An exciting new national e-learning course is now available. The Veterinarians, hobby farmers and backyard livestock course is for vets who work with smallholders or hobby farmers and treat backyard livestock. This includes small animal vets who occasionally see chickens or pet livestock.

The 2-hour course focuses on:

• improving engagement with hobby farmers and pet livestock owners
• providing resources to assist working with this group
• protecting your staff and clients from zoonoses and other risks in veterinary practice and
• the role of government and private vets in disease surveillance.

This course was developed in response to a national survey of private practitioners who said they wanted a toolkit to help them work with hobby farmers. Participants also asked for information on how to protect their staff and clients from zoonoses, and easy to find resources. The course will address these requests, and help veterinarians improve biosecurity outcomes with smallholders, resulting in early detection of disease.

This is a national initiative between the NSW Department of Primary Industries, Animal Health Australia and the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA).

This free course is relevant to all vets nationally and will earn 2 CPD or VETED points.

For further instructions and a link to the course, see www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/biosecurity/greater-sydney-peri-urban

The e-learning module is part of 3 activities to help vets working with hobby farmers or pet livestock. The AVA held a “Biosecurity and smallholder” webinar on 18^th May, and there was a smallholder workshop for vets on 9^th June as part of the national AVA conference in Melbourne.

Contact: Sarah Britton
Peri-urban Program Coordinator

Ph. 02 6391 3410
Email: sarah.britton@dpi.nsw.gov.au