What Constitutes an Emergency
An animal requires immediate help if:
- It is bleeding profusely.
- It is unconscious or convulsing.
- It is helpless and in danger of being attacked by another animal, or has been attacked by a cat.
- It has a broken leg or wing.
- It has collapsed, or is staggering, or weak.
- It has been burned.
- It is entangled in fishing line, string, net, debris, etc. or its bill or muzzle is caught in a jar, container, plastic rings from canned beverages, etc.
- It has a fish hook in its mouth or body.
- It is stuck to a glue trap, fly paper or other sticky surface.
- It has ingested oil, antifreeze or other chemicals.
- It is covered with in oil, tar, etc.
- Its eyes are crusted shut, or it appears to be blind.
- It has been shot.
- Its nest has fallen to the ground.
- Its parent (in the case of animals that are raised by just one parent, such as hummingbirds or young mammals) or parents are known to be dead, injured or ill.
- It is trapped in a vehicle or building.
Young animals that appear to be on their own may not require intervention. Parents normally leave their youngsters while they forage. Some animals, such as deer, watch their young from a distance so as not to draw the attention of predators. They attend their young only to nurse them, until the time the youngsters are strong enough to follow.
Often, the finder can resolve the problem. At other times, professional intervention is necessary. Some things that appear to be problems may instead be normal behaviors or stages of development.