Found an animal

Start again › A dog or cat

What is happening?

• It is hurt, sick, or cannot move
• It is trapped, stuck, or somewhere dangerous
• It is a baby or a young animal, apparently alone
• It seems well, but it is somewhere it should not be
• It is a pet with no owner nearby
• It is dead

What this page is

Every instruction here is the RSPCA’s or the law’s, named and linked. None of it is this site’s own advice, and there is none to give: the people who can help are a vet, the RSPCA, and the organisations listed. If something here disagrees with what a vet tells you, the vet is in front of the animal and this page is not.

Last reviewed 23 August 2026. In an emergency the RSPCA’s line is 0300 123 8960.

This is a description of the law, not legal advice. Every row links to the primary source and carries the date it was last checked. Check the source before relying on it — general licences are reissued each January and commencement dates move.