Around the Bluhmin’ Town

By

Judy Bluhm

Oh Valerie, you are one lucky “wiener dog.” The world let out a collective sigh of relief when you were found, safe and healthy! The missing miniature dachshund in Australia, where the folks Down Under call them “sausage dogs,” was running hither and yon in the bush for a whopping 532 days before a team of rescuers caught the little rascal.

In Australia, Valerie became a sensation. Then she became a national obsession. Her owners were camping on Kangaroo Island, a remote and sparsely populated island in southern Australia, when Valerie got out of her kennel and ran into the bush. Yes, that same bush where horror stories are made, with snakes, kangas, crocodiles and spiders (as big as small dogs). You get the picture. It is not a safe place to be on an isolated island for a little doggy that usually sleeps in a cushy bed every night and gets lots of treats and pampering.

When Valerie’s owners reluctantly had to leave the island to return home, they kept posting photos of her on local Facebook groups, and the exact location of her disappearance. Valerie was chipped. They tried to hold onto hope, but a small ten-pound doggy in the wild didn’t have good odds of being found alive.

Imagine everyone’s shock when a farmer posted a photo after a year since Valerie went missing, of the small doggy running through his fields. The photo made its way to the Kangala Wild Life Rescue and the owners were notified. The hunt was on!

It took hundreds of hours and dozens of volunteers to set up a trap that contained food, a few of the dog’s toys and pieces of her owner’s clothing to entice Valerie into the “den.” A large pen, with a plate of fresh roast chicken and cameras showed Valerie was “hanging around.” But so were other animals. Even a kangaroo put his big head into the enclosure to try and snag a meal. The people of Australia became fixated on rescuing Valerie. Prayer circles, teams of volunteers, donations, television news shows highlighted the search for this mini dachshund.

I recall my neighbor in Skull Valley, had a favorite riding horse named Duke, who “wandered off” one day through a break in the fencing. Duke was gone for two months. There were numerous groups of riders looking for him with dogs trying to track his scent. All the local ranches checked to see if a “strange” quarter horse had joined their livestock. Barns were searched. Probably thousands of acres were ridden by worried neighbors, calling for Duke. Prayers were offered.

One day, Duke was seen trotting on Old Skull Valley Road, following an old cattle dog. Duke was “escorted” right up his owner’s driveway. No one is sure how Duke survived, or where he had been. Some mysteries are never solved.

Back to Valerie, one of the workers at the wildlife rescue, was asked why so much effort was expended to save one dog? He replied, “It is the best of humanity when we care and try to help every living creature.” So true. The efforts of others can give us a new leash on life.

Judy Bluhm is a writer and a local realtor. Contact Judy at [email protected] or visit www.aroundthebluhmintown.com