Dr Elaine Ong AM BVSc
Elaine graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1987 with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science. Till 2021, She was the Principal surgeon and owner of the Balwyn Central Veterinary Hospital an ASAVA accredited Hospital of Excellence in 2003.
She is the founder and Probono CEO of Vets for Compassion
She is a volunteer veterinarian and darter in Victoria during emergencies such as fires and floods every year since 2009. During the floods in Lismore in Feb 2022 , she headed a 43- strong vet and nurse response team , assisting the DPI of NSW
She volunteers daily as a macropod Darter and rescuer in Victoria ,one of only 8 in Victoria who will volunteer their time to capture injured and displaced macropods in Victoria on a daily basis She and her husband Dr Chris Barton has trained 8 other darters to assists in this work
Elaine was awarded the Belle Reid Medal by the University of Melbourne in 2009 for her significant contribution towards animal welfare in her pioneering projects/volunteer work.
In 2023 she was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia Medal by the Governor General of Australia ( the AM) This is in recognition of her services to her pioneering animal rescue work in Victoria and New South Wales .
Kangaroos on our doorstep
150,000 people per annum migrate to our state each year, all as part of the Governments plan to decrease alarming labour shortages. Hence demands for housing and infrastrture has increased 10 fold. There has been large numbers of construction sites all over Melbourne in every corner
Here urbanization has clashed with kangaroo habitat. These roos pushed out onto roads, or roadlocked completely with no shelter food or water The regular calls from Police ,Council ,Parks Vic, Willdlife Orgs and members of the public amount to over 40 calls per week for our volunteers. The Developers and construction compannies are sometimes powerless to help these roos as ecologists hired on site can only deal with small animals and Flora What is the solution?
