The Paws Network ACT is a hub of information that deserves a round of a-paws
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Revitahl Yosef is more than just a dog parent and furball lover—they are a powerful advocate for every pet and their owners here in the ACT.
After working in various not-for-profit areas in the animal industry, Revitahl quickly realised that there was a Doberman-sized hole of pet ownership information (and misinformation) that needed to be filled. And so, Paws Network ACT was born—a completely not-for-profit hub of information that connects pet owners with valuable services and resources in a judgment-free space.
“I decided to make a move towards working in more medical stuff. And in that move, I went to a general practice clinic, and I just realised that there actually wasn’t widespread knowledge about what charity services were available,” reflects Revitahl.
“And so I was driving my partner to work one day, and I said, ‘I wish there were a website that had all of this information in the one place,’ and his response was, ‘So why don’t you?’ And that started the idea and became a bigger thing and a bigger thing, and now it’s this.”
Revitahl has impressively launched the website in just under a year, anchoring the constantly evolving hub of information to their own experiences as a pet owner as well as collaborating with veterinary colleagues to create a comprehensive guide of information.
“I think the first thing I did was reflect on my own experiences—the things that were a real learning curve for me and the things that I got confused over that people were kind enough to break down for me,” they say.
“And then, I worked with colleagues in the industry who talk about medical and veterinary care. So it was a mix of friends and family suggestions and co-workers and colleagues.”
While the myriad of challenges pet owners face can be complex to navigate, the Pet Network ACT is anything but. Breaking the website up into four primary areas of easy-to-access information, as well as providing tangible connections to empowering services.
“The core value of the website is to link people in with assistance for pet care, so financial assistance or otherwise. But it also offers a clinical and service directory for the region, which I’d like to expand to include things like behavioral trainers, that sort of thing,”
“Then it includes information on resources for re-homing and emergency boarding, as well as spreading awareness and general information. I wanted to take things and really break them down to make sure that everyone can understand.”
Revitahl notes that while your local vet may be your go-to, services in Canberra are severely overwhelmed. After raging bushfires, a global pandemical and the rising cost of living (without so much as a gulp of fresh air between them), the ability for Canberrans to care for their pets understandably felt an ‘unprecedented times’ type of strain.
It’s something Paws Network is not only trying to heal but prevent from happening in the future.
“During the bushfires, so many people were displaced and put in such a tough position that they couldn’t provide for their pets. And then, when the pandemic hit, we actually saw a huge rise in pet ownership which created an industry shortage of vets, something we’re still experiencing today. Under the ‘Vet Services’ tab on the website, you can see a little blurb explaining the disparity between how many people have pets and how many vets there are,” says Revitahl.
“The aim of the website is to help vet clinics as much as it is to help pet owners get information out there because we don’t know what’s next. I just want to make sure that the website is here to help and it’s here to stay.”
Against the backdrop of all that’s been challenging in the world, the Paws Network feels distinctly future-facing. A testimony to Revitahl—who doesn’t gain anything financially from the website (with no ads or revenue, it’s entirely self-funded)—the website is determined to connect, educate and simply give back to Canberra’s furball community. Let’s raise our paws to that!
“My main goal is for all pets and their owners to have equal opportunities. And I do want to express that, especially with boarding and re-homing things like financial assistance—all of this comes from a completely non-judgmental place. As a pet owner, I’ve been there, and I completely understand, having worked in the industry, that some circumstances are just really unfortunate,” explains Revitahl.
“And so I just want people to know that if they want to reach out via the contact form, it is a judgement-free zone. I’m just here to help in any way I can.”
For more information visit pawsnetworkact.com.
