Resources

If you find a bird that is suffering, bleeding a lot, unable to stand, circling around, head twisting, acting drunk, wing hanging down, legs broken or any other broken bones, it will need to be taken to a vet to assess. By law any wildlife that is severely injured has to be triaged by a qualified professional vet. Most vets will contact us or another rescue if it can be rehabbed.

Please do NOT hold onto any injured, cat attacked, or suffering wild animal. Not only is this actually very illegal and is an offence (The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981), it is inflicting unnecessary cruelty and further harm, in which you can be prosecuted for.

If you are unable to get to a 24 hour vet late at night. Please make the bird safe and contained in a box overnight. Line the box with an old towel or blanket so it doesn’t slip around. Do not worry about food or water as they don’t eat in the dark. Please take it to any local vet first thing in the morning.

All vets have a duty of care by law to see wildlife and you will not be charged. Sadly some birds that are beyond saving and suffering may need to be put to sleep. This is not an easy decision for anyone but we have to put the bird’s welfare and future survival in the wild, first. Please be assured that we have a close working relationship with all local vets and if a bird can be rehabbed they will usually contact us or another local rescue.

If you found a bird and unsure what to do, please see these pages for more info:
Help! I’ve found a Bird and FAQs

Note…
We cannot take any raptors, water or sea related birds, fowl, nightjars, or migratory birds (migratory birds being swifts, swallows, house martins, etc). We sadly do not have facilities for these birds. Try other rescues as listed below.

Below are some local rescues and vets fairly local to us in Dorset. If you are further away please use Google to find your nearest veterinary practice. Thank you.

Local Rescues

Moyles Court Rescue Ringwood
(All wildlife – Deer, Badgers, Raptors, Sea/Water Birds and Migratory)
Mike: 01425 477500 / 07884 226540

Wildlife in Need Bournemouth and Hurn
All birds and wildlife (can pass on details of other rescues for foxes etc)
Lynne Parker: 07770 478660
Janet: 07734 047357

Country Corvid Rescue Dorchester
(Corvids – Crows, Jackdaws, Rooks etc)
Erin: 07359 867926

Seabird Rescue (Gulls and Raptors) Weymouth
Derek Davey: 07423564362

More links to find other wildlife rescues by area:
www.helpwildlife.co.uk
www.bwrc.org.uk

Local Vets

Scroll down for 24 hour Vets (or use Google)
…always polite to call ahead

Lynwood Vets various branches
https://www.lynwoodvets.co.uk/our-branches

Natterjacks Poole and Bournemouth
https://www.natterjacksvet.com/branches

Hillside Corfe Mullen
https://www.hillsidevets.co.uk/contact-us.html

Vetsmiths Wimborne
https://vetsmiths.co.uk/contact/

Vets for Pets (inside Pets at Home) Find your nearest practice below:
https://www.vets4pets.com/find-a-practice/

Damory Vets Blandford
https://www.damoryvets.co.uk/contact-us/damory-lodge-branch

Medivet North Road Poole:
https://www.medivetgroup.com/24-hour-emergency-vet/24-hour-poole/

or other Medivet centres (link below to find your nearest branch)
https://www.medivetgroup.com/vet-practices/?address=Dorset%2C%20UK&latitude=50.7390661&longitude=-2.3382346&isEmergency=false#resultsWrapper

Pet Health Partnership Upton and Wareham
https://www.thepethealthpartnership.co.uk/our-practice/upton-surgery/

24 HOUR VETS local to us

…..always polite to call first.

Medivet Dorchester 24 hour
https://www.medivetgroup.com/24-hour-emergency-vet/24-hour-dorchester/

Medivet Poole 24 hour
https://www.medivetgroup.com/24-hour-emergency-vet/24-hour-poole/#practice

Damory Vets Blandford 24 hour
https://www.damoryvets.co.uk/contact-us/damory-lodge-branch

Vets Now Wimborne 24 hour
https://www.vets-now.com/find-an-emergency-vet/bournemouth/

Thank you for caring.

Please don’t assume we are a big organisation and can come out armed with nets, ladders, and have a fleet of rescue vehicles and volunteers, we don’t, and we can’t. We do this voluntarily and can get over 50 enquiries a day and take in approximately 600 birds a year, in between working full time jobs to pay the bills.

Although we try our best, it is not always possible to collect a bird so please make some effort yourself or find someone to help transport a bird to a veterinary practice or to us. Please ask anyone, friends, family, neighbours, carers, colleagues, maybe ask on your local Facebook neighbourhood groups, or even ask someone on the street. Usually there is someone out there who would like to be a hero for the day!

Over this past year we have witnessed a HUGE increase in abusive behaviour, emotional blackmail, and a blatant unwillingness to help transport a bird to the vets or to us. If your cat has caused harm to a bird, the least you can do as a responsible owner is get the bird to a vet or rescue ASAP. Cat saliva is extremely toxic and will kill a small bird within 72 hours, pigeons and larger birds suffer sepsis for longer! The sooner the bird can have proper medical treatment, pain relief, and antibiotics, the greater the chance it has of surviving.

THANK YOU for understanding!
TOGETHER we can make a difference!
TEAMWORK saves lives!

Thank you for caring and doing your amazing part in saving a soul.
Stay kind in a harsh world.

Local Vets, 24 hour vets, and other local rescues

Local Rescues

Local Vets

24 HOUR VETS local to us

TOGETHER we can make a difference!