Animal Welfare
MacDonnell Shire regularly arranges vet visits to communitities as part of Animal Welfare. Vet treatments include medications, sterilisations, and euthanasia.
There has been progress across all communities by this active approach to dog management involving health and population control. Communities and the veterinary practitioners have noticed a decline in dog related problems including noise, the number of sick and diseased dogs , dog numbers and puppy littlers.
A valuable part of the program now involves an educational element on companion animals. The house calls to each house include talks about animal health issues. The vets also speak to groups including families, women and men, communities and schools.
We are currently emphasisng on school based education using the Australian Veterinary Associations Pet Pep Program, specially adapted for Indigenous children. Continual presentations have been made to Aboriginal school children across our communities.