Introducing Elvis, formerly a stray dog wandering the streets of Halls Creek, a remote Kimberley town bordering the Great Sandy Desert.
However, he found his forever home when a family in Perth adopted him. The challenge? Covering nearly 3,000 kilometers to reach his new residence.
When Rachel met Elvis
Rachel Dancey, a social worker in Halls Creek, recalled, “I was working on a Saturday and Elvis just rocked up to my office. He was really friendly but looked like he hadn’t had a feed in a while.”
After verifying with local rangers that Elvis did not have a registered owner, Rachel decided to take him in and bestowed upon him a name.
“He was so well behaved, he’s like a little legend, hence the name Elvis because he’s a bit of a rockstar,” she said.
Due to the high number of stray dogs in the Kimberley region, Rachel faced difficulties finding a local home for Elvis. However, she was aware of a family in Perth who eagerly wanted to adopt him.
“[But] we just couldn’t afford the cost of transporting him all that way,” she said.
Upon learning about Rachel’s situation, the Kimberley Vet Centre stepped in to assist. They took the initiative to post about Elvis on Facebook, seeking help and support.
Tayla Portas, an employee at the Kimberley Vet Centre in Kununurra, was amazed by the tremendous response generated through social media.
Messages flooded in, with truck drivers, travelers, and locals reaching out, eager to lend a hand and offer assistance.
Police get involved, in the best way
During his free time, Ryan, a pilot with the WA Police, was browsing through social media when he stumbled upon Elvis’s Facebook post.
Ryan soon realized that one of their aircraft was already in the vicinity, prompting him to contact the pilot to inquire if there was space available to bring Elvis down to Perth.
He shared, “We spoke to our commanders to get approvals and then we picked him up.”
Elvis was given a comfortable space inside the police plane for his journey from Kununurra, where he had been staying temporarily. The flight took him from Kununurra to Halls Creek and then to Karratha, where he spent a few days with one of the pilots.
Ryan mentioned, “I think the [pilot’s] whole family fell in love with him.”
Subsequently, another pilot took over and flew Elvis from Karratha to his new forever home in Perth.
“He was the perfect passenger. We transport our police canines around the state quite often, however they’re not as calm in demeanour as Elvis was,’ Ryan remarked.
Elvis touches down
Following weeks of patient waiting and traveling without any complaints, Elvis eventually reached his new home.
The only remaining concern for Elvis could be the change in climate.
“It feels like 5 degrees down there,” Rachel said.
“That’s very different from the Kimberley experience that he’s used to.”
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