Knowing Who to Contact Is Part of Professional Preparedness

When an animal is loose, lost, injured, trapped, deceased or somewhere it should not be, it is not always obvious what to do.

The appropriate response may depend on:

• the species;
• whether the animal is domestic, native or introduced;
• the animal’s condition;
• immediate risks;
• the location;
• whether an owner is known;
• whether the animal is contained;
• road or public-safety risks;
• biosecurity considerations; and
• the laws and procedures applying in the relevant State, Territory and local government area.

In an emergency, you may have only a short period in which to decide whether the appropriate contact is a:

• veterinarian;
• local council or ranger;
• pound or shelter;
• police service;
• fire and rescue service;
• State or Territory Emergency Service;
• licensed wildlife rescuer;
• marine-wildlife service;
• animal-welfare enforcement authority;
• biosecurity authority;
• snake catcher; or
• another specialist service.

You are not expected to personally rescue every animal you encounter.

Your first responsibilities are to:

Protect yourself and other people → Avoid making the situation worse → Protect the animal where this can be done safely → Contact the appropriate service.

Laws and procedures vary throughout Australia. AAOT practitioners should familiarise themselves with the arrangements applying where they live and work and keep important contact information readily accessible.

Call 000 where there is an immediate threat to human life or another genuine emergency.

Use This Topic to Check Your Own State and Local Requirements

This is a good point in the AAOT Credential to stop and identify what actually applies where you live and intend to practise.

This topic provides a broad Australian framework. It cannot tell you every rule that applies in every State, Territory and local government area.

Requirements may differ according to:

• State or Territory;
• local council area;
• urban, regional, rural or remote location;
• species;
• whether an animal is domestic, native, introduced or invasive;
• whether the animal is injured;
• ownership;
• biosecurity status; and
• the particular emergency.

As you work through this topic, take some time to investigate your own local arrangements.

Consider identifying:

• your State or Territory companion-animal legislation;
• your local council’s requirements for found and roaming animals;
• cat containment or curfew requirements, where applicable;
• procedures for deceased companion animals;
• pound and surrender arrangements;
• local wildlife rescue organisations;
• requirements concerning native wildlife;
• animal-welfare enforcement authorities;
• livestock and roaming-animal arrangements;
• pest and invasive-species reporting pathways;
• your State or Territory agriculture or biosecurity authority;
• animal-disease reporting arrangements;
• relevant fire, flood, cyclone or other emergency-management information;
• local veterinary services;
• after-hours and emergency veterinary services;
• local snake catchers where relevant; and
• specialist animal-rescue services available in your area.

Do not record only daytime contact information.

Find out what happens:

• after hours;
• overnight;
• on weekends;
• on public holidays; and
• when the usual service is unavailable.

You do not need to memorise every rule.

An important professional skill is being able to answer:

Where do I find the current requirement, and who do I contact when I am unsure?

Save useful telephone numbers, websites and services in your phone or professional resource library.

Because laws, council procedures, emergency arrangements and biosecurity risks change, checking once is not enough. Develop the habit of periodically confirming that the information you rely upon remains current.

Add This to Your AAOT Professional Portfolio

This local research can form useful evidence within your AAOT Professional Portfolio.

For example, you might retain:

• a local animal-emergency contact list;
• a table identifying who manages different types of animal incidents;
• daytime and after-hours contact pathways;
• links to relevant State or Territory legislation;
• local council animal-management information;
• wildlife rescue contacts;
• veterinary and emergency veterinary contacts;
• animal-welfare reporting information;
• biosecurity and notifiable-disease contacts;
• local emergency-management information;
• a brief reflection on what you discovered;
• evidence of how you incorporated this information into a workplace policy or procedure; or
• evidence of later updates when legislation, services or local risks changed.

You are not being asked to collect documents merely to make your Portfolio larger.

Include material where it demonstrates meaningful professional learning, preparedness, application or development.

A simple resource that you genuinely use in practice may be more valuable than pages of information collected without purpose.

Do Not Put Yourself in Danger

Animal rescue can create significant risks.

An unfamiliar, frightened, trapped, injured or distressed animal may:

• bite;
• scratch;
• kick;
• charge;
• crush;
• strike;
• transmit disease;
• be venomous; or
• behave unpredictably.

Pain, fear, neurological injury, shock and restraint can substantially alter an animal’s behaviour.

