When faced with a stray animal, having the right reflex is not always easy, especially in an emergency. The behavior to adopt will depend on the animal – domestic or wild – and also on the place – highway or other. 30millionsdamis.fr gives you the keys to knowing the right actions!
Lost, abandoned or injured … Stray dogs and cats, but also wild animals in need, can cross your path. Overview of the right actions to adopt!
In town or with your partner, contact the town hall
If you find a stray dog or cat on the public road, the animal may just be lost. It is therefore important to make sure of this in order to try to find his master, either thanks to the coordinates mentioned on his collar, if he wears one, or thanks to his identification (tattoo or chip). You can then contact the I-CAD company – with the help of the veterinarian – who will contact the master.
In the absence of identification (or a collar mentioning the master’s details), ” contact the town hall of the town where the animal is found », Warns the National Order of Veterinarians (ONV). It is she who is responsible for stray animals on her territory; she will give you the contact details of a service that will take care of the animal or those of the pound if you can drop it there yourself. The latter will have the legal period of 8 working days to keep the animal and allow its owner to appear. At the end of this period, if the latter has not come to claim it, the animal may be adopted or entrusted to an association or foundation for animal protection.
Outside office hours (called working hours), the town hall’s emergency number will direct you to a partner veterinary practice. The latter can also take care of any pet found wandering and injured.
On the highway, call 17
If you come across a stray animal on a highway, ” Do not stop to try to catch the animal “, Warns the legal department of the 30 Millions d’Amis Foundation,” at the risk of causing an accident “. ” The best thing to do is to call 17 », Adds the brigade of the West Ile-de-France highway CRS, contacted by 30millionsdamis.fr. The Police or Gendarmerie service will alert the company that manages the highway on which the animal is located so that it sends a patroller to recover it.
” If you know the name of the concession company of the highway where you saw the animal, it is also possible to contact her directly during working hours: she will take care of all the formalities to rescue the animal, confirms the legal department of the 30 Millions d’Amis Foundation. But be careful, do not look for his coordinates while driving! “.
Wild animal ? Contact a health center
Juveniles are all too often picked wrongly.
JF. Courreau – Fauna Alfort
When faced with a wild animal – as with a domestic animal – caution is required, for your safety, as for his. If it is injured, do not handle it and immediately contact the nearest wildlife care center who will advise you on what to do. On the other hand, ” if it is a protected species [et que vous parvenez à la déterminer , NDLR], notify the French Biodiversity Office (OFB) which has sole decision-making power, whether the animal is injured or dead, specifies the National Veterinary Office. If it is game, tell the mayor ”.
Finally, if you meet a juvenile, make sure, before any intervention, not to remove it from its parents. Indeed, only newborns depend on their mother: when they are a few weeks old, animals can try to venture out to explore their new environment. “ This is the tragedy: juveniles are too often collected wrongly, warns the President of the Faune Alfort association, Jean-François Courreau, on 30millionsdamis.fr. By picking up a young animal, you are more likely to do harm than good “. And this, whether you meet a fox, a young hare, a fawn, or even a young bird that has fallen from the nest. In the latter case, be sure to place it away from predators. In short, get closer to a care center only if the animal is obviously an orphan, like Alfox, this fox rescued by the 30 Million Friends Foundation, after being found on the edge of a road, near his mother’s corpse.
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