Animal welfare

Report:

Information about:

See also :

Dead animals or birds

Adur & Worthing Councils will remove, or arrange to remove, dead animals (eg cats, dogs, badgers, foxes), birds and larger animals, (eg deer), from public land and highway's including verges, except for the A27 which is the responsibility of the Highways Agency.

Adur & Worthing Councils will also arrange removal of dead animals found washed up on the beach (eg dolphins, seals, whales).

Dead animals will normally be removed within 48 hours of being reported to ensure that it does not pose a health hazard.

The removal of dead animals from private land is the duty of the landowner.

Usually the bodies of domestic pets will be retained for a day or so (depending upon their condition), to allow time for their owners to collect them, should they so wish.

Adur & Worthing Councils scan dead domestic pets to see whether they have an electronic tag. We use the tag number to obtain the owners contact details. We also keep a record of all dead domestic pets collected and, as far as possible this is matched against the log of all animals reported missing to us.

When you report a dead animal to us please ensure you supply the following information:

location of the dead animal (eg an adjacent or nearby address)
brief details of the animal (such as type, colour, size)
and the time at which you saw the animal

Report dead animals or birds:

You can report a dead animal that you have seen using the:

Report a dead animal (online form)

or ring 01903 851729
or e-mail: help.aws@adur-worthing.gov.uk

Avian influenza (bird flu):

The UK Health Security Agency has said that avian influenza is primarily a disease of birds and the risk to the public's health is very low. However, you are advised not to touch or pick up any dead or visibly sick birds that you find:

Full information about bird flu can be found on the GOV.UK website
If you are advised by Defra to contact us so that any birds can be removed, please call us on 01903 851729.

Back to top

Agricultural livestock

If you find any dead agricultural livestock (eg a cow, sheep, pig or horse), we will attempt to find and instruct the owner to remove as appropriate.

When you report a dead animal to us please ensure you supply the following information:

location of the dead animal including:
- an adjacent or nearby address
- road number if known (eg A283)
- nearby local landmarks or features if on a country road
details of the animal (such as type, colour, size, condition, etc)
and the time at which you saw the animal

You can report dead agricultural livestock that you have seen using the:

Report a dead animal (online form)

or ring 01903 851729
or e-mail: help.aws@adur-worthing.gov.uk

Injured animals or birds and animal cruelty - RSPCA

RSPCA If you find an injured animal or bird then please report it to the RSPCA's 24-hour national cruelty and advice line. You will need to provide details of the animal and precise location.

Where possible and safe to do so, confine the animal and/or stay with it, keeping it quiet, still and warm. Do not attempt to feed or give water to any injured animal.

Although the RSPCA can be contacted at any time of day or night, RSPCA inspectors can only attend calls outside normal office hours in an emergency. The RSPCA will always do its best to help an animal in need.

The Society relies entirely on voluntary donations, so please understand that its resources are far more limited than the other emergency services.

The RSPCA website gives information and advice on a wide range of subjects:

RSPCA website
RSPCA website: Reporting cruelty to animals or animals in distress
RSPCA website: General advice (FAQs) for all animals and birds - eg:
- Tricky problems (birds): What to do with oiled birds, injured swans, trapped or tangled birds
- Wildlife (birds): What to do with injured birds, or abandoned young birds
RSPCA website: contact details page

Back to top

Advice about sick and injured birds - RSPB

RSPB You can also refer to the RSPB website for information and advice about:

Farm animal welfare line - RSPCA

RSPCA The RSPCA has a farm animal welfare line to provide support to farmers and livestock owners. The service is available 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. Calls will be handled by a dedicated team, and, if necessary, passed onto frontline RSPCA staff to assess what help is needed. For information and advice see:

Animal disease - GOV.UK

Diseases (such as bluetongue, foot & mouth, bovine TB (tuberculosis), swine influenza, avian influenza (bird flu), Schmallenberg virus, etc) are monitored and controlled by DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs).

For news of the latest situation, control or contingency plans, movement guidance, licences, useful information and interactive maps of current restriction zones regarding these issues please see the relevant DEFRA webpages: