The MacDonnell Ranges, lying just outside of Alice Springs and stretching all the way to just 10 kilometres shy of the WA border, are home to many remote Indigenous communities. MacDonnell Regional Council deliver services to many of these communities, including companion animal management services.
Students at Imanpa school learning about responsible pet ownership, May 2023
A long-time collaborator and supporter of AMRRIC’s work, MacDonnell Regional Council contracted AMRRIC’s education program, Dog Mob Cat Crew, to deliver an animal-education program to all the schools across the 13 communities they service. This program was to work in complement of the veterinary services program and form a significant part of the council’s holistic and multi-pronged approach to companion animal management for the region.
The education program for the region was a resounding success. Thanks to the council’s support alongside multiple grants and initiatives, AMRRIC have been able to visit each community two to four times over the past two years, delivering education around the links between humans, animals, and the environment; and how responsible pet ownership is key towards improving health outcomes for people, pets, and communities alike.
The ability to visit each community multiple times over the past couple of years also served as a great way to monitor the level of understanding of responsible pet ownership principles amongst students over a long period of time. It was wonderful to see students improve their level of understanding of these principles not only during the individual sessions themselves, but also cumulatively across the two years in which the programs were delivered. It serves as a true testament of the value of education as part of a strategic animal management plan, as well as the work of the students and schools and of the council’s ongoing commitment to companion animal management.
AMRRIC are grateful to the communities that welcomed the program into their school and look forward to continued collaboration with the schools, communities, and council; helping towards improved health outcomes for people, animals, and communities.
