Pets In The Park

25/06/2025

(WE NEED VETS 🗣)

Hi everyone! Hope you are staying warm and comfy as we enter winter season. We currently only have ONE vet signup for our clinic this Sunday. If you are a Vet and are free to help out, we would love to have you on board. We are facing an increase in number of client referrals, hence it is important to have sufficient staff on our end for a successful clinic day 🏆 Do help us spread the word!

A massive thank you to the Vet nurses and DVM students that have indicated their availability for this Sunday as well 🫶 Signup emails were emailed last week so do check your inboxes for all the information. If you are new and are keen to volunteer, feel free to send us a DM or email [email protected]

See you this Sunday!



Want to refer a client?
*Eligibility for our free veterinary service is for those who are currently experiencing homelessness or are at genuine risk of becoming homeless. For more information and referral forms please visit our website: https://www.petsinthepark.org.au/clinics/referrals

23/06/2025

What a wonderful information night, particularly for those with senior pets. The lovely folk Melbourne Veterinary Rehabilitation will also be asking for a gold coin donation on the night which will be given to support Pets In The Park. Another lovely community connection that we're very proud and grateful to be involved.

We are so excited to announce that we’ve partnered with to bring a free information evening to our neighbourhood! Join us on 10th July at 6:00pm at Melbourne Vet Rehab for an evening of compassionate conversations around senior pet care, end-of-life decisions, and how to support your beloved dog and yourself through their journey of ageing.

📍 81a Hudsons Rd, Spotswood VIC
💛 Free to attend | Gold coin donation welcome

📩 RSVP now and bring your questions for the experts!

04/06/2025

Here's what went down in May! We struggled with Vet numbers initially but we pulled through (as usual 😜) with a solid team of vet nurses and DVM students as well. Sarah from Humane Animal Rescue and Prue, a retired social worker, also helped us out with organising supplies and pet food for our clients. Go team!

A huge thank you to our amazing friends at Humane Animal Rescue and Spirit Animal Rescue for providing pet food, dewormers and pet supplies to our cause while running busy rescues of their own 💗 Be sure to check them out if you're planning to foster or adopt a furry friend!

🗓 Next clinic:
29 June 2025 (Sunday), 1 to 4.30pm

*Eligibility for our free veterinary service is for those who are currently experiencing homelessness or are at genuine risk of becoming homeless. For more information and referral forms please visit our website: https://www.petsinthepark.org.au/clinics/referrals

20/05/2025

Hi everyone!

Our May clinic will be happening next week and a huge thank you to those that have already signed up to help out! We currently only have ZERO vet sign ups at the moment (*which is stressing me out*)... With no vets, we are unable to run the clinic! If any vets are available, we really need your help and support 🤞🤍 Our volunteer manager, Luke, sent out a second callout email on Sunday so do check your inbox for more information and sign up if you can - please 🥲

Thank you so much and see you all this Sunday 🐶🐱

06/05/2025

Our monthly dose of serotonin and giving back! Special thank you to Humane Animal Rescue for providing us with loads of pet food, pet supplies and parasite control for our furry friends. Just look at that cute taco costume that Soxy went home with 🌮! HAR's founder, Grace, even helped our clients out with picking goodies as well as making sure every dog gets a treat 😋🐶

Please check out Humane Animal Rescue and give them your support! We are very grateful to work with rescues like them with such big hearts and strong community spirit 💚💗

🗓 Next clinic:
25 May 2025 (Sunday), 1 to 4.30pm

*Eligibility for our free veterinary service is for those who are currently experiencing homelessness or are at genuine risk of becoming homeless. For more information and referral forms please visit our website: https://www.petsinthepark.org.au/clinics/referrals

30/04/2025

[Celebrating Art, Pets and Community 💐🐾]

Gantcho Taskov (Gantcho Of Melbourne) is a local artist and photo designer who creates flower arrangements and floristry designs. On April 3, he held an art exhibition featuring photographs of his flower arrangements and beloved dog, Frank. Gantcho usually donates all proceeds from his exhibition to charitable causes and has decided on Pets in the Park as the recipient for the month of April!

The exhibition was held at Braybrook Community Hub and our PITP Central Melbourne coordinator, Cassie Curtis, was invited to give a few words on behalf of PITP.

Thank you, Gantcho, for your generosity and support! We will put the funds into good use for our clients.

Do check out and support Gantcho's amazing works as well 😊

21/04/2025

Hi everyone!

Hope you had a lovely long weekend so far and Happy Easter to those that celebrate it 😊

Our April clinic will be happening next week and a huge thank you to those that have already signed up to help out! We currently only have one vet sign up at the moment which unfortunately isn’t enough considering the number of clients we serve every month. If any other vets are available, we really need your help and support 🤞🤍 Our volunteer manager, Luke, just sent out a callout email this afternoon so do check your inbox for more information and sign up if you can!

