This page allows us to collect feedback from visitors to the site to enable us to make improvements where needed. Comments are only reviewed every few days so please do not use the comment facility to seek help with an emergency.
If you have found a potentially sick, injured, or at risk wild animal please click here to see sources of help.
HelpWildlife is run by volunteers who are passionate about the welfare of UK wildlife and those who care for them. We don’t do it for thanks or praise but we do love to hear how our work has helped people and animals.
We want our website to be as helpful and user friendly as possible so we welcome all constructive comments about our service. If there’s anything you think we can do more or differently, we’d love to hear your views.
Note: If you have an enquiry, please visit our contact page.
If you have feedback about a rescue listed in our directory, please visit their listing and use the feedback facility provided so your comments are linked to the right rescue.
If you have a complaint please visit helpwildlife.co.uk/complaints.
330 responses
Clear and quick response. A follow up email a couple of days later to check that we and the animal were well and the issue resolved. Brilliant.
Very helpful and supportive Offered me any further help that I may need Much appreciated – such an efficient service
Very helpful and great instructions on what was needed to help the pigeon
Very helpful and a quick response, thanks again
This looks like an amazing resource. Thank you.
Sarah was extremely helpful and I managed to find someone on her recommendation
excellent help.bird gone today i think it is ok
Please need to be able to CALL for advice!
Hi Karen
We are a very small charity and we simply don’t have the resources to be able to staff a telephone line, unfortunately. Our email helpdesk means that our volunteers can review pictures and provide assistance alongside jobs, family etc whereas telephone calls take much longer and make exchanging information such as phone numbers for rescues more difficult. To reliably provide a phone line for the same hours we provide email support, we would need paid staff who can focus entirely on the calls which, even at minimum wage, would cost in excess of £45,000 a year – the sort of money we could only dream of. We do list details of telephone advice lines run by other organisations on our help page which is linked to at the top of this one.
Sarah
Excellent website found you straight away and was immediately clear don’t go to rspca and check out rescue centres. Also brilliant was the don’t do this bits very clearly at the beginning of each section and why to take to a rescue centre do not attempt yourself. Reassuring to have the last updated so recent – have wasted vital hours in the past contacting defunct places.
Thanks so much for your kind comment, Annie. I’m so pleased you found the website helpful
Sarah
I suggest all rescues start to timely keep update on their websits and recording direction of answering machine for their phones (or other main contact channels if they do not have their websites or phone numbers for contact), about whether at the moment they still are ability (enough staff, energy, time, funding, space, facility, medicine, etc) to accept and help more animals. This can save much precious time of both them and people who find animals that need help and are considering and trying to ask them to help, so they can focus on taking goid care of the existing animals already in their rescues, and they will not need to accept and help more animals than they can help with, and will not need to explain more every time, and will not be vented anxiety and disappointment and anger to by people who are too anxious and not sure if the animals they are trying to help and find rescues for will die before they can send them timely to a rescue that can save those animals; And this will also help save a lot of precious time for the people trying to find a suitable rescue for the animals they find and try to help, as well as the animals that need to be helped by a suitable rescue, because those people will not need to blindly waste a lot of precious time to try to contact rescues one by one by all means and anxiously wait for reply, and often finally get no answer or reply or acceptance or clear and reasonable explanation for refusal to help and usually the death of the animals they are desperate to try to help and save, so misunderstand the staffs of the rescues and become upset, disappointed, sad, angry, etc.
And please try best to make your website known by as many the others especially common people as possible, because most people who suddenly find and have to try to help save some animals, do not have much experience on what to do and have not heard of you or finished reading all the relevant important information on your website, and when they are desperate to try to save precious time to find a way to save the animals they find, they often do not have the luck to be told about you by the overwhelming information they suddenly have to finish reading in order to find a clue about what they can and should do, and even they have been told about you and do not skipped you to chose other information resources to read on for help, they have to spend a lot of precious time to finish finding and then reading the important information on your website, before they can get a clue about what to do. If only I had the chance to pick out your website to read when I was desperate to try to help save a little mouse hurt by some fox/cat but I was swamped by the overwhelming information listed by the searching engine and like most other people have done, I only had little time to roughly skip through the key points of a few famous animal charities which are not all for wild animal rescueing especially for wild little mouse. It is a sad story. So please make yourself as widely known as possible! Thanks a lot.
And please carry on with your belief that any life is a life, so any animals including so-called vermins such as little wild mice etc should also be treated equally with the other animals that are not so-called vermins and should be tried best to save their lives. You are one of the few animal rescue charities I have encountered that provide help to so-called vermins eg. little wild mice. You are doing a good job and please carry on and never give up!
Hi Lizzie, thanks for your comments.
In an ideal world, rescues would have up to date information about their availability available as you suggest. Unfortunately, during busy periods, this can change minute to minute depending on admissions and, sadly, patients passing away. A rescue might have space for one species but not others and certain types of injury or illness but not others depending on the animals’ housing needs. Taking time away from animal care for tasks like updating their website can be really difficult.
Our website is found by about 350,000 people a year and is usually in the first five results if you google wildlife rescues or related terms but we’re always keen to be known wider. You can help by liking our Facebook page and sharing our posts, or visiting our ‘resources’ page where we have various posters you can share either online or ask businesses such as vets and pet shops to display.
Sarah
Your website says I can ‘submit a request’ prior to your help desk opening but I cannot find where I submit that request!?
Hi Catherine
Thanks for checking. A form should appear with that message but I’ve checked and there was a glitch. All sorted now so please reach out if you need some help.
Sarah
No hello,animal emergency,no way of contacting you by either phone or email
Hi Jane
Our website is designed to contain all the information you need in an animal emergency rather than needing to contact us. We have an advice library of 60+ articles and a directory of 700+ wildlife rescues you can contact in an emergency. In the event that you cannot find the help you need on our site, the big box at the top of this page links to our ‘help’ page which contains details of telephone advice lines and our email helpdesk.
Sarah
Good evening. Our resident fox has mange and having searched online for a remedy, I sceptically requested a bottle of homeopathic solution. After approx 2 weeks of lemon curd sandwiches, there is a significant improvement and he seems more lively. Many thanks for your recommendations. Regards from me and him!
Hi Sally
I’m so pleased to hear he’s improving. I totally understand the scepticism – if I hadn’t seen it work myself on literally hundreds of foxes I would be the same.
Thanks so much for the feedback
Sarah
I’ve still no idea what to do about the injured pigeon in my conservatory. You sent me to the local RSPCA, they advised me to ring the national helpline, they advised me to come back here… the poor thing will be dead before someone tells me what to do with it
Hi Gareth, I can’t see that we’ve had any contact from you previously. If you need help with an animal, the best way to get in touch is via our helpdesk as per the link at the top of the page. I’ve sent you an email to get some more details from you so we can advise.
How can I complain about a rescue you have listed. ?
Hi Wendy, information for you here – https://www.helpwildlife.co.uk/about-us/policies/
I emailed last week to ask to be removed from the listings. As yet no one has responded and I am still on the list.
Please advise ?
Tess Merry
The Nutkin Ward
Hi Tess, apologies, I did reply but we’re having some issues with email delivery. I’ve forwarded you on my response from a different email account.
Sarah
such an excellent service ran by volunteers to help wildlife. I initially used the site a few years ago for an injured bird and was directed to a community hero who was incredible and such a great contact for future rescues too, and have used again since then recently for a hedgehog. Always really quick replies and the people writing are always genuinely concerned and follow up with you too which is brilliant. the website is full of useful information as well. There needs to be more resources like this.
For all the people in the comments below getting annoyed about not getting responses etc, please be kinder. these people are all volunteers using their free time to help animals. I know it can be stressful having an injured or sick animal in your care but think about how stressful it is for the people who dedicate their lives to helping them for no pay or thanks and please be polite and kind to others!
Impossible to get hold of an email address/phone number to ask for help
Appreciate that this is run by volunteers, but how to I actually ask for help?????
How do I get in contact? Pressed the red link, took me to another page that said the helpdesk was available, and then nothing!!!
Hi Joanna, When you go to the helpdesk page, you need to select one of the options for the help you need and you’ll then be shown more fields to fill out with details of the situation. You can also get in touch via our Contact Us page (for which there is a link at the top of this page) or use the helper Bot in the bottom right of every page.
