If Valerie, a 10 lb. mini-dachshund can survive for over 500 days in the Australian wilderness – so can we endure hardship and overcome challenges that seem insurmountable

By Shlomo Maital

Valerie

       If a little 4 kg.  (10 pound) mini-dachshund named Valere, a pampered well-cared-for little dog, highly domestic, can survive alone for 529 days in the Australian wilderness – well, you and I, my friends, can overcome hardship as well, including things that seem insurmountable. 

       Here is the story, by Brandon Drenon, BBC News:

        “A miniature dachshund has been found alive and well after spending more than 500 days in the Australian wilderness.  Kangala Wildlife Rescue said it had been working “around the clock” to find the dog, Valerie, on Kangaroo Island, off the coast of Australia. She was last seen by her owners on a camping trip in November 2023.  

     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 5,000 km (3,109 miles).”

      Valerie was found in good health, and even had gained some weight.  What did she eat?  Where did she find water?  How did she keep up her spirits? 

      I learn from our little mixed breed Yorkie, Pixie, also 4 kgs., every single day, about patience, affection, loyalty, love and stoic determination.  We humans may think we are at the top of the food chain – but maybe little Valerie ranks a bit higher, in the survival chain?