See you all this Sunday 🐶🐱

13/04/2025

Here's what went down at our March clinic last month! A massive thank you to all of our amazing volunteers for making this possible 💗 Pet beds were once again a big hit with our furry friends (and yes - Oscar was a very good boy 🐶).

We are running low on pet food donations after last month's clinic, so any donations will be greatly appreciated! Do email us at [email protected] or send us a DM via our socials if you are able to help 😊

🗓 Next clinic:
27 April 2025 (Sunday), 1 to 4.30pm

*Eligibility for our free veterinary service is for those who are currently experiencing homelessness or are at genuine risk of becoming homeless. For more information and referral forms please visit our website: https://www.petsinthepark.org.au/clinics/referrals

23/03/2025

Hi everyone! Our March clinic is just round the corner 🐱🐶 We would love to have a few more vets and vet nurses to help us out next Sunday if possible (client flow might be an issue as we only have 2 vets signed up). Final year DVM students are more than welcome to come down and lend a hand too 😊

Do indicate your availability via the volunteer sign up link in the volunteer email! Or if you are new here and want to join us, please send us an email or DM us 🐾

See you next Sunday!

13/03/2025

Proudly brought to you by The Phil Taylor Foundation and recorded in Pressroom Media’s state-of-the-art podcast studio, pressing:on is a platform dedicated to showcasing the incredible work of emerging charities and the passionate individuals behind them.

In each episode, Claudia Nankervis dives deep into conversations with charity leaders, sharing inspiring stories and uncovering the innovative ways these charities are making a difference in the community.

In this new episode, "For Change Co - Creating a path out of youth homelessness with paid employment training", CEO Miranda Campbell and lived experience recipient Cassie discuss the often-misunderstood issue of youth homelessness.

Use the link below to listen into how For Change Co's 6 - 9 month paid employment training program is giving young people hope and through their own tenacity, resilience and resourcefulness they are creating futures of their own choosing.

pressing:On is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/for-change-co-creating-a-path-out-of/id1781819622?i=1000698657931

12/03/2025

EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY

Lucy’s Project is a national charity that aims to improve the safety of people and animals experiencing domestic and family violence through collaboration, advocacy, research and education (CARE).

For a limited time in April and May, Lucy's Project is offering four free online education sessions designed to equip professionals and services with the knowledge and tools needed to better support people and animals experiencing domestic and family violence.

Did you know:
- Many DFV survivors delay leaving due to concerns for their pets
- Financial abuse can prevent owners from accessing vet care
- Vets are often first responders in recognising DFV-related pet abuse
- Lack of pet-friendly crisis accommodation is a major barrier

Register here for the education sessions: https://lucysproject.com/education/

The 2024 Lucy’s Project Conference Report is also now available and captures key insights and expert recommendations around the interconnection between human and animal safety, collaborative approaches, and systemic changes needed to better support people and animals experiencing domestic and family violence (DFV).

You can access and download it online here: https://lucysproject.com/2024-conference-report/

09/03/2025

A great story about our newest PITP clinic in Byron Bay supporting pets and their people experiencing homelessness in the Northern Rivers region. We hope everyone is safe and dry during this challenging time.

It's a unique service which provides veterinary care to the pets of people who are experiencing home

08/03/2025

Check out our all-female team from our February clinic last month – and what better day to share than on International Women’s Day 🫶🌸 Here's to celebrating all the incredible women in the vet industry - you are amazing!

A huge thank you as well for the generous donations we received last month. Swipe to check out the pet beds (thank you Dr Sophie!) that were very well loved by our furry friends like Buddha and Soxy 😝

We also received an abundance of donated medications, dewormers and pet items from Singapore 🇸🇬! Special shoutouts to: Nekoya, Vet Mobile, The Veterinary Clinic, The Animal Clinic, Amber Vet, Town Vets, KIN Vet, Vet Central, Spring Vet and Gentle Oak Veterinary Clinic for your generosity. Thank you for trusting a random final year vet student's callout email for donations and supporting a cause close to my heart 😌🐾 - Duang

16/02/2025

Hi everyone!

Less than a week to go until our February clinic 🏃✨

Volunteer emails went out yesterday—apologies for the delay! If you're available to join us next Sunday afternoon, please indicate your availability. You can reply via email or send us a DM if that's easier for you 😊 Final-year DVM students looking to gain more hands-on experience are more than welcome to sign up as well! 🙆‍♀️

Looking forward to seeing you next week! 🐾🩺

30/01/2025

What a way to see out 2024 and welcome in 2025, thanks to our Dollar Match Christmas Appeal that was so generously kicked off by the The Phil Taylor Foundation.

We are delighted to share our amazing appeal total: $71,205!! Unbelievable! We could not have reached this incredible outcome without the big heartedness of each of you who dug deep and gifted us your donation.