Thank you for contacting me. Sadly I could not find the babies when I returned to where the deceased mother was armed with cat carrier. I appreciate what you do, and although I cannot volunteer myself due to current work commitments, I have left a monthly donation to help in just a small way. Lovely to know that kind souls are looking out for our wildlife in need.
No help at all. I found it impossible to get anyone to speak to.
Hi Paul. Rescues are extremely busy at this time of year so you may need to leave messages and wait for them to call you back when they’re free. We haven’t received any emails or helpdesk requests from you – please do get in touch if you still need help (the link is in the red box at the top of this page).
Thank you for the volunteering help given to the rescued bird . This volunteering team were amazing and so kind.
I hope that they are given support always so this rescues so can continue in the future .
Good resource, I was surprised at the number of rescues
Great advice and suggestions on how to do something productive to try to save a fox family living under a school from being killed by pest control unnecessarily when there are groups that will remove them safely and relocate .Websites and address given also names of groups that can help locally. Thank you very much for all the info . 6 foxes will be safe now.
Thankyou for helping me find someone to take in an injured pigeon. I managed to find someone in stanground to take the pigeon .
Thankyou
Looked up care and advice for a stunned wild bird, really helpful and easy to navigate. Thank you
Thank you to Sarah who was very helpful although we couldn’t help the Wrens
can you tell me if Helpwildlife or Starlight Trust are registered with the charities commission? I cant find either of them on the register.
Hi Sally, we aren’t registered with the charity commission as our income falls below the minimum £5000 threshold. We are registered as charitable with HMRC but I don’t believe they publish a register.
Clear advice on the website and quick help when I made contact which meant I was able to get the help needed for an injured bird. Such a relief. Thank you.
Thank you for the prompt reply it was helpful and the medication ordered
Extremely fast response with good helpful information, thank you.
I already knew about the wildlife rescues in your directory but was delighted to see them included. What a brilliant service 👏
So supportive and kind, offering caring human contact and, above all, practical advice.
Thank you so much for your quick response. Your advice very much appreciated.
Thank you again
Gay Youens
Great advice and very quickly received thanks a lot Sarah
Excellent advice and quick reply well worth a donation
Thank you for your quick and very helpful advice and recommendations, it made such a difference and I quickly found the rescue who took care of a very sick fox who was unable to walk. Thank you for being there!
Thanks for a reassuring advice. It really put my mind at ease.
A big thank you for giving us the necessary advice on the injured pigeon we found, it made it so much less stressful not knowing where to turn for advice on it’s care and treatment. We have now found a rescue centre recommended by you to take it in and hopefully nurse back to fitness.
Thank you so much for your brilliant and helpful website as it was easy to follow when I didn’t know what to do for the injured bird.your website is easy to follow and I am so grateful.i can’t bear thinking about this poor bird in the rain so I am grateful to be getting some advice by email.Thank you so much
very helpful and caring service thank you.
Huge thanks to Sarah A for her prompt help with the injured racing pigeon we found and brought home. Sarah replied to my email within 15 minutes, tried to find a half-way house close to me for that evening and offered to take the bird herself when that wasn’t an option. I handed Prudence over this morning (yep, 2 nights was long enough for her to gain a name). I’m very happy she’ll be well looked after before her journey to a bird sanctuary. A brilliant service run by compassionate volunteers.
I couldn’t thank you enough for your prompt reply to my request this morning. Sarah was very kind and helpful throughout. Amazing service! Well worth the donation.
Excellent advise Thankyou.
Thank you Sarah for all your help this morning. This is a great service for helping animals.
Thanks so much for the helpful advice on how to care for the injured bird until I could get it to a rescue, and for the useful links to other nearby rescues as well.
Put me in touch with Bird aid who helped this pm. RSPCA couldn’t come out until tomorrow and likely a fox may have eaten seagull or cat may have bothered it
Brilliant help and advice. Responded straight away to my email. The baby pigeon has now flown back to a parent. Thanks again, great charity, well worth the donation.
I’m no ‘bleeding heart’, but I’m of the opinion that no living thing needing help is automatically beyond any care I could provide.
My daughter and granddaughter found a grey squirrel injured – although no obvious injury – in our road today and I have it in a box wrapped in a towel right now… I know what we SHOULD do with them, but I couldn’t do that easily with any living thing that I couldn’t otherwise help with (even) palliative care.
After spending quite a while looking for similar care in the community, thank you so much ‘helpwildlife.co.uk’ for providing it.
As my old granny used to tell me:- ‘Compassion is probably the greatest of all human emotions’.
You provided that today.
Thank you.
I too found an injured squirrel amd no one wanted to help . Rang the RSPCA and they said the vets but they didn’t want to know . Saying it was vermin . How cruel , no bigger vermin than some humans ! Poor Liitle thing died , but this amazing charity tried to help
Thank you for your advice. Goldfinch has now recovered and flown away. 🙂
Thank you so very very much for the the really useful information and encouragement you gave me. I was feeling really helpless about this little baby seagull and you reassured me that I have being doing the right thing and what to continue doing.
thank you muchly Billie
Thank you so much Sarah for the help you gave us with the lovely wood pigeon that couldn’t fly 🐦 The service you provide is excellent. We know we can contact you for brilliant advice and support if we ever need to help sick or injured wildlife again. It’s great to know that there are kind people like you always ready to help. We’re very grateful.
Thank you so much for your help with finding a way to help an injured baby pigeon that I found. Without your help, I couldn’t find the right places to call.
I also thanks for following up with the process whole day!
You are doing a great job!!
Thank you so much for your help on a Sunday with a baby hedgehog that we had found. Without your help and the rescue lady who took him in he wouldn’t have survive. You do a wonderful job.
Website is not user friendly. Have been trying to find a way to notify you of an injured bird but have been sent round in circles by links and the “contact us” page has no numbers or email addresses!
We have tried very hard to make the website easy to use and build in safeguards for those who perhaps aren’t so comfortable with technology. At the top of this page, for example, is a banner which says ‘IF YOU’VE GOT A WILDLIFE CASUALTY AND YOU CAN’T WORK OUT HOW TO NAVIGATE THIS WEBSITE PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR 1-2-1 SUPPORT FROM ONE OF OUR VOLUNTEERS’. The link takes you to our helpdesk where our volunteers provide 1-2-1 support 12 hours a day for those who haven’t been able to help themselves using the information on the website. At the top of the Contact Us page, in bold, are instructions on what to do if you have a sick, injured or at risk animal, including another link to our helpdesk. There’s also a link to the helpdesk in the footer of every page of the site. I understand it can be difficult, when you’re under pressure, to take them time to read the information on the site so I’ll see what we can do to make these safeguards more obvious.
Edited to add: I’ve put a bright red border around the banner on this page and the information on the contact us page to hopefully make it stand out a bit more.
I rescued a small hedgehog from my garden, and took it to someone in Penistone who claims to be involved in Hedgehog rescue. I tried contacting her first thing this morning to arrange taking the poor little creature to her home: I got no reply so rather than keep it in a cardboard box for who knows how long, I drove to Penistone with the Hedgehog and her father took it from me. Later on the lady contacted me complainiing that I had delivered the Hedgehog. There is nowhere else around my area that can accommodate wild creatures, so what should happen now? Steve.
Hi Steve, most wildlife rescues, especially hedgehog rescues, are small, voluntary concerns often run from people’s homes. They unfortunately don’t have unlimited space and aren’t usually home 24/7 so generally ask that folks speak to them first to make sure they are home and have space to accommodate the animal. I’m guessing that may be the source of their complaint but I don’t know for sure. In our directory we have half a dozen rescues listed as taking hedgehogs within 20 miles of Penistone, as well as another half a dozen on the private ‘Community Heroes’ tier. So if you don’t hear back from the closest rescue, please do try others a little further away or get in touch via our helpdesk for details of those on the Community Heroes list if no-one else can help.
Great helpful informative advice. Thankyou.
Unfortunately, the dove died before I could get it help. Thank you for the contacts. You asked for a photo but it would have been helpful if you had an email address.
In this instance, the dove was probably beyond help but I feel I wasted a lot of time trying to get help and then having to fill in email and personal details before you were able to contact me. A telephone number would have been quicker.
Thank you anyway.
Regards,
D. Woosey.
Hi David
I’m very sorry to hear the dove didn’t make it.
To address the points you made – we do have an email address. Each form submission receives an automatic email response which provides our email address, as do our substantive replies. The auto response says that a photo can be attached to a reply to that email.
