In 2025, our Animal Care Truck hit the road with one clear goal: to bring essential veterinary care to pets and people who need it most.
Between February and December, our dedicated clinic team completed 10 trips across regional and remote NSW, delivering free veterinary services directly to communities where access to care is often limited or non-existent. What followed was a year of long drives, full clinic days, and an overwhelming sense of gratitude from the communities we visited.
Across 2025, the Animal Care Truck:
- Travelled to 38 locations, with 31 first-time visits
- Tended to 1,264 dogs and 400 cats and a small number of rabbits
- Administered 1,130 C3 vaccinations to dogs and 377 F3 vaccinations to cats
- Implanted 705 microchips
- Completed 142 desexing surgeries (68 dogs and 74 cats)
Reaching communities often overlooked
Many of the towns we visited in 2025 were smaller communities with limited populations and no local veterinary services. For many residents, our visit meant the first opportunity in a long time, or ever, to access professional veterinary care close to home.
“The response from communities has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Derek Thompson, Animal Care Truck Coordinator. “Residents are incredibly grateful for the visits and often tell us their towns are overlooked for services like this. Many have asked if we will return in the future, with several even offering to help when we do.”
One particularly memorable moment saw a local resident, a qualified children’s face painter and entertainer, volunteer her time on the day to help keep children engaged while their pets were being treated.
In a time when many communities are doing it tough due to cost-of-living pressures, the impact of these visits goes beyond veterinary care.
“One of the most rewarding parts of this work is seeing the relief and smiles on people’s faces,” Derek said. “These pets are often considered family members, so being able to give them a health check, confirm they are healthy or provide advice to help owners care for them better really means a lot.”
Dedicated desexing drives
Five locations hosted dedicated desexing drives in 2025: Condobolin, Lockhart, Moree, Dubbo and Taree, with three of these taking place in branch locations. These clinics played a critical role in preventing unwanted litters and supporting long-term animal welfare outcomes within local communities.
Powered by partnership
This program is only possible thanks to collaboration at every level. We thank the NSW Government for supporting this vital initiative, along with the local councils who help promote our visits, welcome our team and connect us with their communities. We are also grateful to the additional veterinarians who provide hands-on support, and to our dedicated AWL NSW branch volunteers who assist on the ground whenever the Animal Care Truck visits their regions.
As we close out another big year on the road, we are already looking ahead to 2026. Thank you to every community that welcomed us in 2025. We look forward to being back on the road again soon