An apparently friendly animal may therefore react very differently when injured or frightened.

You are not required to endanger yourself in order to rescue an animal.

Do not enter:

• moving traffic;
• floodwater;
• drains;
• confined spaces;
• railway corridors;
• electrical infrastructure;
• unstable structures;
• dangerous machinery; or
• another hazardous environment

to retrieve an animal unless you are appropriately trained, authorised and equipped to do so.

Sometimes the most appropriate rescue action is not physically rescuing the animal yourself.

It is recognising the problem, securing the area where possible and getting the right person there safely.

Protect the Assistance Animal Too

If you encounter a lost, injured, sick, trapped, deceased or unfamiliar animal while accompanied by an assistance animal, remember that the assistance animal is not part of the rescue equipment.

Do not unnecessarily allow an assistance animal to:

• approach or investigate an unfamiliar animal;
• sniff, lick or mouth an injured or deceased animal;
• interact with wildlife;
• assist in catching or containing a stray animal;
• enter an area contaminated with blood, faeces, urine, vomit or other bodily fluids;
• share food bowls, water bowls, bedding, equipment or confined spaces with an unfamiliar animal; or
• remain close enough to be bitten, scratched, kicked or otherwise injured.

Even an apparently friendly animal may behave unpredictably when frightened, injured, trapped, sick or in pain.

There may also be risks from:

• infectious disease;
• parasites;
• zoonoses;
• environmental contamination;
• bites and scratches;
• conflict between animals; and
• exposure to substances or hazards involved in the original incident.

Where practicable, secure the assistance animal safely away from the incident before attempting to assist another animal.

If this cannot be done safely, contacting the appropriate service and remaining at a safe distance may be more appropriate than attempting the rescue yourself.

The same principle applies when working with a client’s assistance animal.

Helping one animal should not unnecessarily place another animal at risk.

If You Temporarily Contain an Unknown Animal

Sometimes temporary containment may be appropriate while you determine what has happened and contact an owner, council, veterinarian, wildlife rescuer or other appropriate service.

The immediate objective is generally not to interact extensively with the animal.

It is to:

Contain → Reduce Stress → Prevent Further Harm → Seek Advice → Arrange Appropriate Care or Transfer

Keep the Animal Quiet, Dim and Appropriately Comfortable

As a general immediate principle, an unknown animal that has been safely contained should be kept in a quiet, low-stimulation environment away from unnecessary people and other animals while you determine the appropriate next step.

Where appropriate for the species and circumstances, this may mean placing the animal in a secure:

• carrier;
• crate;
• box;
• enclosure;
• room; or
• other suitable contained area.

The environment should generally be:

• quiet;
• dimly lit or dark where appropriate;
• protected from unnecessary handling;
• protected from children and members of the public;
• separated from companion and assistance animals;
• protected from escape;
• appropriately ventilated; and
• maintained at a safe and appropriate temperature.

For many frightened, shocked, injured or stressed animals, reducing light, noise, movement and unnecessary interaction can help reduce stimulation while professional advice or transfer is arranged.

Gentle warmth may also be appropriate for some cold, shocked, very young or compromised animals.

However, do not automatically heat every animal.

An animal experiencing heat stress, hyperthermia or certain other conditions may be harmed by additional warmth. Different species also have different environmental and temperature requirements.

If you are unsure, a useful starting principle is:

Quiet + Dim or Dark Where Appropriate + Low Stimulation + Safe Containment + Appropriate Temperature + Professional Advice

Wildlife in particular may have species-specific containment requirements. Follow the instructions of an authorised wildlife rehabilitator, veterinarian or relevant authority.

Minimise Handling

Once an animal is safely contained, avoid repeatedly:

• picking it up;
• checking it;
• patting it;
• showing it to other people;
• allowing people to crowd around it;
• opening the enclosure unnecessarily; or
• attempting to make it interact.

An animal that appears unusually quiet is not necessarily relaxed.

It may be:

• frightened;
• exhausted;
• injured;
• hypothermic;
• in shock;
• neurologically impaired;
• severely unwell; or
• using immobility as a defensive response.

Give the animal space while appropriate assistance is arranged.

Food and Water Are Not Automatically Appropriate

Do not automatically provide food merely because an animal has been contained.

Whether food is appropriate may depend on:

• species;
• age;
• injury;
• illness;
• poisoning risk;
• possible surgery or anaesthesia;
• wildlife requirements; and
• veterinary or specialist advice.

