When Josh and Georgia set off on a peaceful beach camping trip to Australia’s Kangaroo Island, they brought along their miniature Dachshund, Valerie. Weighing less than nine pounds and sporting a pink collar, Valerie wasn’t just a pet—she was part of the family.

But in November 2023, while camping near the remote Stokes Bay area, Valerie was startled by a group of strangers and ran off into the dense bushland. Josh and Georgia searched frantically, joined by locals who pitched in, but Valerie had vanished. With heavy hearts and no leads, they had no choice but to leave the island without her.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. The odds of such a small dog surviving alone in the wild seemed impossible. As time passed, hope slowly faded.

Then, in early 2025—more than a year later—people began reporting sightings of a little dog wearing a pink collar nearly 10 miles from where Valerie was last seen. Trail cameras soon confirmed the unbelievable: Valerie was alive.

Josh and Georgia returned to the island, working closely with Kangala Wildlife Rescue to bring her home. They set out food, left familiar scent trails, and used humane traps. But Valerie, having gone feral to survive, remained cautious.

Finally, after 540 days, Valerie walked into one of the traps. She was skinny and weathered—but alive. And when she saw Josh and Georgia again, it was pure emotion. There wasn’t a dry eye around.

Now back home and recovering, Valerie’s story is more than just about survival. It’s a powerful testament to resilience, the deep connection between people and their pets, and the extraordinary things that can happen when you refuse to give up.