First Flynn's Walk in Wagga sees every man and dog take on mental health

It comes after CSU's Veterinary Students Committee reached out to walk organiser Jack Levitt asking if he would be open to running a walk in Wagga, given the large population of vet students in the city.

Walks have been held in major city centres across the country, with Mr Levitt, who spoke at the event, blown away by the response from the regional community who gathered at Lake Albert in force on the weekend.

"The weather was amazing, no fog so the lake was absolutely sparkling when we got there," Mr Levitt said.

"We got a couple hundred people, big contingent from CSU from the veterinary course there, well represented from local veterinary clinics as well.

"It was almost, we think, our highest ratio of dogs to people that we've seen.

"Lots of people were very generous with their time to come up and say hello and just thank you for putting it on and welcomed us."

Mr Levitt decided to start the walks in honour of veterinarian and good friend Dr Flynn Hargreaves, who took his own life in 2018.

He decided to create an event that raised awareness of the burnout and stress vets can experience during work, with communities invited to bring their pets along for the walk.

"When we started it we were just dealing with our own grief and loss of Flynn, but we thought of course people are going to bring their dogs," Mr Levitt said.

"In the veterinary field there are some unique stresses in the workplace that can lead to a higher rate of burnout.

"We're trying to highlight that through our walks, and getting people talking about it and showing some love for the vets and the broader vet staff who look after our animals.

"You don't even have to get into a deep conversation, you can just be around people and feel some social connection which is another important alleviator of stress and isolation."

The annual event has grown from its humble beginnings, with walks now happening annually in Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane and Sydney, while smaller events have been held in Toowoomba and Perth.

But coming to regional NSW was something Mr Levitt always wanted to do.

"It just felt like it was meant to be, it was a place that we should have walked and I'm so glad we've done it.

"We hope that we can make it an annual event, the university is not going anywhere, veterinarians aren't going anywhere.

While advocating for mental health awareness for veterinarians is the main goal for the walk, veterinary student welfare was also a hot topic, with Mr Levitt advocating for vet students to be included in the government's new paid practical placement scheme.

Most vet students have to undertake 52 weeks of placement during their six-year course.

Mr Levitt spoke to students on Sunday about how they're coping and said an online petition pushing to get vet students added to the practical placement scheme already has 5000 signatures.

"It was great to connect with and get the perspective from the students who are right in the thick of it at different levels of their training," Mr Levitt said.

"The cost of living pressures that we know everyone is experiencing, if you're a student that is exacerbated by the fact that you're trying to maybe work a part time job or hold down some casual hours so you can get by.

"They're really having to serve their hours in placement, so that conversation is live at the moment."