Together, we can support the vital bonds of companionship and care, and continue providing essential services to Australian pets and their owners who rely on each other. Your gift helps us keep pets healthy, safe, and loved in the communities that need it most...so THANK YOU!

28/01/2025

Christmas is now behind us so our Dollar Match Christmas Appeal will be closing at the end of January...but there's still a few more days for you to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

Thanks to the generosity of the Phil Taylor Foundation, your gift to Pets In The Park will be matched dollar for dollar. Simply put, EVERY donation (up to $20,000) will have double the impact, giving us twice the resources to help pets and their people in need.

This is an extraordinary opportunity to maximise the impact of your kindness. Every gift, big or small, goes twice as far in transforming lives.

You can make your tax deductible donation here: https://www.givenow.com.au/dollarmatchchristmasappeal

27/01/2025

Don't you just love this photo of sausage-loving Gus from the recent Bunnings BBQ fundraiser held by Pets In The Park Parramatta team! We think it sums up perfectly just how good those sausages were on the day :)

Well done to everyone for a great effort and thanks to Bunnings Warehouse Australia for their support.

21/01/2025

On Sunday, we had our very first Pets In The Park clinic in Byron Bay (supporting the Northern Rivers region) and it was wonderful to see so many veterinary professionals donating their time to offer free health care to the much loved pets of people experiencing homelessness.

The Northern Rivers PITP team welcomed its very first furry clients and enjoyed some meaningful conversations with their dedicated owners.

Thank you to everyone who came along (veterinarians, veterinary nurses, clients and their pets) and for making it such a great start to what we envisage will become a very busy and impactful clinic.

If you (or somebody you know) fit our criteria of experiencing a form of homelessness and would like assistance from PITP, please visit https://www.petsinthepark.org.au/clinics to find out more.

12/01/2025

Pets In The Park is proud to announce a new clinic will commence next Sunday to support the pets of people experiencing homelessness within the Northern Rivers region of NSW.

Based in Byron Bay, the clinic will free veterinary care to pets of those experiencing homelessness within Byron Bay, Ballina, Lismore, Mullumbimby, Evans Head and surrounding Northern Rivers area.

In a region with some of the highest rates of homelessness in Australia, many people rely on their beloved pets for
companionship, hope, and unconditional love. However, accessing even basic pet care can be an overwhelming challenge.

“While pet ownership brings immense joy and enrichment to the lives of those experiencing homelessness, it also comes with substantial financial challenges,” explained Pets In The Park President Jay Potter. “Too often, owners sacrifice their own welfare to ensure the health of their beloved companions. This is where Pets In The Park has such an important role to play”.

With the support of local veterinary professionals who donate a few hours of their time each month, the pop-up clinic will offer veterinarian consultations, parasite control, vaccinations, microchipping, and treatment of common ailments. Additionally, donated pet products such as food, bedding, and toys are distributed to support the overall wellbeing of the pets.

Working with PITP’s national office, it has taken a year of behind-the-scenes planning by three dedicated veterinary
professionals – Dr Elizabeth Settles, Helen McGregor, and Lauren Archer - to secure a venue for the clinic, and get local veterinarians and vet nurses to volunteer their time to help improve the healthcare of these precious pets. An amazing effort by all.

We welcome and thank our newest PITP volunteers who will be running the Northern Rivers clinic and know the veterinary support they provide will have a positive impact on many pets and their humans.

24/12/2024

A Christmas message to:
🎄our incredible team of dedicated volunteers around the country who work so tirelessly to provide exceptional veterinary care to pets of people experiencing homelessness
🎄our wonderful donors who give so generously to ensure we can continue to help others
🎄our partner businesses and sponsors that continue to lend their support in a multitude of ways
🎄our community who shares our news and shares the love
🎄the support organisations and their wonderful staff who we work with to ensure our service gets to those who need it most
🎄the people who love their pets and trust us with their care

Two little words...THANK YOU!

We want to take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and may 2025 shine brightly for everyone.

20/12/2024

Thanks to Katrina Bulloch, owner of West Blacktown Veterinary Clinic and her fabulous team for organising their annual charity Christmas photo shoot and raffle that raised over $1500 for Pets In The Park!

Over 50 people brought in their dogs, cats, and even some rabbits, to be beautifully photographed by the talented Yvette from Martinette photography (you should check out her work; it's incredible).

We love this type of event where the community comes together to create something special and no doubt everyone was thrilled with the gorgeous photos that were created on the day (check out Katrina's beautiful Chevy getting loads of Santa cuddles for being such a good girl).

Thank you to everyone involved; PITP is very grateful for the support.

20/12/2024

Pets In The Park strongly condemns the recent policy decision made earlier this week by the City of Moreton Bay to ban homeless individuals from owning a pet.

