Found an animal?

If you’ve found a stray dog, please check and make sure that there isn’t an owner nearby searching for it. If possible, wait with the dog for a while where you have found it. Check to see whether the dog is wearing a tag – there may be one on its collar with a phone number that you can call.

By law, you must report all stray dogs to the Dog Warden, so if you can’t find the owner you must call the warden for your area as soon as you can:

Bristol

• 0117 922 2500
• Open 8.30am-6pm, Monday to Friday.
• For more details, visit their website here.

South Gloucestershire

• 01454 868000
• Open 8.45am-5pm (4.30pm on Fridays).
• For more details, visit their website here.

North Somerset

• 01275 888802
• Open during normal office hours.
• For more details, visit their website here.

Bath & North East Somerset

• 01225 394041
• Open 8am-6pm, Monday to Friday (Thursday from 9.30am).
• For more details, visit the website here.

We take in all stray dogs found in the Bristol City Council area.

If you find a stray dog in this area, please call our team on 0117 977 6043 (8am-8pm). We may then ask you to bring the dog into the Centre. Unfortunately we are unable to collect stray dogs.

It can be difficult to tell if a cat is genuinely a stray, as cats have a large territory and can regularly wander miles from their home – you may just be a favourite stop off on their normal patrol.

Not all cats wear collars, or it may have fallen off – so a cat without a collar doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a stray.

Do not try to keep the cat indoors, as it could be a nursing mother, need medication or require a special diet.

These steps might be useful if you believe you have found a truly homeless cat:

• Check with your neighbours to make sure it isn’t their cat, they might be new to the area, or know whose cat it is – maybe the cat is a visitor at their house too.
• If it is safe to do so, put a paper collar on the cat with your details, asking the owner to call you. You can download the RSPCA template here. If nobody calls you within a few days, the cat is possibly a stray.
• The cat may have a microchip – you can take the cat to your local vet to check for this.

There are many steps you can take to help reunite a lost cat with their owner, including:

• Post in local Facebook and social media groups such as Lost and Found Pets in Bristol/South Glos.
• Add the cat to Pets Located
• Animal Search UK website
• Put ‘found’ cat posters in the local area – remember to include local shops and vet practices within a fairly wide area.

If you live in the Bristol area and have taken all these steps but have not traced an owner, call us on 0117 9724567 (lines open 9am-5pm,Monday-Sunday) for advice.

If the cat is injured or unwell, please visit our Animal Emergency page here.

Please note, stray healthy cats are not an emergency.

Small animals like ferrets, hamsters, rats and rabbits are masters of escapology! Before contacting us, we’d suggest the following steps:

• Check with your neighbours to make sure it isn’t their pet, they might be new to the area, or they might know whose pet it is.
• Post in local Facebook and social media groups such as Lost and Found Pets in Bristol/South Glos.
• Put up posters in your local area and at vet practices nearby.

If you’ve exhausted all the options above and are still unable to find the owner, please contact our team on 0117 977 6043 (Monday-Sunday, 9am-5pm) for advice.

If the animal is injured or unwell, please visit our Animal Emergency page here.

Please note, stray healthy small animals are not an emergency.

If you discover orphaned, injured or ill wildlife, watch it carefully first to check if it really needs help. If the animal is orphaned, the best course of action can sometimes be to leave them in a safe place and continue to quietly monitor for its parents to return. If the animal is injured and in need of help, see the RSPCA’s guidance on how to help injured or sick wildlife here.

Or you may find it helpful to watch this short video:

Visit rspca.org.uk to search for information as mentioned in the video.

There are specialist local wildlife rescue groups that may be able to help with injured, sick and orphaned wildlife, see the list below:

• Secret World Wildlife Rescue
• West Hatch Wildlife Centre
• RSPCA Oak & Furrows
• Wildlife & Badger Care
• Avon Bat Group (bats only)
• Bat Conservation Trust (bats only)

You can find a full list of wildlife rehabilitation centres on the RSPCA website here.

If the animal needs urgent medical care, please contact your nearest vet. If we are nearer to you, our Clinic is open Monday – Friday 8am to 4pm. Please call ahead before making your journey on 0117 972 4567. Unfortunately, we don’t have the resources to collect animals. Outside of our opening hours, other local vets should be your first point of contact.