recovery while waiting for the couple's arrival.
Her disappearance has also led to a change in dog food for the pooch, now eating raw food to accommodate her time in "survival mode" on the island.
Valerie's survival in the wild captured the nation's attention and gained global media coverage.
The pair is grateful for the efforts of Kangala Wildlife Rescue in finding Valerie. The rescue had to find innovative ways to lure her to them, due to wildlife, including possums, interfering with their plans and also pressure received from the general public.
"Everyone was learning, they hadn't done a rescue like this before," Mr Fishlock said.
She was found about 15 kilometres away in a custom-designed enclosure from where she first escaped her pen at Stokes Bay.
Having to leave Kangaroo Island after days of searching for the dog is a pain Miss Gardner "wouldn't wish on anyone".
"We were checking into the ferry and they were like 'oh just two adults and a dog' and I was like, 'no dog' and just started crying," she said.
The couple has had messages sent to them about how Valerie's journey has brought joy to many people.
"Our main thing is we hope this brings a lot of happiness and joy to people in a time when a lot of people are struggling," Mr Fishlock said.
A return to Kangaroo Island isn't off the table, as the rescue organisation's owners hope to see Valerie again.
When Georgia Gardner and Josh Fishlock reunited with their beloved dachshund after 540 days, it was only fitting what song they wanted to listen to first.
The sounds of Amy Winehouse's Valerie played through the speakers of their car as they left South Australia's Kangaroo Island earlier this month, now as a trio.
During a camping trip on the island in November 2023, Valerie the sausage dog escaped her pen, spending 529 days in bushland before being captured by Kangala Wildlife Rescue, directed by Jared and Lisa Karran.
They were brought back together on Tuesday, May 6, and the pooch has now settled into her home comfortably on the Vic/NSW border at Lavington.
"It's just the best feeling in the world, especially that first night when we just lay down and had her in bed, it was just pure content and happiness," Miss Gardner said.
"I was like, I don't have anything to stress about anymore because even in the year, your mind would wander like, 'I wonder where she is now and just to have her home, it's just wonderful."
When Valerie went missing during their first camping trip with her, the couple were living in Broken Hill before moving to Lavington.
During her disappearance, Miss Gardner and Mr Fishlock got another dachshund, Dorothy.
"They were a bit jealous of each other to start with, but now they're best friends, they're just like two sisters," Mr Fishlock said.
Miss Gardner never gave up hope that she was still out there.
"I couldn't deal thinking of the fact that she was dead," she said.
"It was just way too upsetting for me, so we kind of always thought, like we always had hope we'd get her back, but it was always in the picture of, maybe a nan or someone's looking after her who doesn't have Facebook and then she'll take her to the vet's one day and we'll get a call."
Holding onto her old toys also helped in the search, as Miss Gardner sent them down to Kangala Wildlife Rescue as a familiar scent to lure the dachshund to a set-up trap.
One of her worn T-shirts was also torn up and used around the area where Valerie was sighted on wildlife cameras to encourage her into the enclosure.
Valerie will be turning three in June and now weighs 5.8 kilograms. She weighed four kilograms when she disappeared.
Since returning home, the pair has noticed Valerie has less separation anxiety than she once did and has become more independent.
"It's Valerie's world and we're living in it!" Miss Gardner said with a laugh.
Introducing Valerie back into domestic life has been easier than expected, also with help from Kangala Wildlife Rescue, who supported her during her first week of recovery while waiting for the couple's arrival.
Her disappearance has also led to a change in dog food for the pooch, now eating raw food to accommodate her time in "survival mode" on the island.
Valerie's survival in the wild captured the nation's attention and gained global media coverage.
The pair is grateful for the efforts of Kangala Wildlife Rescue in finding Valerie. The rescue had to find innovative ways to lure her to them, due to wildlife, including possums, interfering with their plans and also pressure received from the general public.
"Everyone was learning, they hadn't done a rescue like this before," Mr Fishlock said.
She was found about 15 kilometres away in a custom-designed enclosure from where she first escaped her pen at Stokes Bay.
Having to leave Kangaroo Island after days of searching for the dog is a pain Miss Gardner "wouldn't wish on anyone".
"We were checking into the ferry and they were like 'oh just two adults and a dog' and I was like, 'no dog' and just started crying," she said.
The couple has had messages sent to them about how Valerie's journey has brought joy to many people.
"Our main thing is we hope this brings a lot of happiness and joy to people in a time when a lot of people are struggling," Mr Fishlock said.
A return to Kangaroo Island isn't off the table, as the rescue organisation's owners hope to see Valerie again.
When Georgia Gardner and Josh Fishlock reunited with their beloved dachshund after 540 days, it was only fitting what song they wanted to listen to first.
The sounds of Amy Winehouse's Valerie played through the speakers of their car as they left South Australia's Kangaroo Island earlier this month, now as a trio.
During a camping trip on the island in November 2023, Valerie the sausage dog escaped her pen, spending 529 days in bushland before being captured by Kangala Wildlife Rescue, directed by Jared and Lisa Karran.
They were brought back together on Tuesday, May 6, and the pooch has now settled into her home comfortably on the Vic/NSW border at Lavington.
"It's just the best feeling in the world, especially that first night when we just lay down and had her in bed, it was just pure content and happiness," Miss Gardner said.
"I was like, I don't have anything to stress about anymore because even in the year, your mind would wander like, 'I wonder where she is now and just to have her home, it's just wonderful."
When Valerie went missing during their first camping trip with her, the couple were living in Broken Hill before moving to Lavington.
During her disappearance, Miss Gardner and Mr Fishlock got another dachshund, Dorothy.
