Vets work to save Australian bushfire's animal victims

  • 14/01/2016
Vets treat an alpaca injured in the Western Australia bushfires (Waroona Vet Clinic / Facebook)
Vets treat an alpaca injured in the Western Australia bushfires (Waroona Vet Clinic / Facebook)

It isn't just people in dire need of help following the destructive bush fires in Western Australia.

Vet clinics in the Yarloop area, severely damaged by the fires, have been working around the clock to help save the injured and severely burned wildlife, ABC reports.

The Waroona Veterinary Clinic has taken in wildlife and pets free of charge and the community has also come to their aid donating medical supplies to care for the animals.

"We have seen joeys with badly burnt feet, tails and paws, possums with burnt tails and noses and birds that have either been hit by cars or dehydrated," Dr Rebecca Flegg says.

"The animals have no idea what's going on, they've lost their homes in this too."

Dr Flegg was one of the vets who travelled to the Yarloop area to search for injured wildlife and livestock.

More than 143 properties were destroyed in Yarloop - 128 of which were homes - and the fire also claimed the lives of two men.

Dr Flegg says residents had little time to save their possessions, let alone their pets.

The fate of some of the animals seem better than others, with a young female joey with minor burns and a brushtail possum expected to recover from their injuries.

However, others, including an alpaca, had died from their wounds.

Many people who have returned home have found their animals with varying degrees of injuries including smoke inhalation and burns.

The clinic says it has enough donations of pet and animal food which is on offer for those affected by the Yarloop bushfires.

Dr Flegg says those working on the animals have had little sleep, but just need to "suck it up" and keep going.

"It's very sad that we can't save all of the animals, it's heartbreaking, but we're trying our best."

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