What to do when you find an injured animal on your travels

cycling uzbekistan

Found an injured animal on your travels, and not sure what to do? This is a list of animal shelters, organisations, groups and people around the world that can provide help or give advice on what to do when you find an injured animal on your travels.

One thing that really got to us during the France to China cycle trip, was all the injured strays we came across and our inability to help them. After we witnessed a puppy get hit by a car in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, we spent the next 3 days trying to find help for it. It was a struggle. The whole ordeal took it’s toll, and I almost ended the cycle trip there and then. It felt like no one gave a shit about these beautiful, helpless creatures. The truth is there are people that care, it’s just a matter of finding them, which isn’t always that simple.

I realise there are loads of animal lovers out there that probably have experienced something similar and wish they knew how to help. So, we’ve decided to compile a list of contacts for ‘animal saviours’ – people or organisations in each country that can offer help or advice if an injured animal has been found on your travels.

As we cycle through each country we will add more places to the list – however, please, please, please, let me know if you know of any other places/ organisations/ people in any country that would be able to provide help. Our email is info@cycletrekkers.com. 

It’s helpful to provide the following information, when contacting any of the listed contacts below:

1 – Your name and contact number
2 – Area and street name where the animal is, landmark of where the animal is
3 – Description of the animal, colour, condition? 
4 – Does it have an owner?
5 – A Photo of the animal
Cycling Kazakhstan, injured animal
Making friends with stray dogs!

Australia

A lot of vets in Australia will treat injured wildlife for free. Once they are all fixed up, the vet will pass the animal on to a carer for rehabilitation and/or rehoming. Some vets also treat injured strays for free. It’s best to call your closest vet to confirm before making the trip. It’s useful to know that chipping dogs in Australia is required, so if you find an injured dog, vets are usually able to locate the owner.

Some other places you could try contacting are listed below; however, I recommend first contacting your local/ the nearest vet.

South Australia

Freedom Hill Sanctuary

Contact: Facebook page

Freedom Hill helps and rescues mostly farm animals, however I’m sure they will be willing to help an injured or mistreated animal.

Western Australia

Possum Valley Animal Sanctuary

Contact: Facebook page

Possum Valley is in Mount Helena and helps injured or rescued farm animals and native animals.

 

Greener Pastures Sanctuary

Email: mail@greenerpasturessanctuary.org.au

Alternative contact: Facebook page

Greener Pastures is located in Waroona. They usually only help farm animals, birds (ducks and chickens) and horses, however I think they wouldn’t turn away an injured animal, and would definitely know where you could find help.

 

Belize

Caye Caulker

PAW Animal Sanctuary & PAUSE Hostel

Phone: +501 624 7076

Email: pawanimalsanctuarybelize@yahoo.com

PAW rescues homeless and injured animals (primarily dogs and cats). The owner actually started this sanctuary after finding a bag full of kittens dump near a jetty, left to drown. She rescued the kittens, retired from her job and opened the sanctuary.

 

Canada

Sick or injured wild animals in Canada should receive care from a wildlife rehabilitator.

Manitoba

HIARC (Homeless and Injured Animal Rescue of Canada, Inc.)

Phone: +1 204 688 6555

They rescue homeless and injured animals (primarily dogs and cats) and provide medical care and help find them loving homes.

Ontario

Toronto Wildlife Centre

Phone: +1 416 631 0662

Costa Rica

Jaguar Rescue Centre

Phone: (+506) 2750-0710

Email: info@jaguarrecue.foundation

Helps rescue and release native, injured wildlife.

 

Indonesia

Bali

BARC 4 Bali Dogs Indonesia

Email: rescue@barc4balidogs.org.au

Alternative contact: Facebook page & Rehabilitation Centre

 

Mexico

Yucatan

Coco’s Animal Welfare

Email: info@cocosanimalwelfare.org

Coco’s mostly helps stray or injured cats.

 

Isla Animals

Isla’s mostly helps stray dogs and can be contacted through the “contact us” page on their website.

 

USA

California

The Animal Hope & Wellness Foundation

Phone: (818) 386-8937

Email: animalhopeandwellness@gmail.com

Alternative contact: Facebook page

Helps any type of injured or mistreated animal. The guy that started this foundation is amazing. If you haven’t heard about the rescues he did in China during the dog eating festival, you definitely have to read up on it. There are plenty of clips on YouTube and on their facebook page to check out about it.

 

Uzbekistan

Tashkent

In Uzbekistan animal shelters are not allowed. There are however some voluntary groups and kind people that can help provide advice if you do find an injured stray.

(Russian & Uzbek) Give me a chance: Facebook group  – most responsive.

(English) Give me a chance: Facebook group – not as many people as the Russian group, and not as responsive.

(Russian) Give me a chance: forum

Please note that some of the groups are in Russian, however there are some people in the group that speak English. It does take some time to receive a response. The groups are also completely voluntary – and it does state on their page that they don’t take in any new animals, but they will help out if they can. They are all separate groups, but are all linked.