Media Releases

The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the important and essential role that veterinarians play in the areas of biosecurity, food security and the health and welfare of animals – and the broader benefit this has to our society, especially during this challenging time.

The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) and RSPCA Queensland are encouraging pet owners to continue to proactively care for their pets, hobby farm animals and livestock during the current COVID-19 crisis. Obviously in some cases this may mean travelling to bring food to animals and arranging veterinary care when required.

The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) is calling on the federal government to acknowledge the important role veterinarians play in society following Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s announcement of a lockdown on ‘non-essential’ businesses and services to curb the spread of the COVID-19.

AVA President Dr Julia Crawford has released a video message today, regarding the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for Australian pet owners and veterinarians. 

The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) are advising pet owners to keep the welfare of their pets a priority, in response to the recent report from Hong Kong of human-to-animal transmission in a pet dog.

Dr Ian Bradshaw, president of the Australian Cattle Veterinarians (ACV), said veterinarians and rural communities should be insulted at the suggestion that the decision by the Queensland government to back lay operators would not have a negative impact on veterinary businesses and the services they provide in rural communities.

Australia’s national vet association is appealing to pet owners to consider their pets’ safety and wellbeing along with the rest of the family.

With a state of emergency declared in NSW this morning due to catastrophic fire conditions, equine vets are imploring horse owners in bushfire areas to move their horses now or risk losing their animals.

The Queensland Government’s decision to support a new accreditation scheme for pregnancy testers completely ignores the important role vets play in disease surveillance and on-farm biosecurity says Dr Ian Bradshaw, president of the Australian Cattle Veterinarians (ACV).

The AVA is imploring consumers to handle any antimicrobials prescribed to their animals with care, as health authorities around the world contend with the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR)