The sick, injured and lost animals that survived the devastating Lockyer Valley flood found refuge at a temporary Noah’s Ark - The University of Queensland’s (UQ) Veterinary Medical Centre at the Gatton campus.
A dedicated veterinary team fed, washed, provided medical treatment and comfort to 35 dogs, 20 birds, 10 cats, seven horses, 2 rats, 2 quails, 5 guinea pigs and 2 Siamese fighting fish during the past week and is still receiving animals.
The UQ School of Veterinary Science relocated to the Gatton campus last year, and its new Veterinary Medical Centre was well placed for providing assistance to the devastated Lockyer Valley.
Senior veterinarian at the UQ Small Animal Hospital, Adjunct Professor Bob Doneley, the only small animal vet left on the Gatton campus on Monday night when the flood hit, offered the Lockyer Valley Council the services of the hospital to provide shelter and medical care to animals on Tuesday due to the electricity and water supply at the council’s pound being unreliable.
“The council’s animal management officers did an amazing job searching houses and buildings for animals that had survived the flood,” Dr Doneley said.
“In some cases they had to rescue animals from houses that had completely collapsed.”
They came one by one - dogs covered in mud, cats terrified from their ordeal and horses that had worn down their hooves swimming for up to 30 hours to stay afloat.
Specialist equine veterinarian, Dr Andrew Van Eps, said seven horses were brought in for medical treatment for injuries sustained in the floods and his staff members were heading out to farms to treat more horses.
“We have horses in various states of health. Quite a few horses have contracted pneumonia after breathing in flood water while swimming to stay alive,” Dr Van Eps said.
“There is a horse here that was housed in a stable when the flood arrived and had to tread water for about a day to survive.
“We are also are caring for a miniature horse foal that is only a few days old and was orphaned by the floods.”
With an influx of animals to the hospital, a call went out for people to donate food for the animals.
Dr Doneley said the PETstock shop in Toowoomba donated almost five tonnes of food and flea products, and another five tonnes came from public donations all over the Lockyer Valley. The Forest Hill butcher donated a large bag of bones to keep the dogs occupied during their enforced cage rest.
“We also had up to 20 people from Gatton and surrounding small towns volunteer to help care for the animals. We ran two-shifts each day with volunteers helping feed animals, walk dogs and clean out their housing,” Dr Doneley said.
“We were also able to donate some of the food to the evacuation centres where people were staying with their pets.”
Veterinary Wholesaler, Provet , supplied the UQ Veterinary Medical Centre with some free medications and vaccines for the Lockyer Valley animals rescued from the floods.
“Donations allowed us to vaccinate, microchip and provide a lead and collar to all lost animals and Provet is still continuing to assist with some necessary medications for these animals in our care,” Practice Manager Dr Anne Covill said.
The team that worked with Dr Doneley at the Small Animal Hospital included the hospital’s Margaret Day, Frances Purnell-Webb and Shae Tucker; and vet school students Carley Simonetta, Julia Dowsett and Genevieve Paine.
At the equine hospital the team included Dr Andrew Van Eps, Dr Susan Keane, Dr Philippe Manchon, Dr Steve Zedler, Dr Claire Underwood, Rebecca Johnson, Kylie Semple, Kate Hertrick,Trent Dawson, David Manchon and Natasha Curlew.
Some of the animals have been reunited with their owners, but the Small Animal Hospital continues to receive animals that are found. The hospital currently has 25 dogs, 25 birds, eight cats and 1 turtle in residence and is seeking people who can provide foster-care for the animals until they are reunited with their owners.
Anyone interested in fostering a pet can contact UQ’s Small Animal Hospital at Gatton on 07 5460 1788.
Photos of staff caring for the rescued animals from the UQ Veterinary Medical Centre at the Gatton campus can be viewed at http://www.flickr.com/photos/uqnews/sets/72157625841083366/
View the Sydney Morning Herald story on the UQ Veterinary Medical Centre here.
Media: Kathy Grube (0418 524 297), Jan King (0413 601 248) or Fiona Cameron (0417 624 869).
