AMRRIC (Animal Management in Rural and Remote Indigenous\nCommunities) has won a Special Award in one of the largest and most prestigious\nveterinary awards in the world, the International Canine Health Awards (ICHA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AMRRIC is the first organisation ever to win an ICHA award\nand was given the accolade in recognition of their extraordinary work in\ncreating culturally safe veterinary and education programmes in remote\nAustralian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Their work has\nbeen shown to be essential in assisting and empowering these often-remote\ncommunities to meet their needs for companion animal health, care, and safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is the first year that a Special Award has been given\nbut we were profoundly impressed by the work and the mission of AMRRIC and the\nexcellent work of their veterinary and education teams, enhanced through\nvolunteers, who provide this vital service. I am delighted that AMRRIC are the\nvery deserving recipients of this exceptional prize for an exceptional\norganisation,\u201d Andrew Higgins, Chairman of the International Canine Health\nAwards panel and trustee of The Kennel Club Charitable Trust, which runs the\nawards, said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dogs serve important roles in remote Aboriginal and Torres\nStrait Islander communities. They are valued companions, revered hunting aids,\nand play important cultural and spiritual roles in Indigenous communities.\nRemote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are often hundreds of\nkilometres from the nearest veterinary clinic and can only be accessed via\nunsealed roads, expensive charter flights or infrequent barges. The annual wet\nseason results in road closures which can cut these communities off for months\nat a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AMRRIC was founded in 1998 and its unique approach has been\nbased on a deep respect for the cultures and values of Aboriginal and Torres\nStrait Islander peoples. It utilises a \u2018One Health One Wellbeing\u2019 model of\nservice delivery, developed over years of dialogue and engagement with Indigenous\ncommunities, that recognises dogs as being intrinsic to the fabric of each\ncommunity, and acknowledges the inseparable links between the health and\nwellbeing of companion animals and that of their owners and their communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The awards, which are organised by The Kennel Club\nCharitable Trust (UK) and underwritten by a major gift from Vernon and Shirley\nHill, founders of Metro Bank, highlight those individuals who go one step\nfurther to promote the health and wellbeing of dogs through their work in the\nworld of veterinary science. The winners are chosen by an independent\ninternational panel of eminent veterinarians and scientists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are truly\nthrilled to be the first recipients of a Special International Canine Health\nAward,\u201d Bonny Cumming, Program Manager and Acting CEO at AMRRIC said. \u201cTo be\nhonoured with this award is absolutely humbling. It\u2019s also wonderful validation\nof the value and impact of AMRRIC\u2019s work to address health inequities, by\nworking collaboratively to improving the health and wellbeing of companion\nanimals in remote Australian Indigenous communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe international recognition that this award brings will\nhelp to shine a spotlight on the continuing disadvantage faced by many remote\nAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities when it comes to accessing\nanimal health services. It also assists to cement AMRRIC\u2019s reputation as a\nleader in the delivery of collaborative, culturally appropriate, One Health One\nWellbeing-focused services that aim to ensure communities are healthy and safe\nfor people and their companion animals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alongside this award, Bonny credited the organisation\u2019s\nongoing positive relationships with remote communities as their proudest\nachievement \u201cWe\u2019d like to share this recognition with the many wonderful Aboriginal\nand Torres Strait Islander communities and partners with whom we collaborate,\u201d\nshe said. \u201cWe simply could not deliver our work without our many and varied\ncollaborators.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n