Australia is not a country that kicks the little people; rather, we are a society that lends a hand to help people when they are downtrodden. This does not appear to be the case in the City of Moreton Bay, however, where Council is now targeting some of the most marginalised members of its own community.

People suffering the devastating effects of homelessness live a very difficult, exclusionary existence. In many cases, their pets are their entire world. It's a reason for them to get up in the morning. A reason to feel loved. Companionship during lonely days. Security on dark unsafe nights.

Homelessness can and does happen to ordinary people in Australia with frightening ease. Whether it’s sudden job loss, relationship breakdown, family violence, faulty financial products, medical episodes, natural disasters – there are myriad ways in which a person can suddenly and very unexpectedly find themselves without stable housing. This decision carries dangerous implications for all Moreton Bay residents. If any resident were to face the unimaginable – losing their home – they too would fall victim to a Council policy that is designed to persecute, rather than assist.

Government policies have real-world consequences, and the decision by the City of Moreton Bay to outlaw pet ownership for people experiencing homelessness will simply deepen their hardship. At Pets In The Park’s free veterinary clinics, including our Caboolture clinic within the City of Moreton Bay area, we witness firsthand the lifesaving bond between vulnerable individuals and their pets – companions who provide emotional support, unconditional love, and a sense of hope and purpose during a person’s hardest times.

Our dedicated volunteers work tirelessly to offer compassionate care to both people and their animals, ensuring their wellbeing. A more caring approach from the council, recognising and valuing this important bond, would not only support those in need, but also honour the hard work of volunteer-led charity organisations like ours that are committed to serving the Moreton Bay community.

We urge the residents of Moreton Bay, and the broader Australian community, to voice their compassion and concern for these vulnerable people and pets. Demand a reversal of this cruel, short-sighted policy decision. Demand real solutions that address the complex problem of homelessness with dignity and genuine care.

www.petsinthepark.org.au

18/12/2024

There's still time to make the most of an incredible opportunity to have your gift to Pets In The Park matched dollar for dollar!

Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of The Phil Taylor Foundation, every donation up to $20,000 will have double the impact, giving us twice the resources to help pets and their people in need.

Thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, we've raised nearly $10,000 so that puts us nearly half way to meeting our $20,000 goal for this amazing appeal.

So for every dollar you give, another dollar will be added - it's that simple. Please make the most of this extraordinary opportunity as every gift, big or small, goes twice as far in transforming lives.

Please help us make this Christmas truly special and to everyone who has already made a donation, we say THANK YOU!

https://www.givenow.com.au/dollarmatchchristmasappeal

09/12/2024

"Does my donation make a difference?"

Yes. Yes it does.

Feedback from PITP client and owner of "Bella" (Darlinghurst, NSW): "I couldn't afford [veterinary care], let alone feed her on top of that. And then feed myself. There's just no way it was happening. I got really depressed. And if it wasn't for these guys - they saved her life and they helped me get fed, and get her fed. I've had her for so long. I've slept with her every night for 17 years. She's my world. She's my everything. See without these guys, people just wouldn't make it through."

This Christmas, your gift to Pets In The Park will be matched dollar for dollar! Thanks to the generosity of The Phil Taylor Foundation, every donation up to $20,000 will have double the impact, giving us twice the resources to help pets and their people in need.

For every dollar you give, another dollar will be added, meaning twice the veterinary care, twice the support, and twice the difference for those experiencing homelessness and their beloved pets.

Will you help us make this Christmas truly special?
Big or small, whatever you can give has impact.

Donate today: https://www.givenow.com.au/dollarmatchchristmasappeal

05/12/2024

On International Volunteer Day (as well as the other 364 days each year), we tip our hats and say 'thank you, thank you, thank you' to each and every one of our incredible team of volunteers.

In so many ways, they give of their time, their expertise, and their energy to make sure our clinics around the country deliver the very best in quality veterinary care to the pets of people who are experiencing homelessness. Without their commitment to PITP, we wouldn't be able to provide this much-needed care.

So on this day we acknowledge and thank you, for all that you do...it is so very appreciated.

05/12/2024

What makes StreetSmart so unique - they fundraise to support grassroots projects that tackle homelessness. StreetSmart recognises these smaller organisations (like Pets In The Park) provide vital frontline services, but often struggle with a lack of resources.

"Community based organisations are an important part of our social safety net, and in collaboration with individuals, philanthropic and corporate partners our mission is to lend a helping hand and empower social change"- StreetSmart.

So, it is with profound gratitude, Pets In The Park says a massive 'thank you' to StreetSmart for choosing us as one of 8 organisations being funded in their latest grants round which focused on providing housing support to those with pets, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and children and young people.

This grant will help Pets In The Park provide life-changing veterinary care, giving these beloved animals the health and happiness they deserve.

StreetSmart Australia