AVMF receives more than $50,000 in donations to support wildfire and animal relief efforts in Australia

For more information Phone: 847-285-6687 Cell: 847-732-6194
For immediate release:
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.

For more information, contact Michael San Filippo, AVMA senior media relations specialist, at 847-732-6194 (cell) or msanfilippoatavma [dot] org (msanfilippo[at]avma[dot]org).

About the American Veterinary Medical Foundation

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The American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) is the charitable arm of the American Veterinary Medical Association, one of the oldest and largest veterinary medical organizations in the world. For more than 55 years, the AVMF has helped veterinarians help animals by providing support for student education, disaster relief, charitable care and research programs. Visit AVMF.org to learn more.

About the AVMA

Serving more than 105,000 member veterinarians, the AVMA is the nation's leading representative of the veterinary profession, dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of animals, humans and the environment. Founded in 1863 and with members in every U.S. state and territory and more than 60 countries, the AVMA is one of the largest veterinary medical organizations in the world. Informed by our members' unique scientific training and clinical knowledge, the AVMA supports the crucial work of veterinarians and advocates for policies that advance the practice of veterinary medicine and improve animal and human health.