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Report cruelty or an animal in distress
Coronavirus update
Overnight Closure of the National Cruelty and Advice Line
As of 6th April 2020, we have taken the very difficult decision to temporarily close our services between the hours of 10pm and 7am, due to severe staffing pressures, with around 25% of our inspectorate staff ill or in isolation. The vast majority of calls we have to respond to come in during the day and early evening and we need to make sure we have enough officers available to deal with emergencies in these peak times. Everyone in animal welfare is under tremendous pressure at this time and we are really grateful to our colleagues in the police, veterinary profession for supporting us to do our best for animals in these unprecedented and difficult times.
Emergency response and call times
We're currently experiencing a shortage of staff due to coronavirus, so we can only respond to emergencies. If you need to contact us about a genuine emergency, please don't hesitate to contact us.
We apologise if anyone calling our National Call Centre (NCC) may be kept waiting a little longer than usual. We're also unable to accept any anonymous incidents through our NCC at this time.
We're regularly updating our coronavirus hub page for information, if you're after general advice please take a look at our animal advice and welfare section.
We receive a call for help approximately every 30 seconds. Some situations that may appear distressing are not against the law. In their daily work our inspectors have to prioritise cases where the law is actually being broken.
Before calling us...
Our phone lines can get extremely busy so, before calling us, check the information below:
Baby or fledgling birds
Baby birds are often better off being left alone. Please don't touch a baby bird unless you are sure it genuinely needs help. Our advice on fledglings and nestlings gives guidance on how to decide if it does.
Stray or abandoned dog
Our limited number of officers mean we can only attend when a stray animal is in imminent danger, such as serious injury or illness.
Stray dogs are the responsibility of local authorities, who must provide a dog warden service.
Report a stray dog to your local authority.
Check out our top tips on what to do if you've found a lost, stray or abandoned dog,
Stray or abandoned cat
Our limited number of officers mean we can only attend when a stray animal is in imminent danger, such as serious injury or illness.
Stray cats can be hard to identify, they can often be owned or living as a feral. We don't collect healthy stray cats and ask instead that you read our advice:
Barking dogs
Dogs bark for many reasons and may not necessarily be in distress. In the first instance, please contact your local authority and make a noise complaint. They will contact us if they have further welfare concerns.
Report a barking dog to your local authority
Separation-related behaviour
It's possible the owner isn't aware that their dog is barking while they're away. Please let the neighbour know what's going on while they're out. They might find this guide helpful:
If you've seen the dog and are concerned they are sick or injured, please call us on 0300 1234 999.
Dog kept outdoors
It isn't illegal to keep a dog outside, but they must have access to adequate shelter, food and water. It can be frustrating but we're only able to act when there is a concern about the dog's health and welfare.
Tethered horses
Tethering compromises a horse's well-being and is not a practice we recommend, however tethering itself is not illegal in the UK. Our officers must work within the law, so we cannot send them out to tethered horses unless the horse's welfare is affected (e.g. an injury caused by improper tethering equipment).
Injured wildlife
Injured wildlife often needs help quickly and our officers are limited in number.
If the animal is a wild bird or mammal smaller than the size of a rabbit, the quickest way to get help is to contact a local vet or rehabilitation centre as they will not usually charge for treating wildlife.
Find your local wildlife rehabilitation centre
If the animal is larger than a rabbit, please call us on 0300 1234 999.
Animal in the road
Healthy animal in the road
If there is a healthy animal on a motorway or major 'A' road in England or Wales please call the Highways Agency (for England) on 0300 123 5000 or Traffic Wales on 0845 602 6020 so arrangements can be made for the animal to be removed.
Any healthy stray animals found on minor roads in England and Wales should be reported to the police so they can decide on the actions necessary to ensure the safety of road users and the animal.
In the case of a stray dog on the road, we suggest you also call your local council's dog warden service as they are legally responsible for stray dogs.
Injured animal in the road
We can only attend an animal that is highly likely to be at the scene once we arrive. If there is an injured domestic animal on the road and it is still mobile and in and out of traffic, please contact the local police on 101.
If the animal is badly injured, please call our 24 hour cruelty line on 0300 1234 999
Dead animal in the road
If there are no suspicious circumstances and the animal is found on a motorway or major 'A' road in England or Wales please call the Highways Agency (for England) on 0300 123 5000 or Traffic Wales on 0845 602 6020 so arrangements can be made for the animal to be removed.
For any minor or side roads then local councils are obliged to pick up dead animals but please note this does not include private or residential property.
Call us to report a concern about an animal
Call our 24-hour cruelty line to report cruelty, neglect or an animal in distress.
- 0300 1234 999
The call will cost the same as any call to a UK landline number. Please note, during busier periods your call may be placed in a queue. You'll be asked a variety of questions to ensure that your call is prioritised according to its urgency and to ensure there is enough information for us to investigate. Please read our reporting cruelty checklist for further information.
What happens next?
We prioritise all calls about cruelty, neglect or injured animals according to their severity and urgency.
Due to the high volume of calls we receive and our limited resources we aren't always able to respond in the way that would be ideal or as quickly as the emergency services can with more resources. Please be patient. If you're concerned the situation is worsening, please contact us again.
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Animal in distress
