We believe every animal deserves compassion
Vets for Compassion provides urgent, expert, on-the-ground help for animals in pain or distress across Victoria. Our rescue teams are all volunteers, and we respond to call-outs for every kind of animal – native, non-native, companion and farm animals. No matter the situation, we put animals first. We believe no animal should suffer, and we use our expertise to reduce animal suffering wherever and whenever we can.
Our History
In 1997, Dr Elaine Ong and her team of vets and vet nurses started volunteering in Bali, assisting the Bali Street Dog Foundation and Bali Animal Welfare Association. They helped train the Balinese vets to perform dog and cat desexing work and basic health treatment.
The team joined a group of Balinese vets to assist in recovery efforts in Sri Lanka following the 2004 tsunami. It was there that Dr Elaine, Dr Chris Barton and Dr Rebecca Weight (three of our Board members) first met.
Around this time, the Chinese animal welfare and advocate group ACTAsia approached Dr Elaine to train Chinese vets. Dr Elaine agreed and in 2009 her team, along with Dr Beth McGennisken and nurses Robyn Ireland and Ann Letch, ventured to Shenzen and Beijing to commence the Train the Trainer program. The program has since grown to reach eight provinces in China, with 30 Chinese trainers now teaching other vets and promoting animal welfare in China.
Around 2016, two of Dr Elaine’s clients, Claire Bingley and accountant Andrew Miles, encouraged her to form Vets For Compassion.
Dr Elaine and Dr Chris had expressed their sadness to see that some charities are often too big or cumbersome to respond promptly to emergencies or use donated funds towards core work.
Dr Elaine, Dr Chris, Dr Alistair Brown, and Dr Katie Whittle and others began assisting in Victorian bushfires during the Black Saturday emergency in 2009.
It was while assisting in these fires that they saw a need for darting skills, as in many cases vets and rescuers could not catch the animals on fire. These skills form a core part of the Vets for Compassion team.
These days, Melbourne’s animals face another crisis: a domestic situation where we are trying to fit a population of over 6-7 million by 2025. Building of infrastructure has invaded the habitat of our native animals like kangaroos, deer, wallabies who are pushed into suburbs and on to our roads.
In the face of all these threats, Vets for Compassion pride ourselves on being able to respond quickly to animals in needs.
Meet the Team
Dr Elaine Ong AM
Founder, Pro bono CEO, Board Member, Vice President, Veterinarian and Darter.
Dr Chris Barton
Co-Founder, President, Board Member, Veterinarian and Darter.
Jerry Yong
Board Secretary and Accounts.
Dr Audrey Shen
Board Member, Veterinarian and Darter.
Dr. Adam Williams
Board Member, Veterinarian and Darter.
Nicole de Haan
Board Member, Operations Manager, Treasurer, Drone Pilot and Nurse.