AWRRA-Advocacy for Wildlife Rehabilitators & Rescuers Australia

07/09/2026

😡😡😡 This story epitomises what’s currently happening within this dysfunctional charity & the greater wildlife rescue sector; why change is so desperately needed.
Get this…

“After many years of dedicated service as a WIRES volunteer, I was a wombat carer responsible for one of only three wombat enclosures on the Central Coast. This role is particularly important because other wildlife organisations on the Central Coast do not have facilities to care for wombats through to release. Under the current Code of Practice, wombats cannot be relocated more than 50 kilometres and, where suitable care is unavailable within that distance, they may ultimately have to be euthanised.

I was involved in the process seeking the removal of four WIRES Board members.

Who would have thought that I would ultimately find myself, as a long-standing volunteer and the Wombat Coordinator, having to fight to remain a member of WIRES?

Instead, I have been put through an extensive and distressing internal disciplinary/investigative process concerning alleged social-media conduct.

WIRES relied on a large body of historical Facebook commentary, comprising approximately 191 pages of material, and characterised the material collectively as breaches. I was not provided with sufficient particulars identifying which specific comments were alleged to constitute each breach or which particular policy provisions were said to have been breached.

I specifically raised these issues as matters of procedural fairness and requested that the matter be dealt with by an independent external mediator, rather than continuing through an internal process in circumstances where I had serious concerns about the fairness and independence of the process.

Despite raising these concerns, I have been put through the ringer over historical social-media commentary. I believe the circumstances surrounding my involvement in the process seeking the removal of the four Board members provide important context to what subsequently occurred. The potential consequences extend beyond my own membership: they may also affect the availability of specialised wombat care on the Central Coast at a time when other organisations are winding back their involvement and the Code of Practice restricts the relocation of wombats.

There was no intention to throw the Board Members out of WIRES, just remove them from the Board.

My mental health definitely suffered and I decided that being a VOLUNTEER for WIRES was not worth it.”

So much gratitude to you, Leanne, for your many years of voluntary service & all the lives saved.
This is absolutely WIRES’ loss & another’s gain.
You deserve far better. 🙏🏻

30/08/2026

🙄🙄🙄 Australia’s largest wildlife rescue organisation apparently places no value in the volunteers that are the very reason this charity exists.

Determining that the number of members expelled or resigning due to bullying equates to .11%-highly inaccurate btw-& insinuating that these volunteers have been placed in this situation because of “someone else’s craving for revenge & attention” is a further insult to their intelligence.

What this org fails to recognise is that these members have been dedicated volunteers for many years & their contribution to wildlife rescue is substantial.
They all have lives outside of wildlife rescue with a combined professional skillset & life experience which adds enormous value to their independent roles.

Insulating their intelligence & trivialising their contribution to the sector and the many lives they’ve saved just shows the community the deep level of disdain & exactly why this charity is in trouble.

The post itself has had minuscule response versus that of the outpouring of support for John Palmer as evidenced by over 280,000 views & over 1000 comments, all in support.
One only has to read through those comments to ascertain how many more have been negatively impacted.

So I suggest you get your facts straight.

Once again I’ll reiterate just how important it is to support Australian wildlife carers & rescuers directly by bypassing large charities & organisations who spend the vast majority of public donations on admin, staff/wages, advertising campaigns & legal fees.

I have no doubt that’s NOT where you intended that your donations be spent. 😉
www.thegiftproject.com.au

21/03/2026

With Barack Obama and Ellen DeGeneres plugging the cause, donations poured into a bushfire emergency fund. Infighting followed.

22/01/2026

🦘🦘🦘The Australian Wildlife Protection Council (AWPC) provides a comprehensive overview of Tracy Dods’ case-Dods vs RSPCA-in this article, with Tracy’s appeal judgement to be heard in Sydney’s Parramatta District Court on March 13, 2026.

The outcome of this appeal has serious implications in terms of setting a precedent for all those who take on the selfless role as wildlife rescuers and carers, across the country, often with little to no support from the organisations under whom they work as volunteers.

The injustice is astounding.
The support for Tracy, overwhelming.

Links to the most recent SMH article and her story on The Project are provided along with a link to the GoFundMe, supporting Tracy with her legal costs for her appeal against the charge of Aggravated Cruelty.

As always
🙏🏻

Tracy Dods at her property with a friend Share this page Volunteer wildlife care in the spotlight: Inside the Tracy Dods case When a volunteer wildlife carer faces prosecution, the issue isn’t just about one animal. This case raises big questions that concern all people who love Australian wildlif...