STRAY ANIMAL CARE in AUSTRALIA
FOUR PAWS supports veterinary services in remote outback communities
FOUR PAWS Stray Animal Care programs help thousands of animals all over the world, using Catch-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (CNVR) programs to successfully reduce homeless animal populations and creating stable, healthy animal communities. In just one location, a FOUR PAWS team can neuter vaccinate and provide veterinary care to hundreds of animals within just one week. For the animals, this means they receive treatment for disease and injuries, allowing them to lead happy and healthy lives.
In Australia, FOUR PAWS has completed two successful stray animal care projects with Animal Management in Rural and Remote Indigenous Communities (AMRRIC) in Indigenous communities – Papunya and Kintore. These projects provide veterinary care to rural community animals who may never have the opportunity to receive medical care otherwise.
- A veterinary treatment program providing surgical neutering and parasite control for local animals
- Community education on the importance of animal welfare
- Companion animal census to provide baseline data on the size, condition and reproductive status of the companion animal population in a local area
These programs aim to help break the breeding cycle and improve the welfare of local animals. They are a central component of the global FOUR PAWS approach to improve the lives of community animals all over the world through our Animal Care programs.
The story of Blackie - an Aussie outback dog
Skinny and dehydrated, Blackie showed up at the FOUR PAWS vet clinic in Kintore, Northern Territory. Standing in the scorching desert sun, he was in obvious need of help.
Our team took him inside and gave him much-needed food, water, and a cool place to rest. Blackie’s beautiful eyes and gentle nature stole the hearts of our team, and he didn’t leave their side for five days.
Dogs like Blackie roam free in Australia’s remote indigenous communities, which can lead to welfare problems such as skin diseases, parasites, injuries from dog fights and too many puppies being born.
The FOUR PAWS vet clinics with AMRRIC deliver much needed vaccinations, vet treatment and neutering to improve the health of the dogs and manage their population. In Kintore, we treated 118 dogs like Blackie in just five days!
On the last day of the Kintore clinic, our team heard a boy calling Blackie’s name. They were so happy to know that he has a home and a family. Dogs like Blackie are why we do what we do.
Building animal welfare education
FOUR PAWS funded 50 Education Resource Kits (ERKs), which AMRRIC uses to teach children in remote Indigenous communities the best way to take care of their dogs and ensure their health and welfare. The ERKs are designed to assist community outreach workers and classroom teachers to provide a fun way to teach dog health education. The kits provide the basic resources to deliver lessons and organise community activities focused on subjects such as teaching children the importance of veterinary care, understanding dog needs and health requirements and safe behaviour around dogs.