Our helpdesk form is designed to walk you through how to find help and does encourage you to go straight to the directory and telephone a local wildlife rescue where it’s clear the animal needs help. We received your form submission at 10:20 and replied with details of wildlife rescues in your area at 10:25. You read our response at 10:29 so I’m not sure where time was wasted?
We find it much more effective and efficient to provide advice by email as this enables us to make a visual assessment of the animal (when photos are included) and provide written information to which you can refer. Providing a list of rescue phone numbers over the phone would take considerably longer, risk errors, delay us helping others as well, and would make it difficult to include links to the important guidance on our website. We are upfront about this on the helpdesk page and point visitors towards telephone helplines they can call if they prefer.
Sarah
Quick response within 20mins about an abandoned blue tit nest. Advised what to do overnight and gave support with rescue contacts. Was nice to have support when all other phone lines of rescues were not answering. Thank you
Very fast reply and excellent advice on what to do about birds in the roof.
Thank you Help Wildlife for your very prompt response, advice and support when we found a nesting blackbird with a large tick on its neck. All is well now with the bird actively feeding three chicks. The tick appears to have detached.
Thanks for the quick response and advice
you were a great support.
Very quick at responding to emails and offering a list of rescue organisations. Shame none of them came back to me which ruled out capturing the injured blackbird as there was no ongoing route for proper assessment and care available. I appreciate that it was only one common wild bird and these organisations are hard pressed and short of resources.
Thank you, you website and helpful staff and very quick reponse to my email query, pointed me in the right direction in regards to help for an injured wood pigeon I found and Flintshire wildlife and pet rescue took him in. Hopefully he will make it.
Sarah and Beri kept in touch with me to ensure the final outcome of my trapped squirrel problem. The prompt response by email was supportive and helpful especially as this took place on a Saturday night when few organizations might be available. The squirrel lived and was freed. Thank you to the helpwildlife team.
Response received within 10 minutes. Advice was clear and contacts for local centres to help were provided. Probably not able to save the fox 🦊 sadly, as area is overgrown and the animal is still mobile.
Excellent advice, and was thankful for the homeopathy treatment sent.
Thanks, Gillian, so pleased to hear your fox is getting better
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT YOUR ORGANISATION (S) ARE ENEMIES OF THE HERRING GULL. A VERY INTELLIGENT AND LOVELY BIRD. YOU CLASS THEM AS PESTS.
YOU KNOW THEY ARE PESTS BECAUSE THEY ARE STARVING AND IN NEED OF FOOD BECAUSE OF HUMAN GREED , OVERFISHING AND PROPERTY MANIA/ PROFIT. WHAT SORT OF IMMORAL PHONEY BIRD CHARITY ARE YOU. ?
Hi Linda
I think you may have us confused with someone else, perhaps one of the rescues in our directory? Though I don’t know of any who have this attitude to gulls. We certainly don’t see them, or any other animal, as pests. Perhaps you could tell us more about what you’ve heard and who it was about?
Excellent advise. Not sure what I would have done without their help, the injured dove now in a bird rescue centre.
Having found an injured wood pigeon in my garden I didn’t know what to do. Help Wildlife were just as their name suggests, so helpful. I was given a possible list of Wildlife Centres to contact plus information on what to do in the meantime. It was a Sunday and the only other helpful reponse I got was from Denise at the Old Farm Animal Centre near Chippenham who was happy to take the poor bird. So 5 stars to Help Wildlife and to the Old Farm Animal Centre. Thank-you.
Thank you for the advice and help I received after my enquiry. Not only the reply was very quick after I sent my original message, but I felt the issue was taken seriously and people genuinely cared about it. I will not hesitate to use this service again if I encounter any wildlife related situation.
Website Action Required, for Page https://www.helpwildlife.co.uk/rescues/ ,,,this page letter box options too feint cant read, the middle letterbox option, search for:- (optional) search by ,,,is unreadable last word cannot be read, needs software update, can hardly read what we have typed too dim, ,,,,but keep up the good work, RegardsThom.
Thank you, Thom, another user has mentioned this too and we are working on a solution.
I found a injured wood pigeon in my backgarden and I didn’t know what to do and I turned to help wildlife and they help me they was really good and help me straight away thank you for you help
It was hard to find a rescue which was open to referrals until I discovered ‘Help Wildlife’. They replied in minutes and I found a rescue straight away. Thank you!
Sarah and Beri were very helpful. I had a saga with a mother mouse and her babies. No clue what to do. They helped and advised and reduced my stress levels greatly. Very happy I got intouch.
Very helpful ,we had to ring a few places and leave message but was promptly contacted and got poorly animal help.
Yes gave correct no and rescue.
I wouldn’t have been able to locate a recue for a poorly hoglet without this facility. Invaluable
I don’t think I use this website for it’s intended purpose, but it’s been an invaluable resourse in a wildlife rehabilitation and rescue unit in my veterinary nursing course, so thank you!
(Plus I know where to come if I was to find injured wildlife as well!)
Hi Katherine, that’s brilliant, really pleased you’ve found it helpful, thank you for letting us know 🙂
Excellent service. Emailed on a Sunday afternoon and received response instantly. Staff were knowledgeable and provided practical advice catering for my needs at the time. Helped to give a couple of abandoned squirrels a chance at a life.
three days ago we found a soaking wet and injured baby gull who had hurt one of it’s legs, i contacted this awesome charity for help and they tried there hardest, evengiving us feeding advice and keep in contact with us to ask how he was doing. My Mum and me contacted everyone they sent me a list of and even the RSPCA who told us to take him to the vest, no one my house can drive and it wasn’t until my sister became available that we even had anyone to take him which is why i kept trying to contact people. However today my sister took him to our local vets who can treat and look after him, they will let us know how he is doing. Thankyou all for your kindness, help and care! wishing you all the best and keep up the amazing work.
Received a quick response about a bird that had fallen through my traditional chimney. I continued to receive emails to find out about the birds progress. Thank you so much Beri and Sarah A for your helpful advise & care while he was trapped. The fledging wood pigeon managed to make it out alive and was unhurt. What I also did was contact a chimney sweep company who came out to help on day 2 they were able to put a camera up and break up an old nest which fell through the bottom of my chimney which made the chimney area clear so the bird could fly down. He flew down on day 3. So just keep that torch shining up. I also opened my bedroom curtain and window to let air through into the room.
A big HUGE thank you to sarah, thank god for angels like yourself for pointing us in the right direction to help our local foxes, the information was well received. i did contact the RSPCA but they didn,t want to know and couldn’t wait to put the phone down, then we contacted sarah who was quite quick in responding, well done you xx
Awesome charity with a great cause!!! I couldn’t thank Sarah enough for her fast response and helpful advice for the ill gull (my parents found in Bulgaria!). She was kind enough to give us feeding advice and follow back on recovery progress later on. Thank you so much again for your kindness and care Sarah! We need more awesome and good-hearted people like you in the world! Thank you and wish you all the best! :))) x
I first rescued my first hedgehog in 1974 but didn’t really start till about 12 years ago.we have just moved house and are just started putting our rescue on Facebook and applied to go on the register but they seem to have took all my details off and not sure why as we have helped loads of hedgehogs over the years and do get busy.but we will still carry on on the register or not as we get most of our hedgehogs from the local vets in our area
Hi David, we’ve not taken your details off, all new listings go through an approval process before they’re published as I mentioned in my email to you. As your Facebook page was only a few days old we added your rescue to the private ‘Community Heroes’ tier of the directory as we usually do with (what appear to be) brand new rescues, otherwise we’ve found new rescues can quickly become overwhelmed with the number of calls a more prominent listing can generate. We’ll be happy to review this at a later date.
I found a fledgling wood pigeon in my local park this morning. It was being attacked by two crows. I picked it up and took it home. I contacted Help Wildlife who very quickly got back to me with details of local organisations that might be able to help. The pigeon was collected by one of them within a few hours. I’ve been in this situation before (in another country) and having a resource like Help Wildlife is a Godsend. Thank you, well done, and keep up the good work!
What an excellent resource you provide, saving the life of thousands of casualties; through your education and advocacy, and by providing a searchable directory. I don’t know how you find the time, but I thank you for it, from the bottom of my heart.
There’s been a massive rise in abusive callers this past year, and it can be so dispiriting. But for every one of those broken misguided people there are thousands who love and support what you do. Pauly x
Thank you, Pauly, that means a lot 🙂
So, so grateful to Sarah for all she does. Does wonderful work and must help save countless animals from otherwise horrible fates. Amazingly prompt and detailed with replies when you feel totally at sea with what to do. Total lifeline – thank you so much!
