13/08/2026
🐾 A QUICK NOTE FROM SANDY PAWS - BIRD FLU (AVIAN INFLUENZA)🐾
Living by the coast means we’re lucky enough to share our community with some amazing local wildlife!
With bird flu being detected in wild birds in Australia, we just wanted to remind everyone to take a few simple precautions:
🦜 If you see a sick or dead bird, please don’t touch it
🐕🦺 Keep your dogs and other pets away
📞 Report sick or dead birds to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline – 1800 675 888
If you find an injured or sick native bird, please contact WIRES (1300 094 737) or give the Sandy Paws (6646 5676) team a call for advice.
We work closely with WIRES to help care for our local wildlife and make sure they receive the right help ❤️
If you have backyard chickens or pet birds, keep them separated from wild birds and protect their food and water.
There’s no need to panic — the risk to human health is considered low, but it’s still important to take precautions!
H5 bird flu mainly affects birds, but dogs and cats can also rarely become infected if they eat or come into close contact with infected wildlife.
So please keep your pets away from sick or dead birds and don't let them eat wildlife they find on the beach.
If you would like some more information regarding the bird flu, click on the NSW Gov link,
Avian influenza | Department of Primary Industries
https://www.dpird.nsw.gov.au/dpi/biosecurity/animal-biosecurity/avian-influenza
Thank you from all of us here at Sandy Paws Vet Clinic! 🐾
New South Wales is responding to 2 confirmed detections of H5 bird flu. Both cases have been in giant petrels found near Hawks Nest.
