What’s happening?
Zoetis has renewed its partnership with Beyond Blue for the tenth year, pledging to raise $100,000 in 2025. The initiative supports mental health services in rural and regional Australia, with $5 from every Zoetis livestock, pig, poultry, and companion animal vaccine or parasiticide product donated, up to $100,000. This year’s target will take Zoetis’s contributions to a $1 million milestone since the partnership began in 2016.
Why it matters
Mental health challenges in rural Queensland are pressing. Many face long distances to access services, high costs, patchy internet, and the weight of stigma. Beyond Blue CEO Georgie Harman AO called each call to the service “a moment of courage” and stressed that timely support can change lives.
By the numbers
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Zoetis has donated more than $900,000 since 2016, aiming for $1 million in 2025.
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45% of farmers have reported thoughts of self-harm or suicide.
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One farmer dies by suicide every ten days, double the rate of the general population.
Zoom in
Fred Schwenke, Zoetis Business Unit Director, Livestock, said: “Supporting rural Australia on its long journey to better mental health is not a quick fix – it’s a sustained and compassionate effort.”
Beyond Blue board member and farmer Derek Schoen added: “Our farmers are some of the most resilient people in the country, but we still need to ask for help. This campaign is about ensuring that help is there when and where people need it.”
Zoom out
Every two minutes, someone in Australia contacts the Beyond Blue Support Service. Last year, more than 276,000 people reached out by phone or webchat. Funds raised by Zoetis have already enabled 17,000 rural Australians to access these services, with most reporting improved wellbeing.
Local Impact
Townsville resident Debbie deKroo knows firsthand the importance of reaching out. After juggling a demanding career, family pressures, and later challenges with her teenage children, she experienced depression and anxiety.
“It felt like I had lost my joy in life. I felt low, flat, sometimes numb. My strength and confidence were gone,” Debbie recalled.
With the support of her GP and psychologist, Debbie found strategies to recover, including journalling, exercise, and leaning on family. A pivotal moment came while paddleboarding with her sister and niece. “It was the first time I had laughed in months, and I realised then how far I’d come,” she said.
Now, over a decade later, Debbie continues to use strategies to stay well and reminds others that seeking help is a sign of strength.
What to look for next
Between 15 July and 31 October 2025, purchases of Zoetis products will contribute $5 each to Beyond Blue. Funds raised will ensure more people in Townsville and across rural Queensland can access mental health support when they need it.
