20/08/2026
🚨 PLEASE READ — WILD BIRDS & OUR CLINIC 🐦
If you find an injured, sick or unwell wild bird that needs veterinary attention, please phone us BEFORE bringing the bird into the clinic whenever possible.
📞 Shepp Vets: 03 5821 3188
📞 Kialla Vets: 03 5823 1202
We are asking for this extra precaution because of the increasing detections of H5 high pathogenicity avian influenza (bird flu) in Australia. As of late July 2026, H5N1 bird flu had been detected in wild seabirds across several Australian states. While the current risk to people remains low, H5 bird flu can affect birds as well as mammals, and rare infections in humans have occurred overseas. (agriculture.gov.au)
🛑 PLEASE DO NOT BRING A WILD BIRD STRAIGHT INTO THE CLINIC WITHOUT SPEAKING TO OUR TEAM FIRST.
If you are unable to phone us before arriving:
➡️ Please stay in your vehicle with the bird.
➡️ Do not bring the bird inside the waiting room or clinic.
➡️ Call us on 03 5821 3188 (Shepp Vets) or 03 5823 1202 (Kialla Vets) and let us know you have arrived.
➡️ We will either direct you to a safe area/room or have a team member come out to assess and collect the bird before it enters the clinic.
This helps us protect:
🐶 Our canine patients
🐱 Our feline patients
🐦 Other birds and wildlife in our care
👩⚕️ Our veterinary team
👨👩👧👦 Our clients and community
We know you are trying to do the right thing by helping an injured or sick bird, and we absolutely want you to seek help when a wild bird needs veterinary attention. ❤️
We simply ask that you phone ahead or wait in your vehicle and contact us on arrival so we can safely manage the bird and minimise any potential biosecurity risk.
🙏 Thank you for helping us keep our patients, staff, wildlife and community safe.
📞 Shepp Vets — 03 5821 3188
📞 Kialla Vets — 03 5823 1202
If you encounter sick or dead wild birds and are concerned about possible bird flu, avoid handling them and follow government reporting advice.
