Extreme Weather Ravages Australian Livestock, Overwhelming Rural Vets

In the aftermath of extreme weather events that have ravaged rural Australia over the past few months, veterinarians are bearing the brunt of the crisis. In March, veterinarian Dr. Stacey Rae witnessed the devastating impact of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred in southwest Queensland, where hundreds of thousands of livestock were scattered across the plains, many dead or struggling to survive in the thick sludge.

The situation has only worsened, with record-breaking rainfall in May flooding the Hunter region and mid-north coast of New South Wales, forcing farmers to bury their dead stock. Veterinarians like Dr. Jeannet Kessels have been working tirelessly to treat the animals, often while their own clinics are under water. The emotional toll has been immense, with Kessels saying she has "probably shed a tear with every client that came in for euthanasia."

The veterinary profession in rural Australia was already facing a workforce crisis, with job vacancies lingering longest in the bush. Now, the added pressure of extreme weather events is exacerbating the situation, with vets working more than 50 hours per week and suffering from high emotional strain, moral conflicts, and alarming suicide rates.

The climate crisis is also driving the spread of new diseases, such as the recent outbreak of Japanese encephalitis virus that swept through more than 80 piggeries across multiple states, leading to the deaths of three people. As former chief veterinary officer Dr. Helen Scott-Orr warns, the threat of climate-related disease is becoming more serious, with once-limited illnesses now appearing in new regions.

Veterinarians and farmers in the affected areas feel forgotten, as if the nation has simply "moved on" from the devastation. But the impact of these extreme weather events will continue to be felt for months, if not years, as the veterinary profession struggles to keep up with the overwhelming demand for their services.