February 2009
Bushfire update - the workof the Veterinary Emergency Taskforce The Veterinary Emergency Taskforce has been set up by AVA to help coordinate the veterinary response to the Victorian bushfires. It's based in the AVA Victorian Division Office and can be contacted on 1300 299 381. The taskforce is led by AVA past president, Norm Blackman, who has joined a large number of vets and vet nurses volunteering their time to support the relief effort. In just over a week since it was established, the taskforce has finished collating information about needs and the resources available to meet them. The information is constantly being updated. ·         Over 200 vets and vet nurses have volunteered to work in areas affected by the fires. ·         Volunteers are being screened to ensure that only vets and vet nurses with the right skills are being sent into the field. ·         More than 15 volunteer vets and 30 vet nurses have been linked with practices and triage centres. ·         The taskforce is also coordinating communication between the various individuals, practices and groups responding to the crisis. Volunteers will be needed for several months The availability of volunteers is expected to drop significantly in coming weeks. We believe the need for veterinary work and nursing, particularly for wildlife, will continue to grow over the next six weeks. If you are available to help and have not already listed as a volunteer, call the taskforce on 1300 299 381 so that we know you are available and when. Tell us what you need If you're taking care of animals affected by the bushfires, contact the taskforce for the help you need on 1300 299 381. We'll use our information and networks to get what (or who) you need. You can donate to the taskforce's work If you can't help by volunteering, a donation to the AVA's Veterinary Emergency Crisis Trust will help us pay for supplies freight and administrative help to keep track of information, volunteers and phone calls. Complete the donation formand fax it to the AVA on 02 9437 9068 or call Member Services on 1300 137 309 to donate by credit card over the phone.
The Australian Veterinary Association Unit 40, 6 Herbert Street St Leonards NSW 2065 Phone: 1300 137 309 Fax: 02 9437 9068 Email: members@ava.com.au Web: www.ava.com.au

Bushfire update

4 March 2009

The Veterinary Emergency Taskforce has been set up by AVA to help coordinate the veterinary response to the Victorian bushfires. Several fires have continued to burn in bushland that is difficult for the fire services to get into. We expect new cases of injured burnt wildlife to continue to come in for veterinary attention for weeks to come.

While the total number of animals injured or killed in the fires is unclear we do know that over 10,000 livestock have perished or were euthanased following the fires. Several hundred horses perished and hundreds of others have received veterinary attention after surviving the fires.

We have little information on numbers of pets affected but with over 7000 people displaced because their homes were destroyed or no longer habitable we believe several thousand pets have required veterinary attention. Many of these pets are requiring ongoing treatment due to severe burns.

On the wildlife front several hundred animals are now in care with well over 1000 euthanased as their injuries were too severe for them to recover and survive after being released. It’s believed over a million wildlife (including smaller animals and reptiles) have perished.

The taskforce has now been in touch with over 90 veterinary practices in and around the fire-affected areas. If your practice is experiencing extra work due to the fires and we haven’t been in touch already, contact us on 1300 299 381 to let us know how we can help.

Volunteers
We have been kept very busy arranging volunteers to help practices do pro-bono work for companion animals and wildlife, and working in the various triage centres in the affected areas. Thank you to all those who have already offered to help. We expect to call on the services of many of our volunteers over the next few months as the pro-bono work for horses, pets and wildlife affected by the bushfires continues.

Call the taskforce on 1300 299 381 if you’d like to volunteer.

Locums needed
Many veterinarians in practices affected by the fires are getting to a point where they really need a break. They have put in long hours in physically, emotionally and financially stressful conditions.

We urgently need locums, particularly with mixed practice experience, to work in these practices so that these vets can get some well deserved relief.

Kookaburra Vets and Vetlink will advertise free of charge for practices directly affected by the fires, and will waive placement fees for locums placed at affected practices for the next two months.

To place ads or to offer your locum services contact:

Kookaburra Vets on 02 6769 0344 or jobs@kookaburravets.com
Vetlink on 1800 991 991 or angie@vetlink.com.au

Bushfire update

11 March 2009

Many vets in and around fire-affected areas are the sympathetic ear for their community members to talk about their traumatic experiences, particularly those related to their pets and other animals. While this increases pressure on the vets, they are performing a vital function in their communities. The Veterinary Emergency Taskforce is using its resources to provide personal support to veterinarians who continue to work incredibly hard to help animals and owners alike. In many cases, the local vets are working with their clients in the waiting rooms and consultation rooms while our volunteer vets and vet nurses are helping to treat new cases and provide ongoing care for cases requiring further veterinary attention behind the scenes at veterinary practices in or adjacent to the bushfire areas.

There are now well over 300 volunteers on the taskforce register. Around half are veterinarians and half are veterinary nurses. Over $18,000 has been received in donations to support the practices providing ongoing care for the animals affected by the fires.

A small warehousing operation has been established to store and despatch donated veterinary supplies and animal feed. Relationships with veterinary supply distributors have been established which are helping meet urgent needs where insufficient quantities of goods have been donated. Volunteers are helping with inventory control and despatch.

There has been an increased need to manage injured wildlife, particularly kangaroos and wallabies in the field through darting and euthanasia where required. There are four remaining triage centres where rescued wildlife are being assessed and treated or euthanased if required. Wildlife Victoria is coordinating the main rescue activities and the taskforce is keeping in close contact to provide any help that’s needed.

Triage kits suitable for wildlife, pets and horses are being assembled and distributed by the taskforce to triage centres. These incorporate strict controls for any S4 drugs included in the kits so that they are kept under veterinary control.

The taskforce is also preparing and distributing fact sheets and other technical information relating to treating animals affected by fire.

Bushfire update – 18 March 2009

The response of the AVA and the veterinary practitioners we represent to the bushfire emergency in Victoria is not going to be a short term thing. At this stage most emergency treatment for pets and livestock has been completed. There are many pets that will require long term ongoing treatment for burns and other injuries. Wildlife assessment and treatment, on the other hand, is still in the emergency mode with many new cases coming in on a daily basis as access to the affected areas and wildlife rescuers carry out the massive task of combing through the affected areas looking for injured animals.

As we move from the response to recovery mode there will be a shift in the activities of the taskforce away from treatment of animals at the local level. We will increasingly work with government and other agencies to review the response arrangements and identify the lessons learned. Plans will be made to streamline operational arrangements so they are more effective for future emergency responses.

Despite the emotional and financial hardships experienced by veterinary practices and their staff in and around fire-affected areas, these professionals continue to play a vital role within their communities as the communities themselves slowly recover. As a profession we can be extremely proud of our colleagues who have been so vital to the care of both animals and people throughout the crisis.

The Veterinary Emergency Taskforce is using its resources to provide personal support to veterinarians and veterinary practices who continue to work incredibly hard to help animals and owners alike. To assist with the personal and emotional stress our veterinarians and veterinary nurses are enduring, the AVA has made arrangements for a counselling service to be available to affected practices. It will involve group sessions for staff, and affected practices will be sent details shortly about how they can take up the offer.

Well over $20,000 has been received in donations to support the practices providing ongoing care for the animals affected by the fires and for any future emergencies. A recent donation of $4,000 was received from the organising committee for the Annual AVA Sailing Day on Sydney Harbour.