After 12 years of rehabilitating kangaroos, a respected and experienced wildlife carer has been criminalised for providing essential and expert care for an injured kangaroo. 

It has sent shockwaves through the wildlife carer sector and exposed a broken system. If we don’t fix it, carers and wildlife will be left without the essential care and support they need.  

It is unbelievable that wildlife carers can and have been put in this untenable predicament. It is fundamental that we have strong laws to prevent and punish any and all acts of cruelty to animals, but those laws have now been twisted and used against a volunteer wildlife carer. 

It is perverse that an experienced and dedicated volunteer wildlife carer, who had obtained veterinarian treatment and followed all of the specialist guidelines in the care she provided to an injured kangaroo could be turned into a criminal. 

The system must change. Wildlife carers need support not prosecution. 

While the wildlife carer will likely appeal her conviction, this case has far reaching implications and has exposed just how badly broken the system is. Why and how the RSPCA poured resources into prosecuting a wildlife carer, rather than provide her support, and that the court would be compelled to convict her is clear evidence that things are broken. The essential work of wildlife carers is just not properly recognised and protected under the law. 

The situation for carers and wildlife is now untenable. Wildlife carers are walking away in fear that they too could be made into a criminal for caring for sick or injured wildlife. 

We can not have wildlife carers walking away from our wildlife.

Where were WIRES during all of this? What support did they provide to one of their own volunteers? We know that after the unforgettable catastrophic black summer fires WIRES received over a hundred million dollars in donations to help wildlife. We also know that in 2024 WIRES reported to have a 74 million dollar surplus.The core way WIRES helps wildlife is through volunteer wildlife carers, who are on the front line of the trauma of native animal injury, harm and sickness.

Wildlife carers are the heroes of our time. They volunteer around the clock and dig deep into their own pockets to provide for the expensive needs of sick and injured wildlife. 

The NSW Government is currently undertaking a wildlife care sector wide review, which will report soon.  

We know what we need. A system that fully supports wildlife carers and provides them with the respect and resources they need to care for wildlife. For too long the system has relied wholly on the good will of our wildlife carers. 

It’s time to turn things around for our wildlife carers and wildlife. 

Along with many others in the community I know how it can and should be. With the right systems in place where wildlife carers are supported and resourced to do the life saving work they do.  

I know because I have been a wildlife carer. I have rescued injured and sick native animals and cared for them. This is why I threw myself into establishing and building the recently opened fantastic Northern Rivers Wildlife Hospital.

A 100% community-owned government-supported wildlife hospital dedicated to the treatment and rehabilitation of native wildlife. It is a wildlife hospital for wildlife and wildlife carers. It's a beacon of what can and ought to be done.

Since becoming an MP I have been working with wildlife carers all around NSW and learning about the problems they face. Now, seeing one of our wildlife carers criminalised for caring for an injured animal doing the very best she could, I want to see things really change. 

We can’t do this on our own. We need you too. I am asking you to join this campaign. If you too want to see our wildlife carers properly cared for so that they can care for wildlife in need - please sign up here now and then be ready for the next call to action.