TAFE NSW Richmond has upskilled a group of volunteers at the Hawkesbury Valley Animal Welfare League NSW branch, providing them with the basic medical skills they need to effectively look after the animals in care.

The group of volunteers completed a TAFE Statement in Animal Care and First Aid, which taught them how to understand health indicators, check vital signs, learn basic first aid for animals and know how to react in emergency situations.

Animal Welfare League NSW has been caring for surrendered, neglected and abandoned animals for over 60 years, and has already treated 6,843 animals, desexed 7,455, and homed 2,107 this year.

Elizabeth Dundler has been a kitten foster carer at the Hawkesbury Valley Animal Welfare League for six years and said completing the TAFE Statement in Animal Care and First Aid was very beneficial.

“The training was great, we learned a lot about the health indicators for quite a few species, checking for vital signs, what to do in an emergency, including basic first aid for animals and how to ensure our own safety first. 

“We were fortunate to have hands-on experience cleaning out the animal enclosures and performing health checks on them.

“Some of the kittens we care for can be quite young and very fragile, so having the skills to know what healthy should look like and to detect issues early across various species is not only better for the animal but can also assist rescue groups financially.” said Ms Dundler.

TAFE NSW Head Teacher Animal Studies, Rebecca Coventry said that it’s important that individuals volunteering their time at places like the Animal Welfare League are equipped with the knowledge and skills to look after the animals in care.

“By delivering the training on sight at the Animal Welfare League NSW Hawkesbury Valley branch, the volunteers were able to implement the hands-on skills they were learning directly into their workplace. This saw them care for a range of different species and broaden the knowledge they already had.” said Ms Coventry.                                                                              

TAFE NSW Enterprise customises flexible training options for businesses. For more information visit www.tafensw.edu.au or phone 131 601 for more information.

Media contact: Emma Cawley, TAFE NSW Media Officer, emma.cawley1@tafensw.edu.au or 0412 478 415