Raise a Glass for Hope 2025 was a resounding success!
We are excited to announce that the event raised over $80,000 for our charity, enabling us to keep advocating for those in the veterinary profession and striving to save the lives of those who save our animals.
Thank you to everyone who bought a ticket and spent generously across our auctions, raffle and wine wall.
In addition to raising important funds, the night was one of heartfelt connection and plenty of fun. Our singing champagne lady set the scene. The photo booth was kept very busy. Bronte Manuel did an outstanding job with our live auction. And our dynamic duo of DJ and live saxophonist lured many onto the dance floor.
Thanks also to our wonderful sponsors, donors and volunteers (especially our tireless Project Team) for helping to make it possible, and to our wonderful ambassador, Casey Treloar, for her brilliant work as MC.
See you next year?
The latest…
SASH Adelaide 2025 Conference
We're excited to join SASH for South Australia's biggest vet and nurse education event of the year!
Over two days, guests will learn from SASH Specialists and Nurses, covering topics across anaesthesia, surgery, internal medicine, neurology and more, as well as guest speaker, the renowned Dr Tabitha Healey.
Tickets include fully catered meals throughout the day, and a cocktail event on Saturday evening.
Attending both days can earn you up to 11 CPD points for vets and nurses. Visit the SASH website for a full list of speakers.
Tickets will sell out fast, so don't miss out.
New Board Members
Sophie’s Legacy has announced several new Board appointments.
Mark Clayton, appointed Chair of Sophie’s Legacy in April 2025, is an accountant and corporate services specialist with extensive experience across professional services, disability support and education. He has served on several not-for-profit boards, bringing deep expertise in governance, financial management and risk oversight.
Announcing the new Board appointments, Mark said:
“Our Founder, Garry Putland, remains a guiding presence on the Board. At the same time, we are strengthening governance with new appointments that bring expertise in mental health, community partnerships, fundraising and finance. This blend of continuity and fresh perspective positions Sophie’s Legacy to expand its impact across Australia while staying true to Sophie’s purpose. On behalf of the Board, I thank Garry for his leadership and warmly welcome our new Directors.”
Please use the button below to learn more about our new Board members.
Calling on Veterinarians for Important Research
We are very supportive of any work that aims to help prevent suicide among veterinarians.
Sophie’s Dad, Garry, has been part of the lived experience advisory group for Queensland veterinarian, Dr Alena Gadoury, regarding her vital PhD research on suicide prevention.
Alena is inviting all registered veterinarians across Australia to take part in her anonymous survey, which seeks to understand the extent of suicidality in the veterinary profession and what factors may contribute to it. It takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.
This research has been approved by Griffith University’s Human Research Ethics Committee (GU ref no: 2025/045) and aims to inform future suicide prevention strategies via some actionable insights.
Your contribution to this research is a meaningful step towards helping to prevent suicide and save lives.
Short Courses that Give Back!
We're excited to have the Australian College of Veterinary Nursing (ACVN) support our charity and empower veterinary nurses at the same time.
For every short course sold between August 4, 2025, and January 25, 2026, ACVN will donate $50 to Sophie's Legacy.
The goal is to raise $25k in 25 weeks.
There's never been a better time to upskill…
Support from Greencross and the Petbarn Foundation
We are incredibly excited to announce that Greencross Vets have partnered with the Petbarn Foundation to support us via the sale of some seriously cute hedgehogs and terrifically handy tote bags.
The merchandise will be sold through Greencross Vet clinics in 2025, with all profits going directly to Sophie’s Legacy.
Established in 2012, the Petbarn Foundation has donated over $30m to help animal welfare groups and rescue organisations throughout Australia and continues to support thousands of pets, animals and the people who love and care for them every day.
More than $35,000 has been donated directly to Sophie's Legacy by the Petbarn Foundation, helping us to continue raising awareness of the issues veterinarian staff face.
We are so grateful for this joint gesture and the core messaging that’s accompanying it; to treat veterinary staff with kindness and respect every time you visit.
Powerful Posters and Submissions to Parliament
In June 2024, we launched our Lost Campaign, inviting you to sign our petition so we could lobby for government policy and industry change to provide more mental health support for vet professionals.
Our ambition was to get 10,000 signatures across six months. We had over 11,000 within three.
We are grateful for your support and indebted to the wonderful volunteers across the country who handed out Lost flyers to individuals, libraries, shopping centres and community venues to help spread the word.
Thanks also to Showpony, who designed the flyer and Lost video, for their creative vision and helping to ensure the campaign was seen across multiple platforms nationwide, including the back of buses, in shelters, and across billboards.
Lost posters are still available for download. And the petition remains open. Because the more support we have, the louder our message will be.
Lost Campaign Video
Petition Count
We continue to receive wonderful feedback on the impact of our We’re Only Human posters. Stories of improved respect towards vet staff and tales of treats and thanks too. You can still grab one of these as well.
