North East Victoria Animal Aid support for shelters still strong

In January last year, Peechelba's Tania Leahy and Yarrawonga's Loretta Saunders saw that wildlife carers and shelters needed help.

"Simple things like bird feed and wipes, it all comes out of their own pockets," Ms Leahy said.

"If they're on a pension, which most of them are, they spend most of the money on their animals instead of themselves."

The pair founded North East Victoria Animal Aid and began collecting donations and distributing animal feed, products and medical supplies to carers and shelters impacted by the fires.

Ms Saunders said initially they were helping five shelters, but word spread and the organisation was now in contact with more than 60.

"Bringing the wildlife shelters together, that's been such a positive thing that NEVAA has done," she said.

"Now we have that opportunity if we get something in and we're unsure what to do, we can get in touch with someone who we know knows what to do.

"We're starting up a newsletter so new people coming into this career, they get advise, they get tips, they know who to call if they get a particular species and they're concerned about something.

"So it really has been beneficial not in just the monetary way, but in communication."

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Ms Leahy said it had made a "huge impact" on the approximately 170 wildlife volunteers in the North East.

"They cried," she said.

"They were scared to ask for help because they haven't ever had help. I said all you have to do is ring me and if we've got it you can have it.

"There was a huge need, there's a lady for example who's been doing it for 60 years and she has never had help."

Ms Saunders, who also operates her own animal shelter, said the group had alleviated a lot of stress and concern.

"I'm a very busy shelter, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and I haven't had to buy any products since Tania and I started doing this," she said.

She said it was the same for the other North East shelters.

"There was even one request for a gurney from an ambulance. It took me three months, but I got one," she said.

"We really want wildlife shelters to know that we're there, we're going to continue this.

"We are there to support; crisis or no crisis."

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