No help at all. The only ‘sanctuary’ in my area has a full answer phone, so I wasn’t even able to leave a message.
Hi Jeanette, it has been a very busy year and, coupled with the pandemic causing a shortage of volunteers, this means many rescues are full up. This is not something we control. Please move on to the next closest rescue and don’t forget to look at the other tiers of the directory as well.
What an excellent charity their help was really appreciated when I just didn’t know what to do with badly injured nestling bird clinging on to life. Very fast and helpful service thank you.
Excellent service when contacted about a Collared Dove with a broken wing. Email response received within minutes giving details of who to contact locally, resulting in Dove being delivered, hopefully for recovery.
Thank you so much.
Thank you so much Sarah for your advice and quick response after I asked for help when my cat caught a young pigeon. A lovely vet called Tess took it in with such care.
I was recommended to get in touch with you by Tiggywinkles in Aylesbury and you were amazing.
Thank you 🙂
I was grateful for the very quick response with clear advice on what to do about a fledgling sparrow who had come into my house at roost-time. It made me feel confident I was doing the right thing.
No help whatsoever ever
Anne we’ve tried to contact you to find out what help you need but had no response. I’ve checked our records and can find no record of you contacting us previously. Our volunteers are always happy to provide bespoke help and advice if you take the time to reach out.
Called about a fledgling , I was very happy that I was answered quickly and the staff were very helpful and concerned….
Thank you very much
I emailed yesterday after finding a bird that had been injured by a cat. I received a reply pretty quickly with lots of helpful information.
I will send you a donation as a thank you.
Best wishes
Bobbie
Thank you for getting straight back to me with advice about an abandoned baby wood pigeon. ‘Helpwildlife’ seems to be a charity that really cares. Thank you.
Thankyou for getting straight back to me with advice
Hi
I just wanted to say a big thank you to your organisation and especially Sarah. Sarah helped me enormously find help for a baby swift, she gave me helpful advice and telephone numbers and followed up by email when she gave me more contact numbers, one of which took in the bird and now hopefully has a good chance of survival.
So thank you on behalf of myself and a happy baby swift!
Regards
Lesley.
Thank you so much for your advice and repeated support while we found a rescue space for this little magpie through your directory. It has joined two more magpies so it has a flock of its own now.
Amazing service and advice. Responded very quickly and continued to help me well past the assigned time. Put me in contact with local shelter and hopefully Toni will be picked up later today.
Great advice from Helpwildlife today. I was able to receive immediate bespoke advice about a baby hedgehog we had found. Within two hours he was safely rescued by a local hedgehog sanctuary, hopefully Ragnar the hedgehog will now survive into adulthood.
Thank you very much, a fantastic service.
Responded quickly and gave good advice,
Thank you Sarah and Beri for your advice on what to do with the injured thrush I found in my garden which had been attacked by a cat. I managed to take it to a wildlife hospital that wasn’t too far from where I live. Thank you for keeping in touch to check how I’d got on with him.
Thank you for your advice we contacted Blyth Wildlife Rescue and they are checking on the cygnet thank you
This was the first time I have been in contact with Helpwildlife. I got a very quick response which was very helpful. It was so good to get advice on the best thing to do. I am so pleased they exist. I will be making a donation. Thank you.
Thank you for your wonderful help, I managed to take the pigeon to the vet and got the appropriate treatment in Lancaster Valley View Pets Hotel, they were Fantastic bless you all.
Absolutely no help from HELP WILDLIFE. RSPCB RSPC . All sites advertise information and ALL rescue centres we have no way of contacting. All you get is online pages and no where to acctually take the at risk bird. Even the vets were no help at all. WASTE OF TIME we will not make any more donations for so called wild life Charities that DO NOTHING TO HELP.
Lorraine we replied to your email and to another I think may have been about the same gull to advise that they were a fledgling and it was normal for them to be on the ground. We’ve not had any further contact from you so I’m not sure if our responses may have gone into your spam folder perhaps. I’m unclear what you mean by having not way of contacting the rescues as we list contact information for hundreds of rescues in our directory as well as 24 hour helplines you can call but from the information you gave us it doesn’t sound as though the bird was in need of rescuing anyway.
Regardless, please be mindful that while you’re trying to help one bird, rescues are helping dozens, even hundreds. These are small, volunteer run organisations (as are we) with finite resources. During the Spring season they are overwhelmed and working 16 hour days. Please never suggest they do nothing to help.
Sarah A provided me with the information I required to be able to take the duckling to SESAW
Beri was really helpful and supportive of a racing pigeon situation that occurred when struggling to locate owner. Good feedback and follow up, which was much appreciated.
This was a very good fast service and shows a really caring considerate attitude to our wildlife. Thankyou for your help.
Very prompt and great advice for someone with no knowledge. Very helpful. Thanks
I contacted the Help Wildlife website earlier regarding the welfare of a baby Blue tit. Sarah was most helpful replying to my emails with lots of information regarding the situation. Thank you so much for your help. I did get in contact with the RSPCA who will be sending someone out hopefully soon. The team are truly dedicated to their duties.
What an amazing much needed service you guys provide! Helpwildlife.co.uk for the excellent helpful kind & caring advice. To Lyndsey from Runham wildlife sanctuary, who happily took this lovely pigeon that lost his way. The kind & caring response from Lyndsey put me at ease immediately, handing over this lovely little pigeon.
Such a wonderful site, nice to know there is comprehensive support and help on line…..thank you …..We have shared via Durham AAF and AAF Cumbria. ❤️
Thankyou to the lady i spoke to for advice given and link to wildlife rescue for advice also.. It’s a valuable service to have a friendly knowledgeable person to speak to.. Thankyou for all you do
I contacted the Help Wildlife website earlier regarding the welfare of a baby Gull. Sarah was most helpful replying to my emails with lots of information regarding the situation. Hopefully all will be solved. The team are truly dedicated to their duties.
Thank you so much for your help. Managed to get a poorly fledgling pigeon to a rescue thanks to your quick response and good advice.
Thank you Sarah for your quick reply
Thank you for being so wonderful in getting back to me on the second time to check out how things were going. I had almost given up.
Your suggestions on your second email were fantasticly helpful
We have now found a place to take the field mouse our cats wanted very badly
Very helpful and quick response very good service the best I’ve had before
We had quick and efficient advice in helping a hatchling.
Absolutely fantastic. Very prompt response and clear advice. Never knew of this charity until now. Thank you Sarah
What a brilliant organisation. I had an injured Wood Pigeon and through your help and advise he is now with a rescue centre that is local to me . Thank you
The daily support and concern was very helpful, thank you
I used the website to report a robin fledgeling that I was concerned about and I received a reply very promptly with really good advice. Happy to say that the robin fledgeling is safe and well. Sarah was extremely helpful and responsive.
I used this website to help capture and transport an injured juvenile jackdaw to a local animal rescue centre yesterday. I am really grateful to you as the animal rescue close to me was not coming up on other websites, only this one. Thank you!
Thanks to Sarah and the team who helped us deliver an injured woodpecker fledgling to a local wildlife centre for treatment. Great advise and speedy over the internet which I am sure helped the casualty.
Very helpful, timely advice *****
Thanks for help and avice.
Excellent and timely advice was given by Sarah via e mail. Very informative and knowledgeable. I was able to be proactive in dealing with my Canada geese family problem following our online conversation
What a fabulous service.Sarah was quick to respond and had invaluable advice
i certainly know where to come if I need help again with wildlife.
thank you.
I was very impressed by the quick response from Sarah and Beri and their continued ongoing support throughout the time it was needed which was reassuring in the circumstances.
Beri and Sarah were very helpful! They directed me to the right people and most importantly they reassured. Thank you so much!
Excellent, fast reply to my question and thank you for the advice I needed to provide the best care for these eggs
Thank you for your help – a success story – the blackbird has just flown off.
Swift response from Sarah. Thank you so much for your help. Unfortunately, the pigeon was too far gone. Now I know who to come to next time 🙂
Brilliant quick service, saved a baby bird’s life.
Thank you!
