Helping Animals in Distress:  A Guide for the Compassionate

Ultimately, helping animals in distress involves contacting the local authorities to report the situation. Different situations are described below along with which authority or organization to contact.

I think we all know that feeling of heartache when we see an animal in distress.  When we see an animal running along the side of the road or one that is skin and bones in our neighbor’s yard, we always say that we wish there was something we could do and hope that someone will do something!  For those animals hoping for help, that help often never comes.  Frequently, the problem is not a lack of concern; we want to help, but we don’t know how.  Today I’m going to provide a guide to help you know what to do the next time an animal needs your voice! 

What to do if you find an animal that appears to be a stray or an abandoned animal

In general, how we come upon animals varies tremendously.  If you find an animal, it’s important to remember that this sweet animal could be someone’s beloved pet. They may be devastated that they cannot find their baby. Being in animal rescue, I’ve even heard of a story of a person who witnessed a dog being dumped, only to discover that a member of the family with a mental illness dumped the dog, leaving the dog’s real owner panicked and heartbroken. It’s always important to make sure that the animal you find does not belong to another person before attempting to rehome it.

These tips should be a general guideline to help you know what to do:

1.  Approach the animal with caution.  If an animal is fearful, it may run away, or bite you… 
2. If you can catch the animal, then do so if you feel it is safe.
3. Assuming you can touch the animal, check for identification.  If it is wearing a collar with a tag- great, contact the owner!  If you do not see a tag and you can contain the animal, do so, but also take photos of the animal.
4. Safety permitting, take it to your local animal shelter or a veterinary office to have them scan it for a microchip.  These organizations often post the animal to local community social media pages to help find the animal’s owner. It is also possible that the shelter will take in the animal. If so, they will ask you to fill out paperwork that documents where you found the animal.
5. If you cannot take the animal to a vet or animal shelter, call 911 and ask the dispatcher to dispatch the sheriff’s department or animal control.
6. Post the photos to local social media groups, craigslist, and newspaper sites.
7. If you cannot take the animal in, please continue to report the animal to the shelters and to your local animal control as well as to local animal rescue groups on social media.  Someone is very likely to help you with the animal if you explain the circumstances.

What to do if you see an injured animal on the side of the road:

It’s important to be sure that you are safe.  You cannot help an animal if you, yourself, are injured in the process! 

1.  Slow down, pull over to a safe place, and turn on your hazard lights. 
2. Check the animal- if the animal is laying on the side of the road, you will want to determine if it is alive.  Check for any obvious injuries- was the animal hit by a car? 
3. Assess safety- If the animal is in a location that puts it in further danger, you may want to offer assistance.  Keep in mind that an injured animal will be frightened and may bite.  Approach slowly to determine how the animal is reacting to you.  If it is safe to do so, you might move the animal out of the road or into a cool or warm spot, depending on the circumstances.
4. Contact local authorities. Many people don’t know that you can call 911 for assistance with animals.  Emergency services will dispatch animal control to help you. 
5. Wait for help- it may be best to wait for animal control or other authorities to come and take the animal. 
6.  Take the animal to an animal hospital.  I would advise if you go this route to also contact a local animal control or animal shelter about assisting you with the matter as different vets will have different policies regarding the costs of care.  Often local animal rescue organizations will help.

What to do if you suspect your neighbor is neglecting or abusing their pet

This can be a tricky situation because you don’t want to start a war with your neighbor- episodes of “Fear They Neighbor” come to mind!  In most areas of the United States, pets are considered property. It is against the law to abuse animals. However, what constitutes neglect will vary from place to place. You can see where your state ranks, as well as research the laws of your state. This link to the Animal Legal Defense Fund will help you find your state’s laws.

Follow these steps to avoid a confrontation with your neighbor:

1.  Document the situation.  Take photos or videos to keep as evidence. 
2. Contact your local authorities.  Animal welfare laws vary from place to place.  You can check your county’s website to learn about the laws in your area.  If you do find that a violation is occurring, report the abuse to your local animal control as well as to any rescue groups that are in your area. 
3. Follow up.  Contact the authorities to see if they responded to your call.  Continue to document evidence.  If the authorities do not respond, perhaps you can get a local animal rescue to help you. 
4. If you remain on good terms with your neighbor, you may offer assistance.  The problem could be that the neighbor needs assistance and would be grateful for the help.
5. Make arrangements with a rescue that if you can get your neighbor to agree to surrender the animal, the shelter will take it in.   Shelters are often full, so it is important to share with them the evidence of the abuse to ask them to hold a place in their shelter for this animal as soon as possible.  Your neighbor may be willing to allow you to surrender the animal- it does happen. 

What do I do if I suspect the local animal shelter is neglecting animals

If your local animal shelter is the problem, you really may not know where to turn. 

1.  Speak to the shelter staff to learn more about the situation. You don’t want to make false accusations if there is any chance that you are mistaken.  However, if you still feel your concerns are valid after speaking with the organization, continue with this list. 
2. Document your concerns.  Take photos or videos, if possible. 
3. If the shelter is run by a larger organization, contacting the person above the local shelter manager may be the best approach. 
4. Contact the appropriate authorities: This may be your state’s Department of Agriculture or your local animal control.  Be sure to supply the authority with as much evidence as possible as well as the name and address of the shelter. This link will help you find the Department of Agriculture in your state.
5. Speak out: if you have evidence that something is not right with the shelter, it’s important to be the voice for the animals.  Contact others in rescue for advice about what you witnessed at the shelter. 

Conclusion

Always remember that it is important to act if you witness any animals in distress.  They do not have a voice, but we do.  It can be scary to take that step and try to help an animal in need, but by doing so, you are likely saving a life, and in some cases- many lives!