AMRRIC - Animal Management in Rural & Remote Indigenous Communities

Following significant rainfall across the Shire of Wyndham–East Kimberley, a call out for veterinary assistance saw the team having to manage the trip travel by air, creating an awe-inspiring opportunity to view the beautiful Kimberley coastline from above.

The team commenced their visit with the Kandiwal Community, undertaking a comprehensive surgical program.

They were kept very busy, with invaluable assistance provided by Sarah, Ewan, and the students of Kandiwal community school. Their enthusiasm and commitment played an important role in supporting the success of the program.

The team then travelled to Kalumburu, where they conducted door-to-door visits to engage with residents on animal health.
During these visits, anti-parasitic treatments and injectable contraceptives were administered to dogs, helping to improve overall animal wellbeing and assist with management of the dog population.

This work was supported by Karen from Kalumburu Aboriginal Corporation, whose contribution was greatly appreciated.

We extend our sincere thanks to Kandiwal Community School for their support in making this initiative possible.

We look forward to visiting again. 🐾

Recently, the team at AMRRIC travelled to the Shire of Derby/West Kimberley to deliver a veterinary program in partnership with Nindilingarri Cultural Health Services (NCHS) 🩺🐾

Working alongside the wonderful NCHS team 💛 veterinary and animal health services were delivered across communities throughout the Fitzroy Valley, including outreach clinics in Wangkatjungka and Yiyili, where temporary hospitals were set up to support local families and their pets.

Programs like these are important in helping improve access to veterinary care for community members who may otherwise face challenges accessing services. Across the program, the team completed an incredible 109 surgeries, supporting families to desex their pets and helping reduce stress for both animals and people within the home 🐶🐱🏠.

A huge thank you to the NCHS staff 🙏 for all of their hard work before and during the program, and for providing the clinic venues and on-ground support that helped make the program such a success.

We were also incredibly fortunate to be joined by a very capable and hard-working volunteer veterinary nurse, whose contribution was integral to the smooth running and success of the program.

Thank you to the communities for welcoming us. We look forward to visiting again — and seeing all the very cute pets in the future! 🐕🐈✨

Also, if you haven’t had a chance to check it out yet, you can watch our Dog Mob Cat Crew collaborative music video created in 2024 with the talented students from Yiyili community, alongside Grandtrine Creative, sharing community-led messaging of responsible ownership and the value in their relationships with their pets ❤️🐶🐱🎶 Watch the video here: https://vimeo.com/amrric/yiyilidmcc?share=copy&fl=cl&fe=ci

May is National Pet Month in Australia! 🐾

Although we are almost at the end of it, this month-long celebration is about raising awareness of the joys and responsibilities of pet ownership, and recognising the positive role animals play in our lives. It’s a time to honour the strong bonds between people and their pets, and to promote caring for animals in ways that keep them healthy and thriving.

In remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, 'Healthy Animals, Healthy Proud Communities' is at the heart of everything we do. When pets are healthy and cared for, they support not only individual well-being, but also the strength and health of the whole community. At AMRRIC we are very proud to be a part of the celebration of pets and people living together in our remote communities.

This National Pet Month, we celebrate pets, culture and community, and the powerful connection between them. ❤️🐾