Water may be appropriate in many circumstances, but this too depends on the animal’s condition and situation.

An animal that cannot safely drink, is neurologically compromised, is vomiting, has particular injuries or requires urgent veterinary intervention may need different management.

Where uncertain, contact the appropriate veterinarian, wildlife service or other qualified professional and follow their instructions.

Separate Unknown Animals From Other Animals

An unfamiliar animal should generally be kept physically separated from:

• your own companion animals;
• your own assistance animal;
• clients’ assistance animals;
• animals belonging to other people; and
• other temporarily contained animals

unless an appropriately qualified professional advises otherwise.

Do not allow animals to share:

• food bowls;
• water bowls;
• bedding;
• crates;
• leads;
• grooming equipment;
• toys; or
• other potentially contaminated equipment.

An animal can appear healthy while carrying an infectious disease or parasites.

Separation therefore protects both the found animal and the animals already in your care or environment.

Call Before You Transport

Where practicable, telephone the intended service before transporting an unfamiliar animal.

Not every:

• veterinary practice;
• emergency veterinary hospital;
• council facility;
• pound;
• shelter;
• wildlife organisation;
• rescue organisation; or
• animal-welfare service

can accept every species or situation.

For example, a service that routinely accepts dogs and cats may not be equipped or authorised to receive:

• wildlife;
• livestock;
• reptiles;
• birds;
• invasive species;
• animals subject to biosecurity restrictions; or
• animals requiring specialist containment.

Explain what you have found and ask:

• whether they can accept the animal;
• whether it should be transported;
• how it should be contained;
• whether any particular handling precautions are required;
• whether there are infectious-disease or biosecurity concerns; and
• whether another service is more appropriate.

Sometimes the correct instruction may be not to move the animal at all.

Transporting an Unfamiliar Animal

If you are advised to transport the animal, consider the safety of:

• the animal;
• the driver;
• passengers;
• other road users;
• other animals; and
• anyone who will subsequently use the vehicle.

The animal should be appropriately contained rather than loose within the vehicle wherever practicable.

Consider:

• escape prevention;
• ventilation;
• temperature;
• secure positioning of the carrier or enclosure;
• minimising noise and stimulation;
• protection from other animals;
• bite, scratch or kick risks;
• bodily fluids;
• parasites;
• infectious disease; and
• contamination of vehicle surfaces.

Do not allow an unfamiliar animal to travel loose beside an assistance animal.

If a vehicle used for transporting an unfamiliar animal is also used for assistance-animal work, consider whether appropriate cleaning and disinfection are required before another animal uses the contaminated area.

Where there is a suspected infectious-disease or biosecurity concern, obtain appropriate advice before transporting the animal.

Sometimes Information Is More Useful Than Capture

You do not necessarily need to catch an animal in order to help it.

For wildlife, livestock, invasive animals, frightened roaming animals and possible biosecurity incidents, attempting capture may increase risk to the animal, yourself or other people.

Sometimes the most useful action is to safely record:

• the exact location;
• date and time;
• species, if known;
• number of animals;
• apparent condition;
• injuries;
• unusual behaviour;
• direction of travel;
• nearby hazards;
• whether dependent young may be present; and
• other relevant observations.

Where safe and appropriate, photographs or short video taken from a distance may assist the relevant authority or rescue organisation.

Location information can be particularly important. A dropped map pin, GPS location, road marker, property reference or clear description of landmarks may help a responder find the animal quickly.

Do not move closer, pursue an animal or enter a hazardous location simply to obtain a better photograph.

Good information can itself be a valuable form of assistance.

After-Hours Planning Matters

Animal incidents do not only occur during business hours.

A council, pound, wildlife organisation, veterinary practice or other service listed in your professional resources may:

• close overnight;
• operate limited weekend hours;
• use an answering service;
• redirect emergencies elsewhere;
• cover only particular geographic areas; or
• respond only to particular types of incidents.

When developing your local animal-emergency resources, do not record only the daytime contact.

Find out:

• Who responds after hours?
• Is there an emergency veterinary hospital?
• Does the council have an after-hours ranger?
• Does the wildlife organisation operate a 24-hour rescue line?
• What happens on weekends and public holidays?
• Who manages an animal creating an immediate road-safety risk?
• Where can a found animal lawfully be taken after hours?
• What happens if the usual pound, shelter or veterinary practice is closed?
• Are there species that require a completely different after-hours pathway?

