A seven-day veterinary care programme has been launched to provide medical treatment, including rabies vaccinations, for animals housed in safety centres with families displaced by recent adverse weather.
The initiative, led by the Animal Welfare Coalition (AWC), is being carried out under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, with support from newly established animal welfare committees, AWC Executive Committee Member Dr. Chamith Nanayakkara told the Daily Mirror.
Funded by Vets for Future, Baw Baw Animal Welfare, and Help a Dog, the programme deploys mobile veterinary teams to disaster-affected communities and temporary shelters to identify and treat animals in need.
According to Dr. Nanayakkara, around 30% of the animals receiving treatment—mainly dogs and cats—are those brought into the centres by displaced families.
He said the initiative aims to safeguard the wellbeing of affected animals and prevent the spread of diseases, particularly rabies, during the ongoing recovery period.