Lousy web page. Tick box questions don’t work with injured animals. Spent time explaining my problem but where is the send button. I was simply put back on tickbox
Hi Patricia
We’ve tried to email you to help you with your issue but none of our emails appear to have been read. I’m not sure what you mean by tick box questions. As it says at the top of this page, if you’re having difficulty understanding the website we have volunteers on standby 12 hours a day to help. If you’d taken up that offer we would have been very pleased to help you.
If you do see this, I hope you will take a moment to consider the effect of your words. We understand finding help for a wildlife casualty can be stressful. That’s the whole reason we set up this website. I’m sorry you found it ‘lousy’, thankfully most other people don’t and it helps a lot of animals. While we absolutely encourage feedback about how things can be improved, we would, as it also says at the top of this page, really appreciate if your feedback is constructive and polite and takes into account the many hours of voluntary effort which goes into this site.
Brilliant, so kind and very helpful, thank you so much
Absolutely fantastic help from these guys. Thank you
Thank you for helping us with the injured baby fox cub in our garden, we didnt know who to turn to. This is the second time we’ve reach out to helpwildlife, and they have been very well informed, responsive, and compassionate.
When I first came on the website I was overwhelmed/panicky about finding help, I couldn’t see many rescues near me on the map and I got into a flap especially when one rescue didn’t have space and another was simply too busy to reply.
Luckily (thankfully) someone from this website contacted me asking for an update and suggested a Facebook group to try. The Facebook group were able to offer a rescue place.
I am very very grateful for the help I received from helpwildlife. Thank you so much.
A massive thank you to Sarah for her advice. I had a baby bird in my loft that could not fly so she told me what I should do.
I followed her advice but who would have known that mum would bring it back again a day later! At least mum stayed with the baby this time.
Fingers crossed they have gone now but I wish them all the best. 🙂
Thanks again Sarah.
Sarah responded really quickly and helped us find the right place to look after our orphaned duckings
I cannot find a link on the page to ask for help the tab submit a ticket isn’t working I cannot find a rescue or sanctuary near me so I am still in the same place as I was when I came on this site !
Thanks for reaching out, Shigufta. We had to close our helpdesk for a few hours due to a volunteer shortage but we have replied to you with some advice about the deer.
Very helpful finding a centre to take a young magpie which was found late at night very wet. Friend had been feeding it for a week but was desperate to find somewhere to take the poor thing to be with other magpies.
Put me in touch with a local rescue which was able to collect my emergency gosling amazingly swiftly! Top work! Thank you.
The help wildlife team contacted me even out of the hours published on the website. They advised me who to contact and what to do to help an injured pigeon. They then followed up the next day which was great. Unfortunately my pigeon didn’t survive the night after being attacked by a cat but the team did their best to help me late on a Sunday night
Thank you for your help, advice, encouragement, reassurance and very speedy response and follow-ups. Thanks also for doing the rescue search for me – I wasn’t getting them show up in my search. The little dove is now safe, with friends and receiving treatment at a rescue.
Thank you advice very helpful .
Found advise very helpful and reassuring.
Many thanks
Phoned about a bird being attacked by a magpie gave me a number to call bird has been taken for help thank you
Thank you for such a helpful website. I volunteer at a hedgehog rescue, but it is a brilliant idea to put so many rescues for wildlife in one place. It is so nice to see that so many people really do want to help our wildlife. THANKS AGAIN.
Very helpful speedy response. expert knowledge when you need it I will make a donation to help keep this invaluable resource going
Our blackbird is slowly improving. Your advice and description of the signs were invaluable. He is now putting the affected foot on the ground tentatively.
Seems much brighter in himself, is feeding and even had a sunbathe this morning.
With very best wishes.
Terry & Felicity Morrison.
Very helpful in identifying that a bird was a juvenile and that nothing was wrong
Sarah’s advise on a fledgling great tit I saw land on its back on the patio was 100% . Kept it warm , watched a film together. It’s in the hedge now and hopefully takes to the sky.
Thank you Sarah .
Am very appreciative of speedy response to my concerns about a bird with leg problems. The suggestions are helpful and the tone of the response was ‘spot on’ too. Many thanks.
Very helpful and kept in contact with us for updates and suggestions and helpful contacts thanks especially to sarah for her help
So good to know that the wee blackbird the cat brought back is now in safe hands. Quick advice and a fantastic service all round. Many Thanks to all at Caerphilly Bird Rescue.
Sarah A, has been very supportive and helpful, staying in contact with me though out and giving me lots of advise with my concerns for a young squirrel with a swollen face, I am hoping we will be able to catch him and help him.
Thank you again sarah
Have donated
Hi. I’d like to thank Beri for the info and follow up to check re the baby squirrel we found in the house! The wee thing has been put back in a place we know the squirrels go, it’s opposite a window so we are keeping an eye out to see if mama comes back. We found the information provided very helpful and response was prompt. This is a very worthwhile organisation. I’ll make a small donation when I’m paid. Thanks again Peggy
Hi wildlife team and thank you for your very usefull advice regarding the baby squirrel i found.I managed to put it in a safer place not too far away and very close to other squirells ,so i am hoping she found her mom.She was an adorable little creature and so vulnerable on her own.She seemed very well and healthy but you could tell she wanted her mom.It was sad to leave her but the right thing to do i agree.
Many thanks to Sarah for her prompt reply to my email and the invaluable advice she
gave which has allowed me to order the correct medicine for a poorly squirrel.
Glad we could help, Kriya 🙂
Thank you for very prompt and sensible reply to query re hedgehogs in my garden. As it turns out there is a hedgehog home in the next door garden and they were just exploring in mine.!!!!
Oh that’s great news, Mary, sounds like they’re doing well in your area 🙂
Thank you so much for your help and reassurance about a roe deer which is living on fields near my house.
You’re very welcome, Margaret, glad we could put your mind at ease 🙂
Thank you for your help regarding the pigeon we found. John who you recommended to contact is coming to collect him. Once again many thanks x
Glad we could help, Lisa
Was helped very promptly tonight with a concern I had about a little Robin, you all do a wonderful job, so happy I found you
Thank you, Geraldine
Just wanted to say how much I appreciated your help with trying to rescue a juvenile swan! Your communication is excellent and you provide an informative feedback. Thanks again!
Thank you for your kind words, Carole
Very quick response! Thought I was going to be waiting days.
Sent me all the information I needed so that I could get the baby pigeon to a safe place.
Thank you for your amazing service!
So glad we could help, Nikki 🙂
Excellent response, unfortunately we couldn’t locate the injured duck, we have liaised to look again tomorrow, would highly recommend.
To Sarah re swan rescue near Lakenheath 29/12/20. Today the swan has either been moved or moved itself. After I stopped to check a van driver 1/4 mile back did the same. He must have also been concerned. Someone has attended to this. Thank you so much for your excellent response. I will keep the info’ you provided. The fields around are partially waterlogged, and today frozen, so you can see the hazard.
Thank you so much for your help and advice – it is very much appreciated.
Glad we could help, Anne 🙂
Amazing help today for a situation where a birds wing had got stuck on a spike ontop of a church. Such quick and helpful replies and we managed to get the bird rescued in the end with your help.
Really really useful website and contact options as I wouldn’t have known where to go without the teams help.
Thanks a lot! 🙂
Thanks, Rachel, glad we could help 🙂
Thank you so much for your great advice and guidance regarding to a poorly pigeon found in our garden, unfortunately the pigeon died but died peacefully in our garage.
Thank you so much for giving me such great advice and support to look after and then find a rescue centre when my daughter found a freezing cold baby hedgehog on the side of the road.
Someone came to rescue trapped bird quite quickly and took him into their care what wonderful people so grateful for their help
Good afternoon,
I wanted to thank you so much for coming to our aid. We discovered a baby Wood Pidgeon in the garden two days ago. It could not fly and it seemed his left wing may have been damaged. It was being looked after by other Wood Pidgeons as we could hear it chirping. It was drinking water from a small trough in the garden that my father fills up for the birds and small animals. I was going to try the RSPCA… but then realised I would try Wildlife. I am so glad I did. I called the number and sent an email and had a response back within the hour. I spoke to Charley who arranged to collect later on today. But, did say it may be collected earlier by another. I then took a call from Sue who drove all the way from Leatherhead to collect the bird.
Sue arrived, assessed the situation and quickly got the bird comfortably into a box. Sue was lovely and pleasant and attended with a face mask.
Thank you all very much and you are doing a fabulous job! You all make the world a better place! Stay safe and best wishes.