Record these arrangements in your AAOT Professional Portfolio and professional emergency resources where relevant.

An emergency contact list is only useful if the service is actually available when the emergency occurs.

Temporary Containment Creates Responsibilities

If you temporarily contain an animal:

• keep it secure and prevent escape;
• provide an appropriately quiet, low-stimulation environment;
• keep it dim or dark where appropriate for the species and circumstances;
• maintain an appropriate and safe environmental temperature;
• separate it from other animals;
• minimise unnecessary handling;
• protect it from unnecessary interaction with people;
• consider appropriate water, shelter and immediate environmental needs;
• do not automatically feed or medicate it;
• use appropriate hygiene and infection-control precautions;
• seek veterinary assistance where the animal is injured or unwell;
• contact the appropriate authority or service;
• follow species-specific professional advice; and
• arrange appropriate lawful transfer as soon as reasonably practicable.

Temporary containment does not make you the animal’s owner.

Nor does it mean that you should attempt to provide treatment, rehabilitation or long-term care outside your knowledge, competence or authority.

If you are unsure whether an animal should be contained, transported or left where it is while specialist assistance attends, contact the appropriate service and follow its advice.

A useful principle is:

Safe Containment → Quiet, Low-Stimulation Environment → Separation → Appropriate Temperature → Minimal Handling → Professional Advice → Appropriate Transfer → Cleaning and Infection Control Where Required

The purpose of temporary containment is to keep the animal and others safe while the appropriate next step is determined—not to turn the finder into the animal’s rescuer, veterinarian, rehabilitator or new owner.

Found Cats and Dogs

Finding a cat or dog does not mean that the animal becomes yours.

A found animal may be:

• lost;
• escaped;
• stolen;
• microchipped;
• temporarily displaced;
• frightened and unable to return home; or
• legally owned by another person.

Do not simply take a found animal home and decide to keep, sell, rehome or give it away.

Depending on the jurisdiction and circumstances, an appropriate response may include:

• returning the animal directly to a known and verified owner;
• reporting it to the local council;
• delivering it to an appropriate pound or authorised facility;
• contacting an animal-welfare organisation where applicable; or
• taking an injured animal to a veterinarian.

Finding an animal is not the same as adopting it.

Where an animal ultimately becomes available for adoption or permanent transfer, that should occur through the appropriate lawful process.

Do not:

• conceal the animal;
• remove identification;
• deliberately avoid microchip checking;
• falsely claim ownership;
• give the animal to an unverified claimant; or
• assume that concern about the animal’s care gives you ownership.

Suspected cruelty, neglect or abandonment should be reported to the relevant animal-welfare enforcement authority.

Roaming Dogs

A roaming or apparently stray dog should generally be reported to the relevant local council or other authority responsible for companion-animal management.

Where it is lawful and safe to do so, temporary containment may sometimes prevent:

• the dog entering traffic;
• the dog becoming further lost;
• injury to the animal;
• injury to people; or
• conflict with other animals.

However, do not chase, corner, grab or physically restrain an unfamiliar dog where this creates an unacceptable risk.

If the dog displays:

• aggression;
• extreme fear;
• neurological abnormalities;
• significant injury; or
• unpredictable behaviour,

keep people and other animals away and seek appropriate assistance.

A dog loose on a major road or otherwise creating a serious traffic hazard may require police, road authority or emergency-service involvement.

Roaming Cats

Cat-management laws differ substantially throughout Australia.

Depending on the jurisdiction and council area, there may be requirements concerning:

• containment;
• curfews;
• nuisance;
• prohibited areas;
• seizure;
• identification; and
• registration.

Do not assume that the law applying to cats in one council area applies everywhere else.

A cat entering another person’s property does not become that person’s property.

If a cat appears:

• lost;
• injured;
• abandoned;
• displaced;
• unable to return home; or
• otherwise in need of assistance,

seek advice from the relevant council, animal-welfare organisation, pound or veterinarian.

Identifying Escaped Indoor Cats

The Kitty Convict Project promotes bright orange collars for indoor-only cats so that, if they escape, people may be more likely to recognise them as lost rather than routinely roaming.

A visible collar and ID tag can also make the cat easier to identify and return.

