Valerie Schultz is a freelance writer, a columnist for The Bakersfield Californian and the author of Till the Moon Be No More: The Grit and Grace of Growing Older. She lives on the Oregon Coast.

Valerie the dachshund has finally been reunited with her owners after surviving 540 days alone on Kangaroo Island in South Australia.

After more than 500 days on the run, Valerie the miniature dachshund has finally been found safe and well on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. The pampered pet dog’s remarkable survival story ...

Valerie’s saga dates back to November 2023, when she was just a 1-year-old puppy on a vacation with her human parents: Georgia Gardner and Josh Fishlock. The family was spending a few days ...

Valerie’s capture ended an odyssey that started in November 2023, when she escaped during a family camping trip to Kangaroo Island, a rugged island off the southern Australian coast.

BY VALERIE SCHULTZ For The Californian; Apr 12, 2025 Apr 12, 2025; Facebook; Twitter; WhatsApp; SMS; Email; Prop clocks at the Warner Brothers property department in 1948.