"They were a bit jealous of each other to start with, but now they're best friends, they're just like two sisters," Mr Fishlock said.
Miss Gardner never gave up hope that she was still out there.
"I couldn't deal thinking of the fact that she was dead," she said.
"It was just way too upsetting for me, so we kind of always thought, like we always had hope we'd get her back, but it was always in the picture of, maybe a nan or someone's looking after her who doesn't have Facebook and then she'll take her to the vet's one day and we'll get a call."
Holding onto her old toys also helped in the search, as Miss Gardner sent them down to Kangala Wildlife Rescue as a familiar scent to lure the dachshund to a set-up trap.
One of her worn T-shirts was also torn up and used around the area where Valerie was sighted on wildlife cameras to encourage her into the enclosure.
Valerie will be turning three in June and now weighs 5.8 kilograms. She weighed four kilograms when she disappeared.
Since returning home, the pair has noticed Valerie has less separation anxiety than she once did and has become more independent.
"It's Valerie's world and we're living in it!" Miss Gardner said with a laugh.
Introducing Valerie back into domestic life has been easier than expected, also with help from Kangala Wildlife Rescue, who supported her during her first week of recovery while waiting for the couple's arrival.
Her disappearance has also led to a change in dog food for the pooch, now eating raw food to accommodate her time in "survival mode" on the island.
Valerie's survival in the wild captured the nation's attention and gained global media coverage.
The pair is grateful for the efforts of Kangala Wildlife Rescue in finding Valerie. The rescue had to find innovative ways to lure her to them, due to wildlife, including possums, interfering with their plans and also pressure received from the general public.
"Everyone was learning, they hadn't done a rescue like this before," Mr Fishlock said.
She was found about 15 kilometres away in a custom-designed enclosure from where she first escaped her pen at Stokes Bay.
Having to leave Kangaroo Island after days of searching for the dog is a pain Miss Gardner "wouldn't wish on anyone".
"We were checking into the ferry and they were like 'oh just two adults and a dog' and I was like, 'no dog' and just started crying," she said.
The couple has had messages sent to them about how Valerie's journey has brought joy to many people.
"Our main thing is we hope this brings a lot of happiness and joy to people in a time when a lot of people are struggling," Mr Fishlock said.
A return to Kangaroo Island isn't off the table, as the rescue organisation's owners hope to see Valerie again.
When Georgia Gardner and Josh Fishlock reunited with their beloved dachshund after 540 days, it was only fitting what song they wanted to listen to first.
The sounds of Amy Winehouse's Valerie played through the speakers of their car as they left South Australia's Kangaroo Island earlier this month, now as a trio.
During a camping trip on the island in November 2023, Valerie the sausage dog escaped her pen, spending 529 days in bushland before being captured by Kangala Wildlife Rescue, directed by Jared and Lisa Karran.
They were brought back together on Tuesday, May 6, and the pooch has now settled into her home comfortably on the Vic/NSW border at Lavington.
"It's just the best feeling in the world, especially that first night when we just lay down and had her in bed, it was just pure content and happiness," Miss Gardner said.
"I was like, I don't have anything to stress about anymore because even in the year, your mind would wander like, 'I wonder where she is now and just to have her home, it's just wonderful."
When Valerie went missing during their first camping trip with her, the couple were living in Broken Hill before moving to Lavington.
During her disappearance, Miss Gardner and Mr Fishlock got another dachshund, Dorothy.
"They were a bit jealous of each other to start with, but now they're best friends, they're just like two sisters," Mr Fishlock said.
Miss Gardner never gave up hope that she was still out there.
"I couldn't deal thinking of the fact that she was dead," she said.
"It was just way too upsetting for me, so we kind of always thought, like we always had hope we'd get her back, but it was always in the picture of, maybe a nan or someone's looking after her who doesn't have Facebook and then she'll take her to the vet's one day and we'll get a call."
Holding onto her old toys also helped in the search, as Miss Gardner sent them down to Kangala Wildlife Rescue as a familiar scent to lure the dachshund to a set-up trap.
One of her worn T-shirts was also torn up and used around the area where Valerie was sighted on wildlife cameras to encourage her into the enclosure.
Valerie will be turning three in June and now weighs 5.8 kilograms. She weighed four kilograms when she disappeared.
Since returning home, the pair has noticed Valerie has less separation anxiety than she once did and has become more independent.
"It's Valerie's world and we're living in it!" Miss Gardner said with a laugh.
Introducing Valerie back into domestic life has been easier than expected, also with help from Kangala Wildlife Rescue, who supported her during her first week of recovery while waiting for the couple's arrival.
Her disappearance has also led to a change in dog food for the pooch, now eating raw food to accommodate her time in "survival mode" on the island.
Valerie's survival in the wild captured the nation's attention and gained global media coverage.
The pair is grateful for the efforts of Kangala Wildlife Rescue in finding Valerie. The rescue had to find innovative ways to lure her to them, due to wildlife, including possums, interfering with their plans and also pressure received from the general public.
"Everyone was learning, they hadn't done a rescue like this before," Mr Fishlock said.
She was found about 15 kilometres away in a custom-designed enclosure from where she first escaped her pen at Stokes Bay.
Having to leave Kangaroo Island after days of searching for the dog is a pain Miss Gardner "wouldn't wish on anyone".
"We were checking into the ferry and they were like 'oh just two adults and a dog' and I was like, 'no dog' and just started crying," she said.
The couple has had messages sent to them about how Valerie's journey has brought joy to many people.
"Our main thing is we hope this brings a lot of happiness and joy to people in a time when a lot of people are struggling," Mr Fishlock said.
A return to Kangaroo Island isn't off the table, as the rescue organisation's owners hope to see Valerie again.