Australian floods: what you can do and how you can help

The floods have had a devastating impact on many members of the veterinary industry, with innumerable losses of stock and supplies and massive damage to affected clinics.

The AVA recognises that those impacted by the flood crisis are busy ‘on the ground’, putting in a huge amount of work to provide continuous veterinary care, peer support, as well as coordinating clean up efforts and fundraising appeals.

The AVA has been proactively contacting members who work and live in flood-affected zones. With such overwhelming demand these things take time, but the AVA is committed to helping all its members.

Here is a short list of how to seek help if you’re in an area impacted by floods:

• Get in touch with us by contacting the Member Services Helpline on 1300 137 309 (8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday Eastern time).
• Apply for the AVA Veterinary Benevolent Fund (we are responding quickly to enquiries, with benefits issued within a day). If you have trouble filling in the forms, please contact the AVA and we can help.
• Make sure you keep records of what has been lost or damaged – not only is this crucial for insurance matters, it also helps us keep track of the scale of losses industry-wide.
• We would also encourage members to keep track of any services and treatments they have provided pro bono (both time and resources).

If you reside outside affected areas and wish to help those in need, here is how you can help:

• Donate to the AVA Veterinary Benevolent Fund: more information on how to donate can be found here
• Get in touch with Vets Beyond Borders AVERT for opportunities to volunteer
• Keep an eye on communications and updates from the AVA on our website