Kemi x
Thank you for being there for the injured wildlife in an immediate responsive way
Thank you , soo much for Numbers provided to help young Red Fox , Showing signs of Toxoplasmosis. Called Scared Animal Wildlife Rescue ( Barry was very Kind and Helpful )
Fantastic to be able to receive expert advice to help our baby woodpecker , on a Sunday afternoon! Much appreciated!
Thank you so much Sarah for your immediate response and advice last night. Our little baby spotted woodpecker recovered overnight from head butting the patio window, and after a good night’s rest in a comfy, quiet shoe box, with some water, flew safely back into the trees this morning. Super service, thank you.
I honestly couldn’t fault the help from Sarah who provided me with the numbers of rescue services for an injured sparrow I found in the garden.
Thank you so much
very speedy efficient help..thanks so much
Thank you for connecting me with a person who could give me information concerning a fledgling baby Rook. I really appreciate it!
Thank you very much for your help. It is a great comfort to know there is an organisation to care of injured birds
Thank you very much for your support with my query. I sent it late last night and had a reply first thing this morning. In this specific case, this enabled me to contact Bristol Animal Rescue Centre and taking the injured bird for triage/care.
Truly appreciate your help – thank you 🙂
I e mailed the page trying to get some help with robin nestlings
Sarah replies to me pretty promptly with some great information and a solution to the problem I found myself with.
Really helpful and it made me happy to know our wild robins and babies were ok and what we should and shouldn’t do
THANK YOU ????
Thanks so much too Help Wildlife for helping us to find a home for our orphan collared dove. The response to our query was answered quickly and the help that Sarah A gave was invaluable. Thanks again for all the help.
Thanks, Helen, really pleased we could help
Thank you for setting up this helpful directory 🙂
PS. I registered and set up a profile on Friday but when I now try to login it says my username is invalid?
Thanks, Nicky, will email you to work out the issue with your account
Today I found a young hedgehog wandering , distressed in my lane in Longworth, . There was too little website information on your charity for me to bring it to you. Instead I travelled to Haddenham, in rush hour, to find it a safe place. Your website needs clearer contact information and directions, especially with regard to getting an animal somewhere safe outside ordinary working hours..
Not including full addresses (and therefore directions) for rescues is a deliberate decision because most rescues aren’t able to cope with finders just turning up, either through lack of capacity or because they run from a location which isn’t manned 24/7. We encourage you to telephone the rescues in your area to get agreement that they can take your casualty in and they can obviously then provide you with the full address and directions.
Thank you for the supporting page I have managed to find help for baby hedgehogs
A fantastic directory that I stumbled across when looking for help regarding an injured pigeon I’d found. This site directed me to Every Feather, a local place for rehab and rescue for pigeons. That evening the pigeon was in an incubator at Every Feather. On meeting Stephanie I found her to be a kind gentle person, I was immediately impressed by her knowledge and handling of the bird. I left feeling confident that the bird was in a good place.
My cat kindly bought home two baby squirrels for me last week. After calling my local vets i was directed to this site. I called the rescue centre nearest to my location and received lots of helpful advise on how to care for them until they could be picked up. My children were sad to see them go and are eager to find out if they were ok?
This site was recommended by one of the bird rescue groups I am part of on Facebook and I am so glad they did because it is useful to know where rescue places are and what animals are cared for. I have also recommended this site to others.
Thank you for setting it up.
Thanks for your very prompt service..couldn’t asked for better
service and most pleasant personell
Found a baby hedgehog in a blocked drain and was frantically searching for a rescue or help & advice centre nearest to us. Found that difficult & too time consuming, until I came across your page where all the places were listed, with a helpful map & distance information too. Brilliant search page and without it I would doubtlessly have been spending even longer trying to find somewhere in Cornwall and nearest to us, whilst poor little hedgie was needing our constructive help. Great page, thank you very much ????
After being pushed from pillar to post I found this website which directed me to Swampys sweetness who were a great help.
Thanks to this website I was able to contact Lowton Hedgehog Rescue who gave advice regarding how to deal with a distressed hedgehog that we found in the garden. We took the hedgehog into the centre and the lady said she thought it may have concussion. Hopefully Hazel the hedgehog will recover so we will be able to collect her and return her to our garden.
Lots of useful telephone numbers and advice. Thank you. Nice to see it all in one place. Keep up the good work.
I found this website through the RSPB website. it was really helpful and I was swiftly provided with the contact details of a wildlife rescuer who happened to live in the next town. He was so helpful too. I am relieved that the bird will be looked after and is out of danger as my neighbourhood has quite a few cats (I have two also, but they were kept indoors). Thank you to the website and the kind rescuer!
Needed to find someone to help 2 baby hedgehogs found near my home. this website came up with a contact name near me and they were taken to the rescue centre for further care. Very helpful thank you.
I totally agree with your opinion on racing pigeons. One has been in my garden for nearly a week. He is fit and well. Eats and drinks with the other feral pigeons who visit my garden. I have no intention of finding its owner for fear of the sad consequences. He will i am sure return to his instincts. As far as I am concerned he is better off in my garden. I live in a very rural area lots of fields trees and a low level river. I have numerous wild burds visit my garden and I care for them all. Thank you for the advice on your website. Keep up the amazing work.
Thanks, Karen. Yes, if they are able to merge into a wild flock they usually do ok, especially with supportive feeding from kind people like you.
You fail to say where to take the bird. Rescue centres don’t exist anywhere near South Oxfordshire.
We can’t control where the rescue centres are, we can only list those that exist in our directory. If you’ve not been able to find a rescue in the directory, please visit helpwildlife.co.uk/help for further support.
I think the comments section would benefit from showing most recent comments first. When you first access it it looks like the most recent comment is 2006. Also you have to scroll a very long way down to get to the box to put your comment in.
Thanks for the feedback, I’ll look into what we can do to improve this 🙂
Sorted! Snazzy new comments plugin installed so comments can now be sorted by oldest or newest and the comment box appears at the top to save all that scrolling. Thanks for the suggestion, hopefully it will encourage more feedback 🙂
Wow! Well done Sarah that was amazingly responsive if you. Best wishes.
Great site. Having just rescued a baby wren from our balcony I was worried it would be rejected by parents. But greatly reassured by you saying they don’t have a great sense of smell. It rested on my hand for a while then flew off very strongly and in the right direction so fingers crossed. Thank you.
Thanks to your help we have made room for our resident baby Hog. but as soon as we put the phone down to report we discovered two more babies. following all the advise and help to make our life in their world easier. Will do our best to protect the little ones.
Found the number of my local rescue centre immediately from the website and advice about finding a baby hedgehog which is now on its way to my local rescue centre.
Thank you.
This is by far the best website for wildlife rescue I have found.
It is always difficult to keep these lists up to date but I found two rescues that are no longer in operation. One is Three Owls Bird Sanctuary and Reserve. There used to be an excellent bird / animal hospital at this site but now only telephone advice is given. The other is Hedgehog Rescue in Rochdale, another excellent place, which now sadly shows as a permanently closed.
I’m sure that I will need to use this website in future. Many thanks and best wishes.
Thank you for the feedback, it’s very much appreciated. I’ll look into the rescues you mention and get their listings updated, thanks 🙂
Enabled me to find tel number of local Wildlife Aid Centre re young magpie that had flown down the chimney and was trapped in the lounge, as our windows open inwards vertically at the top only and he couldn’t manage the manouvre. Thank you.
Excellent source of information just when you need it fast and without fuss. Found a wildlife rescue centre near me that I never knew existed. So getting the baby hedgehog that I found wandering about during the daytime some help turned out to be more straightforward than I thought it was going to be. I knew the rspca would be a waste of time, so what a relief to find some one who could help me quickly.
Just found out about this website from Swan Life Line in Windsor and we will be sure to use it in future thank you. There is a phone number for Bishop’s Wood Swan Rescue (07977 209547) that doesn’t appear to be working, if you could check it out that would be great thanks, Rachel.
Thanks, Rachel. We’ll look into that straight away.
