AVMF receives more than $50,000 in donations to support wildfire and animal relief efforts in Australia
Total donation currently exceeds $125,000 with AVMF match and AVMA contribution
(SCHAUMBURG, Illinois) January 29, 2020 — The American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) is pleased to announce that it has received more than $50,000 in donations to support wildfire and animal relief efforts in Australia. These funds bring the total donation to date to more than $125,000, which includes AVMF’s match of $50,000 and the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) contribution of $25,000.
The donations will be directed to the Australian Veterinary Association’s (AVA) Benevolent Fund, which provides funds to Australian veterinarians who are on the frontline providing relief to animals impacted by the wildfires.
“In just two weeks, the support from AVMA members, the public and those in the veterinary profession has been truly outstanding,” said Dr. Janet Donlin, AVMA CEO and AVMF executive director. “I’m proud that we’ve been able to step up to provide much needed assistance to our Australian colleagues.”
According to news reports, the fires in Australia are still burning and the full extent of the damage won’t be known for quite a while. There has been a great deal of physical damage to structures in addition to loss of life and very high demand for wildlife triage work that many Australian veterinarians are doing voluntarily. They remain in full response mode and the urgent need for funding and assistance continues.
“We continue to accept donations that will be directed to the AVA Benevolent Fund, so we encourage our members and the public to join in this effort which is so important to preserving the unique animal species that can only be found in Australia,” said Dr. John de Jong, chair of the AVMF Board of Directors. “These donations will help our colleagues assist with the immediate medical care needs for all animals and help them recover from this devastating tragedy.”
For those who want to donate and help veterinarians help animals, visit the AVMF website and use the AVMF code “Disaster Relief – AVA Benevolent Fund”. One hundred percent of all contributions will be directed toward the AVA’s Benevolent Fund. The AVMA and AVMF are pursuing some additional fundraising opportunities that will help generate even more support for veterinarians in Australia.
Through the generous support of our donors, the AVMF helps provide funding to veterinarians, veterinary students, emergency relief teams and allied health organizations who are helping animals during times of disaster in the United States and throughout the world when the need arises. Donations for disaster relief or for other programs the AVMF supports can be made at AVMF.org.