HelpWildlife is a website which provides advice and a directory of wildlife rescues in the UK. We are run by volunteers who are passionate about the welfare of UK wildlife and those who care for them. We sincerely hope that any need for complaint about our work is rare.
Where a user feels cause for complaint about one of the rescue(r)s listed in our directory, it should be noted that HelpWildlife is independent of the organisations listed, is not a governing body or authority, and is not able to alter the practices or behaviours of the listed rescuers. Complaints should be made initially to the rescue themselves and escalated to the relevant authority if needed.
For full details of our complaints policy please visit helpwildlife.co.uk/policies
For feedback and suggestions which do not amount to a complaint please visit helpwildlife.co.uk/feedback
NB: Please do not use this form to seek help with a sick or injured animal. Instead, please visit our help page for detailed guidance and links to bespoke help if you need it.
Our complaints policy was launched in June 2025 and anonymised details of any complaints received since that time will be shared below.
Complaint Details
These complaints were made by the owners of a rescue listed in our directory. The directory listing had been set as expired and the rescue was unhappy that the note on the listing included that we had received feedback that the closure may be related to an RSPCA investigation.
Background
Feedback was left on the rescue’s directory listing of on the 11th July 2025 and 7th August 2025 stating that the listing information was incorrect. One feedback comment included a claim that the rescue had closed as part of an RSPCA and Police investigation into animal cruelty.
As with any feedback of this nature, our volunteers undertook further investigation to assess its veracity. No evidence to support the claim of an RSPCA investigation was found upon initial checks but it was identified that the rescue’s website had been taken down. A social media post from 11/07/25 stated that the rescue had closed. These two findings strongly suggested that the rescue had indeed closed so the listing was given a status of ‘expired’ to temporarily remove it from search results. As an explanation for the status of the listing, our volunteers added the following update:-
“We’ve had feedback that this rescue is closed and may have been subject to an RSPCA investigation. We haven’t been able to verify that but their website has been taken down. We’ve removed them from our search results while we make enquiries.”
Our Response
The complainants were angry that HelpWildlife appeared to have made allegations about their rescue being subject to RSPCA action. In our response, we clarified that the note on the listing was purely a factual update on the feedback received and the reason for the listing having been removed from search results. The wording “may have been subject to an RSPCA investigation” reflected the content of the feedback but was immediately qualified by the statement that we had not been able to verify it.
We recognised that including the reference to an RSPCA investigation, even with qualifiers, may have caused concern. Our understanding, when including that detail, was that the rescue had closed, which transpired not to be the case. Had we been aware that the rescue was still operating, we perhaps would have felt it more appropriate not to restate the detail of the allegation. We therefore reworded the update the same day as the complaints were received to remove reference to the RSPCA investigation.
A few days later, we were able to confirm with the RSPCA that there was no investigation into the rescue concerned. Coupled with the rescue assuring us they were still open, the listing was therefore reinstated.
The complainant contact us with allegations of neglect and financial misconduct at a hedgehog rescue listed in our directory. Whilst their complaint was detailed, no evidence was provided to substantiate any of the allegations made.
Whilst it’s important that we do not facilitate animals being passed to rescues where there are welfare issues, it is also important that due process is followed. It would not be fair to a rescue or their reputation if we were to remove them from our directory based on unsubstantiated claims.
We advised the complainant to contact the relevant authorities with evidence of their concerns so that proper investigations can be conducted.
Some submissions have been made without due regard for the instructions above and within the form or were not complaints at all. The following submissions were therefore rejected:-
250702/1 – submitted as a complaint against HelpWildlife.co.uk but actually related to an unnamed wildlife rescue
250827/1 – submitted as a complaint against HelpWildlife.co.uk but was actually someone wanting help with an animal
250903/1 – submitted as a complaint against HelpWildlife.co.uk but was actually someone wanting help with an animal
250926/1 – submitted as a complaint against HelpWildlife.co.uk but was actually someone wanting help with an animal
251004/1 – submitted as a complaint against HelpWildlife.co.uk but was complaining that an unnamed wildlife rescue didn’t have space for an injured pigeon
251004/2 – submitted as a complaint against HelpWildlife.co.uk but was complaining that an unnamed wildlife rescue didn’t have space for an injured pigeon