Long-term Pilbara vet up for WA award

Vet and entrepreneur Rick Fenny is up for a WA business award for a second consecutive year.

The vet, who started his WA network of practices in the Pilbara and was vet to the legendary Red Dog, is one of four finalists for the business category of the Western Australian of the Year Awards.

The awards recognise outstanding contributions to the State by West Australians, with previous winners of the business gong including company director and gender equality advocate Diane Smith-Gander and Fortescue Metals Group founder Andrew Forrest.

Dr Fenny was short-listed for his more than 40 years of experience founding and operating businesses as part of the Rick Fenny Group, including the WA Pets and Vets network, Ocean Park Aquarium and Carbla Station in Shark Bay, and Maitraya Luxury Retreat in Albany.

In recent few years, he has also made a foray into the TV business as the star of pilot-turned-upcoming series Desert Vet, a documentary that follow his travels to treat animals around regional WA.

Dr Fenny said he was passionate about regional WA.

“I’m a champion for the regions in that I try to help all the WA regions as much as I can,” he said.

“Providing services to the regions is what I do, and if I didn’t provide them, I don’t know who else would.”

He highlighted fly-in, fly-out work arrangements as the biggest issue for regional businesses.

Dr Fenny was a finalist for the same award in 2018.

Award winners will be announced at Perth’s Crown Ballroom on May 31.