Living with Bushfire Animal Health and Welfare Dr Dianne Phillips, Senior Veterinary Officer, SE Region
Planning Response Recovery LIVING WITH BUSHFIRE
Who s who in the zoo? Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (DEDJTR) Agriculture Services and Biosecurity Operations (ASBO) Division Animal Health and Welfare
Animal Health & Welfare Staff Vets and Animal Health Officers Trained in Emergency Response, Animal Welfare assessment, humane destruction of sick or suffering animals, familiar with feed, water and shelter requirements May include by other ASBO staff, who are often dairy or meat and wool extension officers Are members of your local Municipal Emergency Management Planning Committees and Regional Emergency Management Committees
Private Landholder Planning http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/agriculture/emergencies/preparation/planning-for-animalsin-emergencies Plan first for the safety of you and your family. Decide what to do about all your animals including pets, horses and livestock. Options may include taking animals to a safe location or leaving them on the property. Consider requirements for food, water, shelter, health and biosecurity, insurance. Maintain good records, vaccinations and microchip information, keep your Property Identification Code up to date (Ph: 1800 678 779) Other sources of assistance: Local shire CFA VFF Private vets, livestock agents Community groups such as pony clubs, showground associations
Examples of Planning
Response for landowners Respond in time. your trigger points.. your fire plan
Response for Animal Health and Welfare Staff Part of Incident Management team Animal Welfare is considered a priority and teams will be given access as soon as it is safe to do so. Properties visited will be determined by information from fireground, other agencies, local knowledge and mapping
Mapping of fire and properties with PICs
Response Visit As well as dealing with immediate animal welfare needs, staff will complete a loss and damage form and refer any immediate issues of property owners to appropriate agency, e.g. shire for fresh water, Red Cross for food, VFF for fodder, etc The loss and damage forms are collated and will assist in determining specific types and scale of recovery operations.
Assessment of burnt livestock guidelines Require immediate humane destruction Recumbent Severe respiratory distress Burns to more than 30% of body Consider any insurance policy requirements, e.g photos of affected stock
Other options for less severely affected livestock Teats May affect viability of dam to feed current or future offspring Hooves May slough after a few days/a week Pizzle/scrotum May affect future fertility Salvage slaughter or veterinary treatment may be an option
Availability of fences and yards may affect decision Portable yards can be organised
Emergency fodder Will usually be considered for the immediate 2 weeks post fire Is usually coordinated by VFF with assistance from community groups and with information from the damage and loss visits After 2 weeks, longer term arrangements such as agistment, sale, purchase fodder, can be implemented
Companion Animals Emergency accommodation for companion animals such as dogs and cats is usually provided through the Municipal Emergency Centre Evacuation Centres. Important to maintain up to date identification, vaccinations, appropriate restraint.
Wildlife Affected wildlife are primarily dealt with through the wildlife officers in the IMT, but assistance is provided by Animal Health and Welfare staff Private vets CFA Wildlife shelters
Recovery for landholders with livestock Access back to property for landholder and support vehicles such as transporters of livestock, fodder, water, etc. is a priority for response agencies but must be balanced against safety risks
Other issues to be considered: Fencing replacement Shared costs of crown land boundaries only Additional support may be available depending on scale of affected area, e.g. BlazeAid Weed control Have a dedicated area for hay feeding to manage weed introductions Pasture regeneration Erosion control Dam water Biosecurity measures for agisted animals
Recovery for Agricultural Services Rural Recovery Coordinators in each region Scope of recovery depends on the scale of the incident Many services and fact sheets are available, as well as the expertise of extension officers
Remember: PLAN USE YOUR PLAN Thankyou for your time