Bushfire Medical Help for Animals
As catastrophic bushfires continue to blaze around NSW & Queensland, tens of thousands of pets, wildlife and farm animals are being caught up the devastating crisis. While so many of our beautiful animals have already been killed or injured and the rest continue to fight desperately against the heat, our veterinary and emergency services are struggling to keep up with the demand.
Please help Hana Cherry, and myself to raise at least $50,000 for financial support, supplies and direct assistance to affected animals across the country. As senior ECC/Surgical trained Veterinary Nurses, we know the power of the community when it comes to helping pets and Australian wildlife. We ask you to pledge whatever you can to help our animals, no matter how large or small
We will also be holding a state-wide drive for medical supply donations and volunteer our nursing skills where possible. Please contact us directly if you are a vet clinic or medical supplier that can offer us your support.
** We are no longer accepting medical supply donations, thank you <3**
UPDATE:
Four days of walking through dense smoke and burnt out paddocks, driving to and from towns purely trying to locate suffering animals, gave us a pretty up close and confronting reality of the current bushfire aftermath.
Whilst working with relief workers, wildlife carers and veterinarians, we discovered the need to help with in patients and wildlife has somewhat diminished. Yes, funding will be required for some time but many places highlighted in the media have been inundated and are no longer taking donations (amazing).
On our first day were informed by a Kempsey local that there were tiny towns close by that are full of domestic and land animals that are burnt, injured, starving and suffering.
Thats exactly why we were there, so we went directly to a stock supply store, filled our landcruiser to the brim with supplies and headed north. It really didn’t take long to find major devastation.
On arrival into Willawarrin we were warmly welcomed by the locals who were generous in sharing their harrowing experiences and current struggles. The devastation is overwhelming.
We walked through paddocks scattered with deceased cows as far as the eye could see, most with their calves sitting right next to them, some injured and still trying to suckle. We saw tall trees burnt right to the top, yards and paddocks that were already struggling to produce feed completely burnt out and black with horses and foals trying to find that last blade of grass. Water is scarce.
The most heartbreaking thought is that we didn’t even scrape the surface. We visited Taree, Kempsey, Willawarrin, Toorooka and Bellbrook. These bushfires are still active and have crossed 4 states so far and there is tiny country town after tiny country town just screaming out for help.
We promised these small town locals that we would be their voice, and we really hope we are. The need for media attention to highlight the devastation is imperative. These animals are starving, they are thirsty, they are injured and they are destitute.
They have been forgotten.
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We want to thank everyone that helped us achieve as much as we did this week, we quite literally couldn't have done it without you:
- Glenis at the Crescent Motel for sponsoring our stay in Taree
- Gordon at the Willawarrin Hotel for shouting us a well deserved Great Northern at the end of each day
- Rod and the guys at Dee-Amber Rural for all the supplies
- CraigandBec Goode for trusting us with their Landcruiser
- Emma Prideaux, CraigandBec Goode and the rest of the team at Port Phillip Animal Hospital for allowing us to go and for picking up the slack while we were away
- Bec at Quad Bike King for offering to donate us two tanks of fuel
- Ron at Port Stephens Koalas for showing us the amazing work he's doing with the koala burn patients
- All the amazing vets and vet clinics in Melbourne who donated over $10,000 worth of veterinary medical supplies
- Everyone who has contributed to our GoFundMe so far
- Rachel, Derek and the support teams at Animal Rescue Freecycle and Support and The Rescue Collective who supported our on ground efforts in so many ways
- Wingham and Valley Vets for accepting half of our donated medical supplies and treating burns victims free of charge
- Kempsey Veterinary Clinic for accepting the other half of our donated medical supplies and treating burns victims free of charge
- Medical Pantry for their huge supply donation
- The locals of Willawarrin for their warm welcomes, sharing their stories and pointing us in the direction of people in need
- Every single person involved in helping in any way, shape or form during the bushfires
