Veterinary visit to Maningrida community

Animal Management in Rural & Remote Indigenous Communities (AMRRIC) veterinary team visited Maningrida from April 23 to 27 to provide important services and support to companion animals in the community.

The intensive de-sexing program was funded, coordinated and delivered by West Arnhem Regional Council and supported by AMRICC who offered dog and cat surgical desexing, parasite treatments, and general veterinary advice.

Over the five days a total of 232 animals were de-sexed, including 148 dogs and 84 cats. The team was surprised at the large number of cats in the community.
The team also provided medicated bread to a large number of dogs in the community to reduce the burden of external and internal parasites, including scabies (mange).

The community was very supportive of the program with people flagging the team down to arrange for their animals to be seen.
A large number of people wanted to get their animals checked and desexed.
Surgical desexing is such a vital service for companion animal populations, and has immense benefits for communities.

Where entire dogs and cats roam free, large number of puppies and kittens will be born leading to unwanted animals.  This results in negative welfare outcomes for the animals, as the community’s capacity to adequately care for each individual is reduced as numbers grow. 

The team included Jessica Bartlett (Vet Nurse-Ark Vet Clinic Darwin), Courtney Falls (Education Officer AMRRIC), Dr. Jan Allen (One Health Program Manager AMRRIC), Dr. Brooke Rankmore (CEO AMRRIC), Dr Jemima America-Gale (Volunteer Vet), Dr Bob Irving (Vet), Dr Rosemary Miller (Volunteer Vet), Mathniah  (West Arnhem Regional Council), Ezra Bray (Hosted CDP Participant), Dr. Stephen Cutter (Ark Vet Clinic Darwin) and Brooke Robinson(Volunteer Vet Nurse).