R escuing a stray animal is a noble but tough job. More than a million animals are left without a home all over the world. Some animals are left in the street to make their own way in life while some are dropped off at shelters. While shelters are able to provide some form of care and support to these animals, they aren’t sufficient enough to cater to the actual problem and have limited spaces.
This is where we as individual human beings come in. If all of us can start playing our own responsible role in society in rescuing at least one stray animal and start taking care of it, the numbers will significantly drop. However, there are important steps that we need to keep in mind when rescuing animals so we don’t end up making things worse.
If you are picking up an injured stray from the street, you will first have to analyze the situation and see how the animal is behaving. It is completely possible for the animal to feel extremely scared due to their injury and if you take them by surprise, they might attack you in self-defense which can result in an injury to you. This is why it is extremely important that you tread the situation very carefully, ensure that the animal is feeling safe, and take a cage with you so that you are not at risk at the time of taking the animal home or to the vet.
If the animal that you have decided to take care of seems to have injuries, please make sure that you take it to the vet to get the wounds properly treated. If it is a dog, a rabies injection might also be required which will add to your personal safety. The vet will be able to professionally guide you on how to take care of the injuries and how to go about the initial days of caring for the rescued animal. You can also ensure that the animal is not infested with fleas/ticks during this visit which can be dealt with and get any other vaccinations needed which can save a lot of future costs.
It is normal to expect the rescued animal to either be very aggressive or very timid when they are first taken home. They are usually in a state of trauma if they have injuries. And even if they don’t, it is still a very new place for them to be in. Therefore, it is always best to give them the time and space needed for them to adjust to their new environment but rest assured, your animal will start warming up to you in no time!
While you may at the moment get taken over by the need to adopt an animal that you feel needs a home, the fact that this act will be a long-term responsibility that you cannot back away from cannot be ignored. Animals are fragile creatures that get very attached to their environment and owner once they get comfortable around them. Taking an animal in and then deciding that you cannot handle the responsibility, therefore, giving them up will be a very irresponsible thing to do. This is why, before such a step is taken, one should always take a while to decide if they are truly capable of taking on this responsibility or not. Otherwise, fostering can be a much better option for someone who is not able to take on the long-term commitment.
One of the main reasons why animals end up on the street and cannot be cared for is the fact that they reproduce quickly. They can give litters of up to 6 or more kittens or puppies at a time. This is why one of the most important things that you should do is to get your animal neutered/spayed as soon as possible. You can get your animal spayed/neutered as early as 6 months of age to prevent new animals from getting mistreated as well.
These were some of the helpful tips that you should be mindful of when rescuing animals so you can provide them with proper care and safety while ensuring that you are not harmed either during the process!
