[Lotus]

I am in contact with a small volunteer organisation in the Kinglake/St Andrew's district.
Jane is currently looking after a large number of displaced horses, goats, alpacas, cattle and domestic animals for people who have lost property and family members in the fires. This involves finding paddocks for agistment (difficult as so many fences are gone), moving stock from one property to another, distributing hay/feed (nothing much is growing in the paddocks for animals to eat yet), sourcing hay, feed and other supplies etc, etc. She also has helped with locating injured and deceased animals and finding & notifying their owners, and caring for animals who were injured and burnt. She has been doing this virtually around the clock every day since the fires and is doing a fantastic job that has really helped many people and their animals.

Jane is absolutely desperate for feed for horses, alpacas, goats, chooks, etc and especially needs hay bales.
Also needed urgently are large, heavy canvas horse blankets (size 6ft and larger) as the weather is now getting quite cold and in the Kinglake area it is already very cold and damp in the evenings.

There is a real need for these things, especially as 2 months after the fires there is now little media coverage and a tendency to think that the worst is over and that everything is OK, which of course it isn't. A lot of other aid/relief efforts have now ceased and it is now and in coming months that practical help is needed just as much as in the previous 2 months. People are moving back into the area, getting back into routines, making plans and so forth and there is still so much practical stuff to be done and a lot of assistance needed, but the attention and assistance has subsided somewhat.

If anyone here has ideas or can help source donations please let me know via email. My email address is slinkykatz@hotmail.com

Thanks
Liz

[Pam]

What about putting out a call to the PCAV and the EFA. I am sure they would notify all the local clubs and they would be more than willing to do a feed drive. Our Pony Club Upper Beaconsfield did a collection of chaff and 50/50 to send up awhile ago but I am sure it could be done again.

[flipflop]

You could also post on the various horse forums... such as

http://vichorse.com/forum/

[OrangeCatBlackCat]

I tried to PM you Liz but your box is full. I sent you an email.

[Pam]

Another suggestion that my hubby came up with was to ring Neil Mitchell on Radio 693 3AW on Tuesday morning I am sure he may be able to get something up and running.