Parkes needs a full-time vet as cousins start petition seeking council's help

She's heard too many heartbreaking stories and terrible experiences from fellow pet owners, and the flow-on problems having no vet in town is creating for families.

That's why she's started a petition, with the help of her cousin Janine Hando, seeking Parkes Shire Council's help in bringing a permanent veterinary practice to Parkes.

Denise herself owns horses, goats, dogs, cats, birds and lambs.

And while visiting and temporary vets to Parkes have been helpful, most have only been for small animal consultations and clinics.

Denise said this means there is no service close to home to look after desexing, surgeries, emergencies, calving, foaling, whelping, colic horses, poisonings and snake bites, if an animal is hit by a car, and - being a rural town - the health of large animals.

"I thought it was stupid whinging about it (not having a vet), something has to be done," she said.

"We're hearing some horrible stories of what's happening to animals, and there'd be so many more we don't know about."

Since May last year when the town's only vet clinic closed its doors due to a shortage of staff, owners have been forced to take their pets to Forbes or Orange for veterinary care.

Denise said this created another problem for people who couldn't afford to travel, had no transport and for the elderly.

There are also no clinics happening like they used to in the smaller villages.

"While we are thankful for the visiting veterinarians, Parkes needs more than just vaccination clinics, etc," Denise said.

"It is disturbing to hear of animals in distress needing to be euthanised, having to wait for a vet to travel from Orange.

"There are also people wanting to foster or adopt animals but are reluctant to do so without access to veterinary services.

"I have a rescued stray animal that I've been told I can't get desexed at a Forbes practice until March 2024. This only contributes to the problem."

Denise was encouraged to collect 100 signatures, she achieved that within a couple of hours and was on the phone to Janine to print off more sheets.

It's been two weeks since circulating the petition and the pair now have more than 1000 signatures.

Denise has found one of the biggest reasons residents have signed the petition is the urgent need for emergency treatment.

"We heard two dogs were bitten by a snake but by the time they got to Forbes they were lost," she said.

After an internet search, Janine read that roughly 69 per cent of Australian households own a pet.

"If Parkes has an approximate population of 14,000 then Parkes has potentially 2000 domestic pets, and that's not counting farm animals," she said.

Denise and Janine will be taking the petition to council's next monthly meeting on November 21, with Cr Kenny McGrath presenting it on their behalf.

"We're asking council to make it a priority if there's a vet interested in setting up a permanent practice in Parkes," Janine said.

"We want council to use its resources to support any application for a veterinary practice in Parkes by means of helping to obtain a suitable location and expedite the process so the veterinary practice can be set up asap.

"This is nothing against council."

"It would take the pressure off the pound," Denise added.

"If a vet wants to come to Parkes the community will support them."

Denise said anyone who'd like to show their support of the petition and the call for a permanent vet to please attend council's November 21 meeting at 2pm in the Council Chambers.

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