“How to Help” – Animal Edition – Australian Bushfires 2009

Bushfire victim Sam the koala's burns are treated by Colleen Wood at a shelter in Rawson. Picture: Rebecca Michael

As an adjunct to Bingbing’s “How You Can Help” resource page for those wishing to support the victims of the recent Victorian Bushfires here in Australia, and because the now-famous photos and videos of Sam the Koala who was rescued from the bushfire by CFA volunteer David Tree have also brought out people wishing to know how to assist the animal victims of the bushfires, I am passing on this facebook/email message I received from our friend and contributor  Gramfan:

Saving Pets and Wildlife Injured by Bushfires

Event Info

Host: Tanya Lumley
Type: Causes – Fundraiser
Network: Global

Time and Place
Start Time: Monday, February 9, 2009 at 11:00pm
End Time: Saturday, February 28, 2009 at 2:00am
Location:
Contact Info
Phone: 0406165335
Email: bushfire2009@gmail.com

Description:
The recent devastating bushfires have injured so many Animals, and the existing clinics close to the fires are working overtime to save them.

Some animals were saved by their owners, though sustained a burn or injury, some were left behind by their families as they fled, others belong to families that have perished.

Pets are being bought into the clinics faster than they can be seen, and supplies are running extremely low.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

1- See your local veterinarian and plead for donations of medical supplies. Particularly-

• Fluids
• Antibiotics
• Anti-Inflamatories
• Silvazine
• Bandages

2- See your local pet store/vet/supermarket and purchase or plead them to supply you with-

• Cages
• Leads
• Collars and tags
• Cat food
• Dog food
• Kitty Litter
• Bird seed – wild and caged
• Chook pellets

3- Invite as many people as you can to this event.  Cut and paste this text and email it to everyone you know.

4- Email bushfire2009@gmail.com or phone 0406 165 335 and advise of your astounding work, and what you can supply.

Otherwise just drop them in to the ever wonderful Richmond Veterinary Clinic who have offered to be our drop off point for all animal products.

you can find them at:

259 Church Street
Richmond, VIC 3121
(just a little way from the Bridge Rd/Church St intersection)
Parking is available at the rear of clinic

Please mark all donations clearly with contents.

FOR THOSE NOT IN VICTORIA, OR WHO WISH TO MAKE CASH DONATIONS:
I am reluctant to take cash from anyone, since I am not a registered charity, but the following links provide information on the best place to donate to in order to help the bushfire animals.

Wildlife Victoria – http://www.wildlifevictoria.org.au/
RSPCA Victoria – http://www.rspcavic.org/

or directly to the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal: http://www.redcross.org.au/default.asp

5- Go home and hug your own pets, and be grateful that you have them.

Everybody loves their pets, and would hate for them to suffer burns and injuries. Hopefully, with your help, all animals will recover and find good homes.

You are doing a wonderful, wonderful thing.

xx

Editor’s note:  Just a standard caveat, this is a forwarded message,and I can’t personally vouch directly at the moment for the organiser of this event or for the email address or phone numbers given.

What I absolutely do know at the moment though is that Wildlife Victoria and the RSPCA in Victoria do great work all year round, and are doing stellar work with both the injured wildlife and the injured/abandoned/orphaned pets from the bushfire regions at the moment.  And of course there’s the official Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal 2009.

Thank you for reading this and passing it on.

UPDATE: G’day to our friends visiting from the LA Times and Eye On The World

UPDATE #2: The Southern Ash Wildlife Shelter, which is looking after our now-famous Sam the Koala, has set up a special “Sam the Koala” website featuring updates and new pictures and hopes to raise funds for the care of Sam and the other koalas that were burnt on 7 February, 2009.  http://www.samthekoala.com.au/

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