By Fatima Halloum
A crowd gathered outside the Melbourne University U-VET Werribee Animal hospital on November 21 to protest its proposed closure.
The hospital provides care and specialist services for pets across the state.
U-Vet veterinary nurse Merissa Grovers said she’d been at the hospital for nearly six years, and was devastated to learn it could be closed.
“My heart is broken. To me, this isn’t just my job,“ she said.
“We’re the only veterinary hospital in the west, our staff have nowhere to go, our clients have no where to go.”
Ms Grovers said the veterinary industry was already “drowning“ and if the planned closure goes ahead, she expected it would worsen the shortage.
“The veterinary industry is often overlooked, but our pets are our family. Don’t we want what’s best for them?“ she said.
“I really hope we can at least create some noise to show how important this is.”
Ms Grovers said she was “very overwhelmed“ by the supportive response from the rest of the community.
“[The U-Vet hospital] is important for a lot of people,“ she said.
A spokesperson for the University of Melbourne said the university was encouraging people to continue submitting their feedback via the form linked on the U-Vet Facebook page.
“This is a proposal only, and we are actively consulting with the University community to ensure the final decision has considered all potential options.,“ the spokesperson said.
“The proposal to cease operating U-Vet is in no way a reflection of the hard work and excellent service our U-Vet staff provide to our clients and the community,” the spokesperson said.
The university also offers the only globally accredited Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program in the state.
“Should the proposal to cease operating the U-Vet Animal Hospital in Werribee go ahead, alternative arrangements will be put in place to maintain the necessary clinical teaching,“ the spokesperson said.
Details: unimelb.me/uvetfeedback
