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What should I do if I have found an animal in need of help and Toronto Wildlife Centre is closed?

Our Wildlife Hotline is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Although our high volume of calls makes it impossible to pick up the phone directly, we check our messages frequently, and endeavour to return emergency calls within 1 hour during our open hours (9am – 6pm). Messages received after we are closed are returned the following morning.

If you have an emergency situation after 6pm that you require assistance with overnight, in some cases local animal services or humane societies may have after-hours staff that can assist. However, even when this is an option, it is not always the best one for the animal--these organizations are NOT wildlife rehabilitation centres, and in most cases the animals picked up are euthanized. There is no city funding for wildlife rehabilitation.

There are true emergencies, however, where we would advise trying to get a city response if we are closed, such as an animal in imminent danger or active distress. For situations involving animals that are sick, injured, or orphaned that can be contained or confined to one area (such as a garage or enclosed yard), we recommend calling our wildlife hotline at (416) 631-0662 and leaving a message so we can call you in the morning and help figure out the best course of care for the animal. Because there are usually no medical treatment options available for wildlife over night, we would rather an animal that is not in imminent danger be given the option of receiving care the following day.

Here are a few examples of situations that we would consider emergencies requiring immediate assistance:

• A family of geese trying to cross the 401 (geese do not necessarily need assistance on smaller roads where stopping is possible).
• An animal that is physically trapped in or under an object (e.g. a skunk entangled in a hockey net, a raccoon wedged in a fence).
• A case of active animal cruelty (e.g. attempted beating or drowning of an animal).
• A sick or injured animal that cannot be safely confined (e.g. a deer, coyote, raccoon or other large/dangerous animal that has just been hit by a car or been found injured and immobile). Note that injured animals that are still mobile, such as a raccoon with an injured leg that can still climb well, may need to be rescued with a humane live trap anyway, which we can advise you on the following morning.

Here are a few examples of situations where we would advise leaving a message on our hotline, and letting us help with a plan of action the following morning:

• A sick, injured, or orphaned animal that can be safely confined (e.g. in a box, under a recycling bin, or corralled into a garage). For advice on containing animals, please select “Wildlife Hotline” from the main menu, then choose “Sick or Injured Animal” and follow the links.
• A sick or injured animal that cannot be confined but is highly mobile (e.g. a raccoon with an injured leg that can still climb—these animals often require a humane live trap for rescue, as opposed to a rescue person responding directly).

Rescue Tips
If the animal is not very mobile (e.g. able to run quickly and climb) and you feel it is safe to do so, confine it to a box or cat or dog carrier in a warm, dark quiet place. The best way to do this to avoid injury and extra stress to the animal is to use heavy gloves and a thick towel and gently push the animal into a carrier or box turned on its side. Alternatively, you can place a box or recycling bin upside down over the animal, slowly shimmy a board or stiff piece of cardboard underneath, and then gently turn the box over and secure the board or cardboard on top of the bin using twine or rope. Ensure there are small air holes in the container or lid.

Place the container in a warm, quiet room, garage, or shed until we are able to return your call the next morning. Keep pet and human sounds away from the animal--it will feel safest if left alone. Place a soft piece of material that you are willing to throw away (e.g. a towel with no loose loops or thread or an old shirt) inside the container with the animal. If its a baby, GIVE THE BABY A HEAT SOURCE by placing an electric heating pad set on the “LOW” setting underneath half of the container. This is critical—babies outside of their den can become hypothermic even in warm weather.

If the animal is able to run and/or climb you may not be able to contain it in this way--try to monitor where the animal goes for the night, and we will help assess the best way to get the animal help when we speak with you directly.

Note: Even baby animals have the potential to cause injury to their handlers. Because some animals are carrier species for rabies (though this disease is extremely rare—see FAQ for more information) and a type of roundworm that can be harmful to people, it is strongly recommended that you do NOT handle animals directly.

Care Instructions
Please do NOT offer the animal anything to eat or drink until you have spoken with a Toronto Wildlife Centre Hotline staff member. Although it may seem intuitive to feed it, doing so can endanger the animal in several ways: