Valerie, a four-kilogram miniature Dachshund, has been caught after a shocking 529 days on the lam on Kangaroo Island. Meet musicians Georgia Gardner and Josh Fishlock who were all smiles when they heard Valerie was safe. In their own words, they couldn’t be more “over the moon” about the big school reunion! Wildlife specialists Jared and Lisa Karran went above and beyond in their efforts to capture and relocate Valerie. They tracked her with a variety of cutting edge methods in order to entice her into a custom built trap.
Valerie’s story started the same way many others do, when this missing dog’s concerned owners were afraid they would never see her again. No matter how hard they tried to find her, she never stopped evading them for over 400 days. The wildlife team used a specially developed trappy cam — a fully remote controlled trap with a webcam and remote trigger system — to keep tabs on her movements. This innovative method gave them a unique look at Valerie’s movement and daily activity level.
Innovative Capture Techniques
To lure Valerie into this trap, the Karrans used smells and objects she would identify with to draw her in. They set up strategic, hidden food stashes inside their cage to encourage this scared dog to enter. Creating a peaceful space Lisa Karran, Valerie’s mother, spoke about the need to establish a tranquil atmosphere for her daughter.
“Of course, we had her favourites – roast chicken and her favourite dog food as well – they were the first things to help her recognise that we were safe and that we were not a threat.” – Lisa Karran
To further calm Valerie’s nerves, Georgia’s shirt was added to the trap. This natural scent made her feel more at ease and made the capture process less traumatic.
Jared Karran expressed his determination to secure Valerie, stating, “There was no way we were letting that sausage dog run away on us again.” Blake’s dedication, combined with all of Lisa’s specialized knowledge, was key in safely reuniting Valerie with her new home.
Caring for Valerie Post-Capture
Once captured, Valerie demonstrated remarkable resilience. According to Jared, while monitoring her movements via the webcam, he noted, “She was up at the front, barking and communicating with us.” What this suggests is that even after such a long period away from human care, Valerie was still full of fight and sass!
Lisa and Jared were especially worried about Valerie’s mental health after being so independent for so many years. They understood that reintroducing her to an average human environment would take some extra TLC.
“Normal things, like houses, humans, scents, other animals. These are all things that need to be reintroduced and relearnt.” – Lisa Karran
Their approach centered on helping Valerie decompress in a judgment free zone. Valerie will be spending at least one week on Kangaroo Island. This allows first-time mom Mia to spend a little time getting used to motherhood before returning home with Georgia & Josh.
The Joyful Reunion
As for Georgia and Josh, when they first found out that Valerie had been recaptured, it was an incredibly emotional experience. They had incurred endless costs looking for their lost pet and feared they could never welcome her home again.
As they prepare to welcome Valerie back home, they reflect on the challenges she faced during her time on the run. Jared noted how different Valerie looked on camera compared to in real life: “She looks quite big on the camera. When I saw her in real life, she is tiny. She’s got, like, an inch clearance under her belly, tiny little legs.”