PRESS RELEASE: East Gippsland Bushfire Animal Rescuers supported through Corona
Bairnsdale, East Gippsland. For immediate release.
A team of local rescuers has continued to supply food and support to locals through the Corona period.
East Gippsland was smashed in the January fires, and in the midst of the destruction a team of local volunteers took up the cause of keeping Animal Rescuers supported so they could focus on saving lives. This work has continued, with the team now part of the national Animal Rescue Cooperative working with Corona support.
ARC East Gippsland now has one of its largest bases in Stratford getting food out to where it’s needed. Pictured is a large drop off for rescuer Forever Friends Latrobe, located in Traralgon. The team were so thankful and appreciative today of the food delivery. Food has been generously donated by the Petbarn Foundation and national ARC donors.
Says local ARC leader, Joey Smith “Covid has caused havoc among our rescues and carers and general public. It’s been very difficult these last few months and these supplies and support are going to where they are needed the most.”
The program doesnt just end with food. ARC is the largest Craft and Possum Box producer in the country, with over 200 thousand volunteers making supplies for rescuers. During the week several Wild life Shelters from Stratford visited the ARC East Gippsland team gathering Ring Tail and Sugar Glider Possum boxes as well as supportive crafts to begin the possum box program here in East Gippsland.
Corona Food Support for Pets
In partnership with Petbarn, ARC has also deployed a national program to nominate pet owners who need food. The Act of Kindness program means you can refer friends or people in need who could be helped with food support due to Corona displacement.
The program has shipped many parcels so far across the country.
For the general public, this is designed to assist you in keeping your pets and helping with managing food in this trying time. This is designed to give you a months supply for your animals and has set limits, and is for general public only.
“The support of WIRES and ARC has been intrumental in keeping animals and rescue groups going through the Bushfires and now Winter, COVID period. To ease another’s heartache is to forget one’s own”
For further information
– Joey Smith East Gippsland [email protected] 0437057310
– DErek Knox [email protected]
The Animal Rescue Collective (ARC) is a national volunteer group that rescues and supports rescuers nationwide. During the Summer Bushfires, ARC donors spent over $3m to supply food, rescue equipment, water and emergency supplies to Animal Rescuers everywhere. This equated to 94% of all its donations. The national organisation is a peak body for rescuers
You can see ARC’s activities here www.arcsupport.org.au
The ARC team came together from groups of specialist Animal Rescuers, professionals, volunteers and wildlife workers, all with the same goals. To build a national capacity for supporting the broad rescue ecosystem. The ARC work in conjunction with peak bodies, major rescue organisations, thousands of individual rescuers and the care sector to respond with scale and help animals in need.
