Dog found using owner's t-shirt after 529 days - in Australian wilderness

A dog 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.

He was last seen by his owners on a camping trip in November 2023, reports the Telegraph.

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, he was gone.

So Valerie's 529 days in the wild – surviving the intense heat and avoiding venomous snakes – ended in part by using Ms. Gardner's T-shirt to create a "scent trail" to a trap.

"After weeks of tireless efforts […] Valerie has been rescued safe and sound and is in good shape," Kangala said in a post on social media.

The charity said volunteers spent more than 1,000 hours searching for Valerie, covering more than 5,000km (3,109 miles).