Comments on: How to Handle an Animal Emergency

By: Marcia

Marcia — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:16:12 +0000

I have been carrying a rescue kit (towels, plastic sheets, gauze, leash) plus a carrier in my car. One day I saw a squirrel in the street who seemed more stunned than injured. There was a wire overhead, and I suspect she fell off. I was able to pick her up and get her to my veterinarian. He was so good about it. He x-rayed her, gave her a steroid shot, keep her in the clinic (buying food and bedding) until she was no longer stiff and sore.

I found a squirrel rehab person through the state Fish and Wild Life Department who said she would gladly care for her. Upon discharge, I picked up the squirrel and she went to rehab, where she did fine! The staff of the veterinary clinic lined up to say “goodbye,” when she left, and the doctor declared she was “his first squirrel.”

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 21:33:10 +0000

What an awesome blog - great advice! I think this is the best blog I’ve ever read! I drive for a living and see many horrible situations - dogs on highways, in the back of pick ups, locked in cars, chained up, etc. I always call the police who then transfer me to animal control but they never follow up despite the fact I ask them to and provide my contact information. I always stay with the animal until animal control or the owner arrives but now I have more contact numbers to call and feel more empowered! I have printed this and will put it in my car - I am also copying it for my friends. Thanks! - Elizabeth

By: dlyn

dlyn — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:10:46 +0000

Adding a pair of gloves to your incar rescue kit would be most beneficial in protecting against possible injury from an injured animal.

By: Diane

Diane — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 07:40:15 +0000

Here in San Diego, California, we have Project Wildlife, which is a wonderful organization. They have specialists around the county ready to help. I have taken them several baby crows that fell from the nest and weren’t doing well, hummingbirds and a songbird (wrenched from the claws of my neighbor’s cat…the bird survived!). I have found that with hummingbirds, it is pretty basic and Project Wildlife usually only gives them nectar and rest. I now keep syringes in a kitchen drawer, ready to fill with nectar, and I will leave an injured hummingbird resting in a coffee filter on the patio table, then I feed him several times before he usually flies off. Am I wrong to do that? When I was driving them across town to Project Wildlife, sometimes they didn’t survive the ride. It is kind of a 50/50 thing with hummingbirds.

By: Cherie

Cherie — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 03:58:48 +0000

A suggestion on equipment: the Tomahawk traps are a little loud and powerful. I prefer Tru-Catch traps without that mean paddle that can slam on a tail or paw. I know a person who trapped a cat and the paddle slammed on his tail, and he later suffered a fatal blood clot from that simple injury. The lightweight Tru-Catch is about $60 at http://www.animal-care.com, company called Aces, and sometimes it’s on sale.

By: Jennafhur

Jennafhur — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 21:49:49 +0000

Thank you very much for posting this!! I always thought of making sure I have a first aid kit and towel in my car with me, but I am now going to put together my own animal emergency kit and carry around phone numbers that may come in handy one day. Thanks again for this extremely useful information!

By: judy makowski

judy makowski — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 01:11:15 +0000

I’m new at this computer stuff so I didn’t know what to put in the third field. Being a lisenced rehabber I found your article very interesting and to the point. I alwsays carry those things in my car “just in case”. I too have copied all the #’s you have given hoping I will never have an occassion to use them. Please keep posting this information for people who might not know what to do. That also includes rehabbers as well. We can sometimes get so entangled with our own animals and specialties that we don’t remember some things as quickly as we would like too.

By: Bunnylove

Bunnylove — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 00:04:14 +0000

Hello Ingrid,

This is very useful important info! I didn’t know about touching the corner of the animal’s eye to see if the animal was dead. While reading this info, I entered all of the numbers in my cell phone’s contact list that I will need in case I come across any injured animal, including the local numbers I can call in case I witness an animal being abused, or neglected. I also ordered Peta’s rescue kit and will put it in my car when it arrives — along with the other items you suggested to put in with the kit. I have always wanted to be well equipped to help an injured animal and now I feel I am! :} Please keep posting this information.Thank you so much Ingrid!

By: Pamela

Pamela — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 22:25:11 +0000

Dear Ingrid,
Thank you for this important information. I do not have a car and sometimes walk along a scenic water channel near my home. I am always afraid of coming across an abandoned animal (it is an almost perfect place to “dump”) and I do not own a cell phone.
Thank you for the corner of eye touch, that will be very useful, and for reminding us not to touch baby animals. Just because they are alone does not mean that they are orphaned and you don’t want to disturb a nesting area and leave your scent.

By: Leah Jones

Leah Jones — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:19:35 +0000

Hi Ingrid,
Very good idea to have a emergency animal pack in the car - I usually have extras of my own dogs, but will pop the cat carrier in and leave it there. I live in country Queensland in Australia, and have to admit that I’m terrified of finding an injured kangaroo on the road. Everyone here knows one should check a marsupial’s pouch if the adult is dead, there is often a baby inside which can be rescued unless in the foetal-type stage which they are born in. However . . . . . . adult roos and Wallabies and possums can be utterly ferocious if approached by humans, especially if hurt. Their claws are long and very strong, and they will fight like mad if one touches them. The big roos will easily kill a largish dog, and can do great harm to a person. I always carry my mobile phone, but sadly, there would be very few people who would come to help should such an occasion arise. Distance is the problem here - I’m 55 Kms. from a shop, let alone the Parks and Wildlife people. My lovely vet would come - if he were available. I have to admit that I wouldn’t mind a gun, (and have the vaguest idea of how to use one, which I don’t), because rather than banking on rescue I would rather put one of these lovely creatures out of their misery. I hate to write this, but out here people actually aim at the smaller creatures in their cars, and don’t care if they kill them or not. On my way into town I often stop to pull some poor dead snake or rabbit or little wallaby or bird off the road, so that the crows won’t be killed as well when they feed on the road-kill. I’m not sure why I wrote this, it’s hardly helpful, but I suppose I wanted to point out that some of us who really care about animals aren’t in a position to help some of them in an emergency. However, the cat carrier is going in the car - one never knows, after all.
Regards, Leah from Down Under.