Hi, I’m a vet in west Yorkshire with an especial interest in wildlife. Like most vets, we ‘ll examine and do emergency treatment/euthanasia of all wildlife for free but I am increasingly frustrated by the rspca . Many people ring them first often causing delays and therefore increased suffering for the animal or give wrong advice ie picking up fledgling and bringing them to use when they’re not injured therefore loosing the chance of reuniting the bird with its parent. Had never heard of you but checked out wildlife centres near me, some of which we use but there are other centres not on your site. Will contact them but can you not link up with rspca to get members of the public to check out your local expert volunteers BEFORE they handle the animal. (unless its obviously badly injured). Appreciate you are also volunteers and a charity but thought I’d suggest…keep up the good work . Have shared your site to all my Facebook friends x
Hi Fran, thanks for getting in touch. We’d love to have you/your practice registered on our Community Heroes scheme and if you could send us details of any rescues not in the directory we’ll contact them to see if they’d like to be added to the directory.
The RSPCA can be very frustrating, though usually we find it’s them telling people not to intervene when they should rather than vice versa. Unfortunately, they rarely recognise small, independent rescues such as those in our directory and so won’t refer people to them. They will only work with rescues they ‘approve’ which means the rescue signing up to their policies which usually involve a considerably higher euthanasia rate than most are comfortable with. We’re trying to spread the word about our site and wildlife rescues in general as an alternative and the message is getting out there (the RSPB helpline refer folks to our site which is a real win) but, of course, there’s more to do. I think vets are an important resource here (since MOPs not ‘in the know’ tend to call RSPCA or their local vet) and we’re hoping to run a project to get more vets ‘on-side’ in the future. If you’d be able to help us with this (just having a vets point of view would be invaluable) then do please drop us an email.
The foxwebsite.org that you give a link to is not the Bristol uni site, it’s a casino site in the US!!
Thank you for letting us know. It seems they’ve recently revamped and moved their website so I’ve updated the link to point to the new site.
Please don’t use your own map of rescue centres, use Google maps – then the info is available to all.
Hi Mike, we have used google for our map in the past but it took a great deal more work to maintain and was unfortunately unreliable. Regardless, I’m not sure I understand the issue you’re raising – our map of rescue centres is available to all.
Trying to find your phone number is hopeless.
Why don’t you list it prominently?
We don’t have the resources to offer a telephone service unfortunately. And in general it’s much better if folks get straight on and call their local wildlife rescue from the numbers in our directory…talking to us first would usually just add in delay.
I am looking after a dehydrated exhausted juvenile gull. I have read your section about baby birds and was pleased to see a separate category for gull chicks. It was very reassuring to know that young gulls often leave the nest before they are fully able to fly – this explained our patient’s predicament! He/she is feeding and drinking well, and I hope to open the cage door in a couple of days!
Thank you.
I was looking for rescue centres near me when I noticed one in the South Downs national park, however it was Hollycroft Hedgehog Rescue in Tillington, Hereford; which is not in the South Downs. Did not want to use feature on their page as not reviewing them in any way, just saying that they are appearing in the wrong spot on the map
Thank you so much for taking the time to flag this up. It turns out there is a Tillington near Petworth and our map had popped the marker there by mistake. I’ve now moved it – many thanks.
Alot of the centres have been discontinued and I was unable to speak to anyone about an injured pigeon. When I finally managed to locate someone in Somerset (there was no listing at all in Bristol and I don’t have a car) he was lovely but the pigeon had quietly died in the hours it had taken to locate anyone. Though the information on the site is useful, the cases studies are awful, which ends up creating extra anxiety to an all ready anxious situation. I’m really appreciate the contact I did make as he said he would help in the future, but where is Bristol helpers? You’re adamant they have to be handed over without any provision to do so. That poor little chap. I was hardly going to leave him when he was so battered, yet feel we let him down.
Hi Claire,
Sorry to hear you had difficulties getting help. We do have other options on our help page so that folks can get in touch in these circumstances. Unfortunately we cannot control where rescues are located, only list those that exist, and many have closed in recent years either through retirement or lack of funds. I’m not sure what you mean by the case studies but if you can share any more information on that, we’d like to hear your feedback so we can make improvements.
This has helped me find a pigeon friendly rescue centre, I’m very grateful. Thank you.
Thank you, I have managed to find a pigeon friendly rescue centre due to this site. I looked after Pat the pigeon for 4 days but was finding it difficult as I have 2 cats and no area to keep the pigeon outdoors, which I think is probably best. This has been very helpful. I will be making a donation to the rescue centre I found in Great Wyrley.
I have often wondered why so many hedgehogs get run over…last night I got an incite. On an empty road I saw a lump in the road…it turned out be a hedge that had reacted to my car lights. As I approached, I could see it what it was an slowed down and steered around it…no problems so far. Then, when it obviously got rattled by the noise and vibration of my appraching car, it unfurled and moved right in front of me!!. I fortuntely just missed..but was very close…even though I was prepared and undistracrlted by anything else!!
Any other animal has geneerally bolted at the loghts..hedgehogs do the wrong thing at the wrong time!!
Just thpught I could share my experience with your excellent website.
Andy
Hi Andy, yes their defence strategy might work well against most predators but it’s not ideal when faced with a car. Thanks for sharing 🙂
This site is incorrect I regarding foxes and domestic cats. I have had a fox coming up into our back garden. I saw it today praying on my cat and scared it off. Tonight my cat was out and attacked by the fox. My cat lost it’s foot and part of it’s tail and had to be taken into emergency. He is now going to have to have his whole leg amputated.
Hi Melissa, sorry to hear about your cats injuries. We don’t say it never happens, just that it’s highly unlikely. Logically, thinking about the numbers of foxes and cats in the country, if foxes were a significant threat, there would be cat attacks daily and plenty of evidence of them, which there isn’t. Did you actually see the fox attack the cat out of interest? It is possible the risk is higher this time of year when foxes have cubs as they may consider the cat a threat and defend their cubs against them.
Love the site ,but the link to the form to complete to offer to get involved does not seem to wor – is there any way you can send this to me?
Hi Su
Apologies, I’m just in the process of moving this on to a new system and it’s taken a little longer than planned as I’ve been caught up with poorly animals. It should be working again in the next few days if you don’t mind checking back then. Thanks 🙂 x
Very useful site. Please could you add an edit button to the comments section. I wrote some feedback late at night and couldn’t correct the mistakes so ending up leaving a few entries (please delete the earlier ones!).
Thanks. The comments are provided by a wordpress plugin so we are limited to what that can do but I’ll put on my list to have a look at others which might allow that option.
Thank you for your website and rescue service. A friend rescued a pigeon. The pigeon couldn’t walk and had a head injury. We were staying at a hotel. Unfortunately, it was after six and the other rescues were closed. RSPCA suggested taking the pigeon to a vet but there wasn’t any around. So we called the Pigeon Rescue Team from the Help Wildlife website The lady came within 2 hours. Apparently, she took the tube. So please donate to these nice folks. Thanks again!
Thanks for providing help and guidance on how to assist animals and birds in distress. There is nothing worse than not knowing what to do.
Thank you for this service and website. I rescued a frightened baby pigeon tonight on my way home from work. It was being preyed upon by two cats but I scared them off and was able to get a box from a neighbour. I didn’t know if anywhere would take it in. This website have me confidence I could find a vet and 2 hours later it was safely at a 24 hour vet. I hope it survives and thank my husband and landlord for their help with transport and loan of a car.
A very helpful website which helped me locate a wildlife rescue centre not that far away, which did take the injured woodpigeon which I was trying to find a place for. Unfortunately, two of the nearer rescue centres I had found on the website seemed to not be taking admissions or didn’t have a website/incorrect link – but one of those actually had a comment on their listing saying they weren’t taking new admissions, which at least saved me time trying to look at their website/call them to find out. Obviously wildlife rescue is expensive work, and relies on donations, so I am not surprised some go through times they cannot take admissions or have to close. Anyway – this website certainly helps to make knowledge of what wildlife centres are available much more accessible and all in one place. So I greatly appreciate the work of this website, and it’s volunteers! Please continue! Thanks.
Super site – found the contact details that I needed easily as well as other interesting and useful information – many thanks 🙂
We came across an injured baby moorhen who’s legs weren’t working this morning and thanks to your website we found SESAW in Essex who took the little guy in. They were closed when I called however as it was an emergency the answer machine said to come down anyway. A really helpful lady took it it. Many thanks for listing all the wildlife centres near us- some I was completely unaware off!
My cat got a baby bird this morning. I did my best to keep it safe and warm while trying to find a local sanctuary. I was so grateful to find a register on your website. RSPB no use at all. Thank you so much. Our bird is in expert hands now.
you failed to address the issue of – what happens if you cannot find a sanctuary for the bird & have to keep it?
i rescued an injured “racer” (now recovered) & i’m afraid to release it for reasons you have mentioned.
