In an accidental litter not far from her Highfields home at Lake Macquarie in NSW, Nissa found her best friend. 

“I’d wanted a Kelpie for years, so when I heard about the litter I went to have a look,” she recalls. 

“As soon as I saw Ochre I knew she was the one for me.” 

In the three years since her adoption, Ochre and Nissa have been inseparable. Nissa says the bond was firm from the start. 

“I’d just been through a breakup, so I got a van and travelled around, and she was with me all the way,” she says.  

“She’s very adventurous, a beautiful dog and yeah, my best mate.” 

Ochre was young and fit, with vaccinations and food making up the lion’s share of her bills.  

“I’d never really considered pet insurance,” she says. “I figured it was for people richer than me. And Ochre was just so healthy that I didn’t think it was right for her.” 

But life can change such situations in an instant, as Ochre found out one Saturday morning. 

“We had tradies at the house. I’m not sure who left the gate open, but I’d gone out for a walk with some friends and a few minutes later I got a call,” Nissa recalls.  Ochre had been hit been hit by a car and one of her back legs was severely injured. As the dog attempted to limp home, she was found by an animal rescue agent and taken to the Animal Referral and Emergency Centre at Broadmeadow. 

“That was Angela,” Nissa says. “She definitely saved Ochre’s life.” 

It was Ochre’s first vet visit, and almost her last. “There were a number of injuries, so I wasn’t sure if she’d make it,” Nissa says.  

“It was touch and go for a few days, and even after that I wasn’t sure if she’d be able to recover.” 

But throughout Ochre’s recovery period, AREC and Nissa stayed in touch. “Sometimes I’d get updates in the middle of the night,” she says. “I’d visit her every day. I’d think ‘Ok, you haven’t given up yet, bubba. We’ll keep you alive’.” 

Despite her friends setting up a GoFundMe to help with the vet bill, Nissa says she didn’t comprehend just how much Ochre’s treatment would cost. 

“I’m just so close with her, so I’d say ‘If she’s going to make it, let’s keep her alive’, but her injuries were so complex.” 

Nissa was ready to take Ochre home from AREC when a friend told her about PetSafetyNet. Created by PetSure along with VetPartners, VetChat and the Animal Referral and Emergency Centre (AREC), PetSafetyNet is a free 24-hour vet telehealth service designed to provide more equitable access to veterinary care for vulnerable and disadvantaged Australians. 

“I met the eligibility criteria so I submitted an application,” Nissa says. “Dr Conradi from PetSafetyNet contacted me straight away, and then got in touch with AREC to find out about Ochre’s condition. He was very kind and thorough, and a great advocate for me at a time when I was stressed and overwhelmed.” 

Currently available in Tasmania and the Central Coast and Hunter regions of NSW, PetSafetyNet is complemented with subsidised urgent in-clinic care, which can make all the difference in a critical situation. 

“I was so fortunate that SafetyNet exists,” Nissa says. “I’m not used to paying these kinds of bills for healthcare because we have Medicare.” 

The injuries to Ochre’s leg were grievous enough an appointment at New Lambton Vet Clinic was arranged to discuss amputation.  

“She was in so much pain though, and then the leg got infected,” she says. “Thank goodness I had access to VetChat through SafetyNet. I didn’t want to move her, so I spoke to two different vets and they arranged for her to return to AREC to treat the infection. The telehealth was hugely helpful because I couldn’t move her on my own.” 

Once the infection had cleared, Ochre was taken to New Lambton to have her leg amputated due to the severity of her injuries. Thanks to PetSafetyNet, Nissa saved $3,171.80 for the cost of the amputation; she also saved her best mate’s life.  

“There were times when I thought that if her quality of life was going to be too diminished or she wouldn’t be well enough to continue living, euthanasia was an option,” she says.  “But it’s a weird thought: can I afford to keep my animal alive, especially when I’m so close to her and she’s such a big part of my life. It made me think, ‘how do other people navigate this?’”

“They’ve been lovely,” she says. “It’s such an important service for people who don’t necessarily have that much money and need to keep their animals alive. Not everyone has insurance and not everyone knows how much cost can come from an accident like this. I’m very thankful.” 

Meanwhile, Ochre’s journey to recovery continues. Nissa knows it won’t be easy, and is doing her best to keep her dog comfortable. 

“Ochre might need more surgery because she’s having trouble weight bearing on her remaining leg. But she’s able to relax at home and I’ve been learning massage techniques to relieve some of the pain.” 

Despite this, Ochre is slowly returning to normal. 

“She’s very alive. She’s got her spark and she’s making her happy noises again,” Nissa says. “This has been brutal, but it’s brought us closer together. I don’t have children of my own, so Ochre is my kid. She’s my world.”