Veterinary Science Northern Territory dog health program reaches five year milestone
Press release
4 September 2008
A ten-strong team from the Faculty of Veterinary Science was recently joined by the head of a national organisation focused on improving dog health in remote indigenous communities on their fifth annual visit to Western Arnhem Land.
They spent two and a half weeks in Gunbalanya and its associated outstations performing surgery on more than 100 dogs, and conducting house to house consultations, particularly to provide parasite control for dogs.
The long-term project known as the Western Arnhem Land Dog Health Program (WALDHeP), was led by Veterinary Science Senior Lecturer Dr Liz Tudor. They were accompanied by Julia Hardaker, Executive Officer of the Darwin-based, not-for-profit AMRRIC (Animal Management in Rural and Remote Indigenous Communities).
Julia travelled to Gunbalanya to support the project by doing community consultations and talking to appropriate employment agencies to identify local people who could become involved in the program on a long-term basis.
An important part of WALDHeP’s work is capacity building, so that in the future the local community, supported by regular visits from the veterinary team, can provide their own year round dog parasite control program.
Dogs are central to the lives of people in Gunbalanya and most of the 100 households, many of which are overcrowded, own several dogs. Some have significant skin disease as a result of parasitic infestation and a number of breeding dogs are in poor body condition.
They live very closely with their owners so their poor health can impact badly on human health in the community: studies in Aboriginal communities have found diseases such as scabies, fleas, round worm, hookworm and salmonella passed from dogs to humans.
WALDHeP was set up by Dr Tudor in 2004 to tackle these issues. Since then, several hundred dogs have been desexed and many more treated for parasitic infections.
Dr Tudor, who first visited the community as a student in 1973, said: “We are really gratified by the acceptance of the dog health program and our audit data shows that the condition of the animals is improving. People now actively seek us out and ask for help, rather than walking the other way.
“We find our visits very rewarding, because we have established relationships with people in the community, so that we are trusted both professionally and personally.”
She believes this level of trust has grown from the familiarity the University team has developed with the people of Gunbalanya over the past five years. Also returning with Dr Tudor and her husband Rick this year, were Melbourne veterinarians Dr Dan Tung, who first visited the community in 2006 as a final year student, and veterinarians Lucy White and Frances Higgins.
“By going back year on year people there know that they can rely on us,” said Dr Tudor. “Many remote communities have a fatigue from visitors who come out with a great idea, but never follow it through.
“But with us, when we say we’ll come back the same time next year, we do.”
For further information please contact the Marketing Manager, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Melbourne, Tel: 8344 7844 or email: vet-communications@unimelb.edu.au