Australian Story on ABC and ABC iview The Hunt for Valerie – An encore screening of Australian Story’s most popular story from last year.
When Georgia Gardner and Joshua Fishlock lost their beloved dachshund Valerie on South Australia’s Kangaroo Island in late 2023, locals didn’t think the pooch wouldsurvive more than a few days.
“I remember standing there and there were three eagles up in the skyand I said to them, ‘I don’t know that your dog would have made it past them,’”
– recalls local wildlife rescuer Jared Karran.
The close island community did what they could to help find Valerie but eventually Georgia and Joshua had to return home empty-handed.
Then, almost 500 days after her disappearance, Valerie was spotted bolting through a paddock. The news spread like wildfire, sparking media interest around the world.
“We didn’t expect phone calls from the New York Times,”
– says Joshua,
“and we had to keep reminding ourselves that she hadn’t been caught yet.”
Dog Gone is a remarkable, heartwarming tale of survival, retracing Valerie’s journey into the wild and back again and speaking with those who helped search for her and bring her home.
“It’s incredible how many hearts Valerie’s story has touched and the impact that she has made,”
– says Georgia.
Australian Story on ABC and ABC iview – Monday 27 April, 2026 at 8.00pm
Media Release – ABC
TV Central ABC content HERE
Australian Story on ABC and ABC iview The Hunt for Valerie
