How can you help Australia?

Editor's Note: As of early February, the veterinary community had come together to raise more than $125,000 to help our Australian colleagues. A new matching grant challenges us to continue giving. Learn more in this updated blog post.

Our hearts are heavy as wildfires burn in Australia, impacting people, animals, and the environment. We know many of your hearts have been touched as well—we’ve received several inquiries about the best way to provide help to Australia.

We’ve been in contact with the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) to discuss how we in the United States can provide comfort or relief, and they’ve indicated that financial support is the best way to help. With that guidance, the AVMA and our charitable foundation, the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF), today pledged a sizable donation for wildfire relief.

The AVMA is donating $25,000 for wildfire assistance in Australia. In addition, the AVMF has promised to match individual donations up to $50,000. With your help, this could make the total combined contribution $125,000.

All of the donations will go to the Australian Veterinary Association’s Benevolent Fund, which will give financial aid to veterinarians who are helping animals impacted by the fires. This includes both veterinarians who have lost their own property and those who have provided charitable care for impacted animals.

Can you join in this effort?

Help provide relief to those on the frontlines of this disaster. The goal is to raise $50,000 in individual contributions so the AVMF can match the largest possible amount. To have your gift matched, donate to the AVMF at avmf.org/donate, and indicate that your donation should be applied to “Disaster Relief – AVA Benevolent Fund” using the dropdown menu in the donation form.

With your help, the AVMF could donate up to a total of $100,000 on top of the $25,000 pledged by the AVMA.

This is an opportunity for all of us in the U.S. veterinary community to support Australian veterinarians and animals in this time of need. If you are able to do so, please donate to support our Australian colleagues as they confront this terrible tragedy.