Voiceless Victims Of Great Flood

[k9angel]

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/...0114-19qji.html

Five minutes' drive from Gatton town centre sits Noah's Ark, close to overflowing with the voiceless victims of the Lockyer Valley floods.

Noah himself – let's call him Bob Doneley, the bearded senior vet at the University of Queensland's Small Animal Hospital – is straining to hear us over the yaps and yelps of 27 dogs but he rattles off a list of animals rescued from the Grantham and Helidon area.

Also crammed into the Ark are seven cats, two rats, two Siamese fighting fish, two quail, five ring-neck doves. There are no partridges.

Advertisement: Story continues below

Lost dogs wait for their owners in the University of Queensland Veterinary Hospital in Gatton. Photo: Paul Harris

"But we are expecting more birds today so there could be a partridge coming in," Dr Doneley said.

He jokes, but the hospital is at capacity and the university is relying on its own water supply in the aftermath of the devastation and those supplies won't last forever.

"We run out in about five days but we're pretty confident we'll be OK until things get back to normal," he said.

The most important reason the animals need to be reunited with their owners is for the owners themselves.

"I think because a lot of [people] and particularly the Grantham people have lost everything," Dr Doneley said.

"Their pets are the one thing they can hold and say 'well this is mine' and so that's a very psychological reason for people to be reunited.

"Just to have some firm contact with the pre-flood days."

The dogs are being housed in spacious individual cages along one wall in three rooms of the recently built hospital.

Many are trembling, the odd one is taking a nap. The vets, nurses and volunteers don't know any of their names but they've worked out a system.

"There's the little white one that slept all day, the noisy dachshund who's being washed and the tan with the cruciate ligament injury," Dr Doneley said.

There are a few pups in intensive care. The worst case is a female dog found staked through the chest by a yellow road closed sign.

"She's doing pretty well for a dog that came in with her intestines around her knees," he said.

The hospital has been able to reunite one family with their pets so far.

"We had some people come in yesterday and pick up two kittens and a dog," Dr Doneley said.

"They'd got them out through the roof and into a helicopter and the animals were brought to the pound, then brought here."

It's not a bad life for the animals. Volunteers such as Laidley boy Jadam Baker, 13, come in most days to help wash and walk the dogs.

Jadam and his family were hit by the floods but he wants to help.

"We got evacuated but our house is safe so we thought we'd do something," his father, Tony Baker, said.

Still, it can't compare to a bowl of food and a pat and a tummy rub from your human.

Georgina Robinson is smh.com.au's Chief Reporter.

So sad. I can only imagine how many other poor dogs and cats and other pets were lost or killed in these floods.

[Bullbreedlover]

am waiting to hear from the vet nurse who works at gatton so we can organise food and necessary essentials to be delivered.

Hopefully donations will be forthoming from generous people

[jess5]

stonebridge could you please let us know where we can donate to help these animals?

I have donated to various flood relief appeals but would like to donate something that will directly help the animals.

for the above dog that was staked through the chest by the yellow road sign.

[Bullbreedlover]

OK

Have just spoken to the vet nurse.

They have around 40 dogs 10 cats and about 20 birds in the uni at the moment.

They are expecting more animals in as they continue to search the smaller townships. These animals they have at the moment are only from the grantham, helidon area

they are expecting a large influx of birds tomorrow and more pets as they search other small towns

so they will need bird seed, large and small

cat and dog toys

bedding, towels, bird mineral supplements, flea collars etc.

Even monetary donations so I can buy the food if need be.hopefully at big discounts from the pet stores if they cant give it away

Everything received will be accounted for.

I will be ringing around all the pet supply places(i know one was destroyed in the toowoomba flood) and the lifeline places to see if they can help with bedding and toys

Anyone in the Toowoomba area if you can help please contact me by personal message

If you can get these to me that would be great as I can also do some drop offs after work next week and during next weekend as well.

I have limited money for petrol as we havent been working since Monday and I dont know what the work situation is next week but if need be I can pick up some things.

Am planning a run tomorrow

thanks

debs

[Paptacular!]

My mum's work is organising a 'shoe box' drive, for boxes to be put together for men, women, children and pets.

I've made up a box for a dog with a collar, lead, small tins of food, schmackos, a brush, a ball and worming tablets.

[Bullbreedlover]

Thats awesome Pap

Jess5 I have started a thread for the Toowoomba pets and already have donations.

am planning a run tomorrow, another on sunday if all goes to plan and others during the week when I can

we can work something out

Thanks for caring

It means alot

[Toolz]

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/...0114-19qji.html

snip

It's not a bad life for the animals. Volunteers such as Laidley boy Jadam Baker, 13, come in most days to help wash and walk the dogs.

Jadam and his family were hit by the floods but he wants to help.

"We got evacuated but our house is safe so we thought we'd do something," his father, Tony Baker, said.

Still, it can't compare to a bowl of food and a pat and a tummy rub from your human.

Georgina Robinson is smh.com.au's Chief Reporter.

So sad. I can only imagine how many other poor dogs and cats and other pets were lost or killed in these floods.

this bit made me shed a wee tear..