Bellaboo Wildlife Shelter | Local service

Bellaboo Wildlife Shelter

Phone: +61 403 849 651

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25.01.2022 Hey friends, lately there seems to have been a huge surge in calls for wildlife rescue which then leads of course to wildlife carers being inundated with... injured animals needing intensive care & rehabilitation. As we know this voluntary service is neither funded nor infinite. Carers are now at breaking point, being at full capacity often with little to no help from outside. The geographical & physical isolation leaves them emotionally floundering with social isolation the norm. Even with their online community & core supporters they are struggling, day after day, without respite. This is not just in Victoria, it’s country wide. Anxiety & depression are rife & suicidal ideation common. No matter how much we, as supporters remind carers that they need to take care of themselves it simply isn’t on their radar. The practice of self-care is absolutely out of reach. Whilst meditation, hobbies, taking a break away & other well intended suggestions are all valuable, these can seem empty to those who don’t have 5 minutes to sit & breathe & cannot possibly see an end to their 24/7 work life. There is no balance. The guilt carers feel by not being able to take just one more rescued joey... The lack of sleep. The dehydration. The malnutrition. The absolute exhaustion. The loneliness. Takes its toll. We desperately need our government to recognise the vital role wildlife carers play in maintaining the ever diminishing population of Australian native animals & support them in this. Stop making it so frigg’n hard for them to do what they so selflessly do. Such voluntary work should be included in the definition of employment & supported accordingly. The hoops carers have to jump through in order to receive government support whilst being told they need to get out & get a job is both insulting & demeaning. I’m happy for my taxes to go towards supporting every one of the 20,000 odd Australians doing this, rather than sending billions offshore. We should be looking after our own first. The nastiness within the community also needs to stop. How on earth are we going to achieve any level of support from those who should be supporting carers when there is so much backstabbing & bitchiness. Surely it makes sense to be kind & inclusive & supportive of eachother when you all work hard for the the same purpose. And there is no greater purpose. Our wildlife regulatory bodies also need to get on board this concept of support & remove the interminable threat of carers being falsely accused, raided & shutdown. Their lifes work & their whole reason for living, shattered. As advocates for wildlife & the carers who are barely holding it together, there are things we can do to help take the pressure off, just a bit. Whilst we may not be in a position to hands-on volunteer, or donate financially, small things can add up if enough people get on board. Find out who your local wildlife shelter is & get in touch to offer your support. Ask them what they need. Buy a bale of hay or a bag of chaff & drop it in. Cook a meal & drop it in-bear in mind they can be super fussy! Contribute towards a bag of milk powder for the babies- roughly $500 per bag. Collect browse for the fur babies & drop them off-always find out which ones first. Drop off a bag of groceries/healthy snacks-finding time to eat is difficult let alone shopping for food & supplies. Buy a bag of mixed fruit & vegies for the furry kids & drop off. Offer to help feed babies & clean up after. Pick up dirty washing & bring it back clean & folded. If you’re a tradie who can offer your service pro-bono or even at mates rates, ask how you can help. Fundraise any way you know how to help with the relentless running costs. If you know someone who might be interested in sponsorship, encourage them to get in touch. Send a message of support but realise that if you don’t get a reply, that person isn’t being rude or ignoring you, they’re just flat out & time gets away. Every single human needs to know that they’re valued & that others care. It’s a common feeling for wildlife carers that no-one cares which leads to why do I bother. But FYI, there are plenty of us who do. And I remind all your wonderful souls that whilst you can’t change the world, for every animal you rescue, you change the world for them. And that, is priceless. Enormous &. #wildliferescue #mentalhealth #wildtalk #volunteering #Australia #anxiety #iWontGiveUpOnYou