The power of owners’ T-shirt sent helped a dog in reuniting with him after 529 days.
According to BBC, a miniature dachshund, Valerie, has been found alive and well after surviving 529 days on the Australian wilderness following “round the clock” efforts of the Kangala Wildlife Rescue.
The dog who was lost after a camping trip with the owner in November 2023 was found after almost one and a half year on Kangaroo Island, off the coast of Australia.
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's 529 days in the wilderness, surviving intense heat and avoiding venomous snakes, was brought to an end in part through using Ms Gardner's t-shirt to create a "scent trail" to a trap.
"After weeks of tireless efforts [...] Valerie has been safely rescued and is fit and well," Kangala said in a social media post.
The charity said volunteers spent more than 1,000 hours searching for Valerie, covering more than 5,000km (3,109 miles).
The rescue effort 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.
Lisa Karran, a director of Kangala, said she wore the remnants of Ms Gardner's clothes as she approached Valerie after the dog had been trapped, and sat with her until the dog was "completely calm".
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, another Kangala director.
"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.
In a 15-minute video on social media, Mr and Ms Karran explained how the "rollercoaster" rescue had 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.
