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Our Story
What started as urgent rescue has grown into a vision for lasting change across remote communities.
Our Story
More Than Rescue: Our Journey
Our work spans some of the most remote and isolated communities in Far North Queensland. These regions face unique and complex challenges that affect both animal and community wellbeing. By working alongside councils, community members, Animal Management Officers, and other partners, RAA aims to deliver lasting solutions that create healthier futures for both animals and people.
WHAT WE DO
Since our inception in 2022, RAA has directly saved the lives of more than 300 animals through urgent rescue and rehoming. Our frontline work has revealed both the scale of the need and our capacity to respond, while also building strong partnerships with councils and communities. But our vision has always gone further. From the outset, we knew that lasting change would only come through building a sustainable system where both animals and people can thrive.
That’s why we’ve developed a research-informed, community-led 9-step strategy. At the heart of this plan is the recruitment of Animal Support Officers in each community – trusted local people trained to provide frontline animal care, education, and a bridge between pet owners, councils, health services, and veterinary teams. We’re already building momentum, with several councils formalising their support through letters of partnership to strengthen our funding applications.
Looking ahead, our plan also includes piloting mobile veterinary clinics and, in time, establishing permanent in-community services. This approach creates lasting change by supporting locally driven, culturally appropriate solutions that communities can sustain long after emergency rescues are no longer needed.
WHERE WE OPERATE
Remote communities across Far North Queensland are some of the most geographically isolated in Australia. They are diverse, vibrant, and deeply connected to culture and country.
Here, dogs play an essential role in family and community life, yet these underserved communities often face significant challenges in accessing the support and services they need.
Marked in blue are some of the communities we support.
OUR JOURNEY
Some special moments...
THE CRISIS
The crisis facing dogs in remote Far North Queensland communities isn’t caused by neglect, but by a web of complex challenges. Vast distances make access to veterinary services costly and difficult, with some families hundreds of kilometres away from the nearest clinic. The high cost of transport and treatment means that even basic care like vaccinations, desexing, or parasite prevention is often out of reach.
These barriers, and many others, create a cycle of preventable illness, overpopulation, and suffering that impacts both animals and people. Parasites and disease spread quickly when prevention isn’t possible, while large numbers of unwanted litters put additional pressure on families and councils. Addressing these challenges requires more than rescue, it calls for long-term, community-led solutions that bring services, education, and support closer to where they’re needed most.