Impacts of the flood crisis on the veterinary industry

Veterinarians often have to get up in the middle of the night to attend emergency calls – but not many have patients that arrive by canoe. Due to the flood crisis this was the situation in which veterinarian Dr Paula Williams, of WestVETS Animal Hospital Anstead, found herself early one Sunday morning. 

And it’s not just dogs being transported in boats, but animals of the equine variety, too.

These are just a couple of the extraordinary stories the AVA has been hearing about the adaptability and resourcefulness of veterinarians from flood-affected areas. Across these regions vets and vet professionals are banding together to help affected colleagues, as well as going above and beyond for pets and their owners. Some have even travelled by helicopter to ensure their patients continue receiving veterinary care.

We’ve seen veterinarians helping animals through fundraisers, such as this one and this one. Others are helping by getting out on the ground.

All across the country, veterinarians have found help from colleagues and their communities.

Of course, the news is not all good. The floods have had a devastating effect on a number of local veterinary clinics, many of which have suffered untold damage to their buildings and equipment. The structural integrity of many of these buildings is severely compromised from extended submersion under water. And despite massive financial losses and continuously accumulating bills, many vets in the region are currently not charging for their services in order to help out their communities.

Some veterinary clinics were able to cram all their supplies into mobile vans to escape to higher ground, while others report waters rose so fast they did not have time to save equipment before the flood waters caught up.

A key concern for local veterinarians is to get back up and running as soon as possible, as the needs of the community are so great. But for this disaster to occur on the tail end of two extremely stressful years — the global pandemic and industry-wide staff shortages causing severe negative effects on vets’ mental wellbeing — some don’t feel they can go on after such a trauma.

The AVA has been supporting veterinarians, proactively reaching out to members in affected areas. AVA’s National Manager of Member Services Karen Lee says, “The scale of this disaster feels overwhelming, it’s hard to know where to start but we’re doing our best to get to all our members”. The AVA has been in touch with Lismore Central Veterinary Hospital, Gympie Veterinary Services, Pet Doctors Palm Beach, Lismore Vet Clinic, Greencross Lismore, Mulgoa Veterinary Clinic, Keen Street Veterinary Clinic, Northern Rivers Veterinary Services, and Equine Veterinary & Dental Services Pty. Ltd, among others. 

We continue to offer support to veterinarians affected by the flood crisis, many of which have been working hard to continue providing veterinary care via mobile services, telehealth consultations, and getting their buildings cleaned up and operational as quickly as possible. In a disaster of this magnitude, getting through the volume of phone calls and requests for help will take some time, but the AVA is committed to helping all members.

One service that can be accessed by all veterinarians is the AVA Veterinary Benevolent Fund (VBF), which was established over thirty years ago to help members in need. Those in need of VBF assistance can reach out to the Member Services Team (details below). Those who wish to offer financial support can find more information here. 

General support can also be found by calling the Member Services Helpline on 1300 137 309 (8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday Eastern time).

Or, to speak to a qualified counsellor, call 1300 687 327 (available 24/7).

The AVA’s thoughts are with anyone affected by the flood crisis. Additional resources and information can be found on our crisis resources page.