The kind of work that AMRRIC does is very dynamic, and can often involve lots of figurative (and literal!) bumps in the road. In April, an AMRRIC vet team was ready to deliver a program in Central Australia, but due to flooding, we had no choice but to reschedule.
Luckily, thanks to awesome collaboration with Roper Gulf Regional Council, our team was redirected on short notice, and were able to provide veterinary services to the communities of Ngukurr and Urapunga.
Veterinarian, Dr Helen and vet nurses Megan and Leesa, worked with Kay, who is the Animal Program Manager from Roper Gulf Regional Council. Together they overcame many interesting challenges during this quick pivot – but the program was a fantastic success!
The vet team
The team provided parasite treatments, responded to veterinary consultations as requested, and offered desexing across the communities of Ngukurr and Urapunga. Community members were very happy to receive access to veterinary services for their much-loved dogs and cats, especially because of the trust with Roper Gulf’s Animal Management Program Manager and vet nurse Kay. Collaboration and trust-building is crucial to AMRRIC’s work, and it’s what helps get great outcomes from our programs.
To deliver the five day program, the team traveled over 1200 km through highways, dirt roads, and river crossings. On arrival, they navigated through last minute staffing changes, and adjusted their service delivery to support the community in their sorry business.
In total, the team administered doses of antiparasitics to 110 dogs and 30 cats through door-to-door engagement, desexed 31 dogs and cats, and provided essential treatment to two animals that needed urgent veterinary support.
Reflecting on the trip, Vet Nurse Megan said it was a highlight to help a family whose dog really needed treatment. It was a tricky surgery, and she was proud of the outcome. “I’m so grateful to our partners, supporters and the community. It was such a great effort by all to treat as many animals as possible on such short notice. Remote communities really need access to veterinary services, and there were a lot of people in Ngukurr and Urapunga who were happy we could provide their dogs and cats with essential healthcare. It was great we could be there to help!”
The roads to Ngukurr and Urapunga
Nurse Megan and Roper Gulf Animal Program Manager Kay hard at work
