Would you know what to do if you found a stray or injured animal?
As a nation of renowned animal lovers, it’s not a great surprise that the instinct of most members of the public is to find the closest vet if they discover an injured or stray animal. However, that’s not necessarily the case.
If a stray or injured animal is brought into us at Charter and is wearing a ‘Charter Vets’ pet tag, please rest assured that we will take it in to our care and use the details on its microchip and our system to locate the owners and reunite them. However, for animal with no means of identification, we have to follow a different procedure.
Initial Emergency Treatment
The RSPCA has an arrangement through the British Veterinary Association to assess and care for sick and injured animals in an emergency situation. Initial Emergency Treatment (IET) is the preliminary assessment and care of sick or injured wildlife and stray animals. This IET DOES NOT cover dogs, including stray dogs, or animals whose owner is known.
What happens if I find a stray or injured dog?
As mentioned above, if the dog has a ‘Charter Vets’ pet tag on its collar, we will take it in and keep it at one of our hospitals for up to seven days whilst making every attempt to reunite the dog with its owner.
If the dog does not have a Charter Vets pet tag on its collar, your first port of call is:
1. Your local council’s dog warden :
North Devon District Council: 01271 388870 (during office hours) or 02171 388240 (emergency out of hours).
Torridge Council: 01237 428700 (office hours and out of hours)
2. North Devon Animal Ambulance: 01271 323740 or 07817995751
