LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--VCA Charities, along with the national network of VCA Animal Hospitals, has joined with international non-profits to provide financial assistance to provide veterinary care to pets and animals injured by the wildfires in Australia. VCA Charities has pledged donations to Wildlife Warriors Worldwide, RSPCA Australia and the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA). To date, more than $180,000 has been raised to benefit veterinary care for animals affected by Australia’s devastating wildfires.
“VCA Charities is donating $50,000 to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital through Wildlife Warriors Worldwide to help koalas, flying foxes and many other animals affected by the bushfires, drought and human impact,” said Bindi Irwin, Wildlife Warriors Worldwide. “We are also preparing for conservation efforts that will be needed for years to come. On behalf of all the animals we will continue to care for, thank you to VCA Charities for supporting our work.”
Wildlife Warriors Worldwide supports the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital that has been working around the clock on affected animals: treating them; rehabilitating them and preparing for the conservation efforts that will be needed when the fires end. These funds will go directly to veterinary care of the koala patients that were affected by the fires, veterinary care for the skyrocketing intake of burned and affected Flying Foxes and to start the efforts of rebuilding their populations and habitats across the country where these animals need to live.
A $50,000 donation is being made to the RSPCA Australia, who are mobilizing across the country with their staff, volunteers and resources to provide assistance wherever it is needed to affected animals. RSPCA members want to keep their animals safe and have provided much-needed equipment, supplies as well as emergency care and boarding, where available. Across Australia, the RSPCA will continue its work alongside government and emergency agencies, veterinarians and local authorities to help identify and assess injured animals affected by the crisis.
To support veterinarians and help them provide veterinary care to affected animals, VCA Charities will match up to $50,000 in donations raised by the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) on behalf of the AVA’s Benevolent Fund. The entire amount will go to the AVA to support ongoing veterinary care for affected animals and provide financial aid to veterinarians who volunteer their services and provide medical supplies for pets and animals injured by the devastating wildfires.
“So many people want to help the animals in Australia who have been displaced and injured by the devastating wildfires,” said Brandon Antin, Vice President of Corporate Affairs at VCA Animal Hospitals. “VCA Charities has stepped up to provide a trusted venue that gives VCA clients and the public an opportunity to support the overwhelming veterinary needs of pets and wildlife whose environment has been impacted and destroyed. Additional funds will be distributed over the next few months to provide further veterinary resources to pets, wildlife and veterinarians affected by this crisis.”
About VCA Charities
VCA Charities is a 501(c)(3) with a mission to inspire and nurture pets and their people to triumph over challenges and thrive together. Established in 2005 by the founders of VCA Animal Hospitals, VCA Charities helps to feed thousands of pets, provide access to expert veterinary care, and support animal welfare organizations globally. Please visit the VCA Charities website to find the most up-to-date information about VCA Charities and its programs at http://www.VCAcharities.org.
About VCA Animal Hospitals
VCA Animal Hospitals operates more than 920 small animal veterinary hospitals in the U.S., Canada and Japan. The hospitals are staffed by more than 4,500 fully qualified, dedicated and compassionate veterinarians to give pets the very best in medical care, of which over 600 are board certified specialists who are experts in areas such as oncology, cardiology, emergency and critical care, and surgery for animals. VCA Animal Hospitals provides a full range of general practice services to keep pets well and specialized treatments when pets are ill. As part of the Mars, Inc. family of brands, VCA is committed to its purpose—A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS®.
For more information, please visit VCAhospitals.com or follow on Twitter @vcapethealth and Facebook (facebook.com/VCAAnimalHospitals/).