Hi Combo, racers aren’t wildlife so most of the rescues we list won’t have facilities for them. We are aware of some rescues who can accommodate them though and it is possible to move them via couriers to sanctuaries further away. If you’d like to drop us an email with your location, I’ll recommend some places for you.
Recently contacted help wildlife when a young starling flew into a window. Although the bird was trying to move it just couldn’t get its balance and kept falling over. Kept it in a box for several hours and then rang Birds of a Feather which is based near Rochdale. Robert answered immediately and said to bring it round for him to check on its condition. He kept the bird overnight and rang me the next day to update on its progress. It still couldn’t stand up properly but had been eating well. We arranged that I would ring him after the weekend for another update and if it was ok I would bring it back home to release it in familiar territory.
Really amazing site, fantastic people, just a shame it’s not better known. Lots of other well known charities give advice but no help… once you have followed their advice you’re on your own.
Thanks for your help!
Not on single place in Leeds that can help an injured bird. Shameful to say the least as we also have wild animals.
Sadly some of the rescues we used to have listed in the Leeds area have closed. Wildlife rescue is very expensive and many groups simply don’t get enough to support to carry on their work.
A wood pigeon crashed into my upstairs window badly injuring its wing. Via Google and the RSPB I found your website and the listing of Pigeon Rescue in London. The second phone number worked and I was able to get the pigeon to people who know how to treat it. A big relief. Your site is a great resource for finding wildlife rescue organisations! Thank you
This site offers clear, practical advice & its obvious that the volunteers are experienced & have integrity. I do feel totally helpless, however & not very hopeful for my casualty. The sad truth is that I don’t have the right expertise & it seems that no one will want to help my nestling. I wish there was advice about how to make them comfortable whilst waiting for the inevitable. I apologise for my pessimism 🙁
Hi, please email us at [email protected] with details and your postcode and I will try to find you some help. If you can include a picture of the bird as well, that will be helpful.
There seems to be a bird stuck in the chimney at my friends house, but the fire place is enclosed. Can we call someone to get it out?
There’s information about what to do here – http://new.helpwildlife.co.uk/sick-or-injured-wildlife/chimneys/
Site very informative but for one thing. My cat brought a tiny bird in late at night (well out of hours) so was unable to contact a rescue, further tips would have been helpful regarding helping the bird through til morning.
Many thanks for the feedback. Unfortunately there are so many variables – species, age, diet, injury type etc – that it would be very difficult to provide advice which covered all of them. Incorrect advice could potentially end up doing more harm than good. We will definitely keep this feedback in mind though and see if there is anything safe and generic we can provide. Thanks again 🙂
Whilst adding my hedgehog rescue, I had no option but to add another species before submission.
Thank you for taking the time to let me know, Joy. I changed the submission form recently and that question was marked as required in error. I’ve amended the form and have noted too that your rescue is hedgehogs only. Thanks again 🙂
No information to help with orphaned swans in Nottingham. Are we without help?
Hi Kelly. We try to cover the most common scenarios on our advice pages such as catted birds but there are a myriad of ways wildlife can get into trouble sadly. You’re welcome to email us for non emergency advice otherwise please do telephone your nearest wildlife rescue listed in our directory. If cygnets are without either parent then they will definitely need help.
Not in my case for a wild deer, tried several of the wildlife numbers left messages but no reply as yet!!
Wildlife rescues are exceptionally busy this time of year with babies I’m afraid. I hope someone was able to help.
Yesterday evening witnessed a fox attacking a large adult cat in my garden, yes you are right the fox was only slightly bigger, when I went out side the fox withdrew a little, the cat was very still, I dared not appoach and the fox returned to the cat to continue its attack, the cat obviously injured managed to run but the fox caught up and attacked again, the cat turned to the fox and hissed very loud as I also made noise the fox retreated again, the cat was attempting to return to a neighbour’s house and again the fox gave persuit but I managed to scare it off. It seems your research needs researching and updating as fox behaviour and how it’s having to adapt to survive in human populated areas is involving rapidly. I live in a semirural location on the edge of Louth market town. Several cats have gone missing over recent years, notice on lamp post and such in my area, I wonder if what I witnessed is not so solitary.
Hi Carly, fox attacks on cats are incredibly rare and there is no evidence to suggest that this is changing. This time of year foxes are giving birth so it’s possible that you witnessed a vixen protecting recently born cubs from a perceived threat.
Many thanks I think this site is a great help.
Thank you for your advice which has helped me decide what to do next.
Thank you so much – such a great website and brilliant, useful information and advice you provide. I’ve ended up coming across 3 different pigeons needing help in as many months this year, and your help has been truly invaluable. Found the “Find a Wildlife Rescue” feature on the site very useful, comprehensive and easy to use – have now bookmarked your site on all my devices! Will be spreading the word. Thank you 🙂
One problem,I have been unable to find a phone number on you site.Tried “contact us”no joy.Could you please tell me where it is for future referenceAnn Billinghurst
Hi Ann
At the moment we don’t have the resource to be able to operate a telephone line. We provide numbers for wildlife rescues and advise that visitors contact them directly in urgent situations in order to ensure they receive advice quickly. For non urgent enquiries we are best contacted by email.
What a fantastic service you provide. I rescued a baby pigeon and your swift advice via text meant he was being looked after by professionals within the hour. Thank you so much for such a great service. I could not praise you enough and intend to spread the word to everyone I meet!
I found a baby bird in my garden and wanted to help it but didn’t know where to take it as it was getting dark! I found this text service to be of great help with advice etc I took the baby bird to st tiggywink hospital. I felt very relieved that I had given this baby bird a chance to survive!
Useful advice on freeing a bird trapped in my chimney. Thank you
Thank you helpwildlife.co.uk for your help in finding a rescue centre. The lady I spoke to from Weymouth Wildlife Rescue was very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful and has given me useful advice.
Seagull chick caught up in barbed wire on chimney pot. Seagull parents nested there last year rearing 2 chicks successfully. House-holder allowed this without interference but later placed barbed wire over chimney. Seagull parents not put off! 2 chicks hatched in amongst the wire – ok until they got a little bigger then one caught up by wing. Contacted you, you gave me Pawz for Thought to contact. Unable to get through so contacted the RSPCA + Tyne & Wear Fire & Rescue Service who liaised to carry out an amazing rescue. I rang and thanked them and again tried Lyn at Pawz for Thought who was just in the process of taking said chicks into her care! Wonderful and thank you all for such a great response. My faith in humanity restored by the kindness and caring experienced with my request.
A bird had fallen out of its nest. This text service was very helpful and gave me the phone number of the local rescue centre. The bird sadly didn’t make it.
My dog caught a magpie and it was injured I found the web site on the internet and text the number supplied within 10 mins I received a message with help and advice. Amazing service thank you the magpie is going to get help tomorrow ???? he is now safe in my garage with some water and food . Thankyou again for the speedy response and advice much appreciated ????
Really too complicated. Trying to find where to take a young, possibly injured gull in Bath, your site takes me back and forth getting nowhere.
Really sorry to hear that. I will send you an email to try and find out more about your experience and how we can make improvements.
found your website very helpful and will b in touch about a squirrel that we have
Hello, we’ve just read your advice page, about baby birds, and are now doing our best with that. Great website – thank you.
Brilliant and useful page and wildlife directory. Many injured bats have found their way to me via your site. A big thank you from me and the bats!!
Karen ~ South Yorkshire Bat Rescue & Rehabilitation /\/\/(^._.^)\/\/\
I am very grateful for you coming to my email and giving advice. My pigeon was very badly injured, a ringed pigeon, came down the chimney about eight weeks ago. He has recovered from so many injuries and I feel affection for the creature. I am hoping it will fly when its wing and tail feathers have grown, therefore I want to try and rear it myself. I would be very interested if I could visit one of these aviaries to take advice. I would like to see what else I can do to help him. If my pigeon doesn’t fly I would then be very grateful if one could take him and keep him safe for the rest of his life. At the moment he is not afraid of us, when we open his cage he hops out and walks to his favourite hiding place, when he wants to drink or eat he walks back. and when he wants to go to bed he will take himself back to the cage. Xxx
Thank you for the feedback Jo, really pleased we were able to help 🙂
Hi Donna
Many thanks, I’m glad you found the site useful. Please feel free to link to us, the more we can spread the word about wildlife rescues the better 🙂