This should supplement—not replace—microchipping, registration where required, safe containment and local council requirements.

Deceased Cats and Dogs

A deceased cat or dog found in a public place should generally be reported to the relevant council or other responsible authority.

Identification or microchip scanning may enable the owner to be notified.

Do not place yourself in danger retrieving an animal from a roadway or another hazardous location.

Other Domestic and Companion Animals

Found domestic animals may include:

• rabbits;
• guinea pigs;
• rodents;
• companion birds;
• poultry; and
• other species.

Not every council, pound, shelter or veterinary practice accepts every species.

Telephone before transporting the animal wherever possible.

An apparently domestic animal should not simply be released because its owner cannot immediately be located.

The appropriate response may depend on:

• species;
• legal status;
• local animal-management arrangements;
• biosecurity status; and
• whether the animal is injured.

Loose Horses and Livestock

Loose horses, cattle, sheep, goats and other livestock can create serious risks to:

• the animals;
• motorists;
• pedestrians;
• rescuers; and
• surrounding properties.

Contact the local council, police or other authority responsible for loose livestock in the relevant area.

Call 000 where the situation creates an immediate threat to human life or a serious traffic emergency.

Do not attempt to catch, herd, lead, restrain or transport unfamiliar livestock unless you are:

• competent;
• appropriately equipped;
• authorised where required; and
• able to do so safely.

Groups of Deer, Goats, Pigs, Rabbits and Other Introduced Animals

Encountering an apparently established group or population of introduced or invasive animals is different from finding an individual lost domestic animal.

Depending on the species and jurisdiction, sightings may be appropriately reported to:

• the local council;
• land manager;
• State or Territory agriculture department;
• biosecurity authority; or
• pest-management authority.

Useful information may include:

• species, if known;
• approximate number;
• exact location;
• direction of movement;
• whether young are present;
• apparent injuries;
• proximity to roads or populated areas; and
• photographs taken safely from a distance.

Do not independently attempt to capture, relocate, feed or manage an invasive-animal population.

Repeated sightings may also be useful because they can assist authorities in identifying changes in distribution or emerging biosecurity concerns.

Native Wildlife

Native wildlife is subject to State and Territory wildlife legislation.

Sick, injured or orphaned wildlife should generally be referred to an appropriately authorised wildlife rescue and rehabilitation organisation or veterinarian.

Do not assume that finding injured wildlife gives you authority to:

• keep it;
• raise it;
• rehabilitate it;
• transport it wherever you choose; or
• release it somewhere else.

Where temporary containment is appropriate, follow the instructions of the relevant veterinarian or authorised wildlife rehabilitator.

Wildlife rehabilitation is specialist work requiring appropriate knowledge, training and authorisation.

Young Wildlife May Not Be Orphaned

A young animal found alone is not necessarily abandoned.

Depending on the species:

• parents may be nearby;
• parents may be obtaining food;
• adults may be waiting for humans to leave;
• young may normally be left unattended for periods; or
• inappropriate intervention may separate the young animal from its parent.

Unless there is an immediate danger, observe from a safe distance and seek advice before intervening.

Deceased Marsupials

Where it is safe to do so, remember that a deceased female:

• kangaroo;
• wallaby;
• possum; or
• other marsupial

may have a living young animal in the pouch or dependent young nearby.

Do not put yourself in danger, particularly on roads.

Contact an appropriate wildlife rescue organisation and provide the precise location and relevant observations.

Snakes

Do not attempt to catch, handle or relocate a snake unless you are appropriately trained, authorised and equipped to do so.

Keep people and companion animals away.

Depending on the jurisdiction, an appropriately licensed or authorised snake catcher may be able to remove a snake from a property.

An injured snake should be reported to an appropriately equipped wildlife rescue organisation or other relevant authority.

Flying-Foxes and Other Bats

Do not touch or pick up a flying-fox or other bat unless you are appropriately trained, vaccinated and equipped.

This includes animals that appear:

• injured;
• trapped;
• entangled; or
• dead.

Australian bats can carry Australian bat lyssavirus.

Anyone who has been bitten or scratched by a bat, or who may have had relevant exposure to bat saliva, should seek urgent medical attention.

Contact an authorised wildlife rescue organisation rather than attempting the rescue yourself.

Marine Animals and Seabirds

Stranded, injured, sick or entangled:

• seabirds;
• turtles;
• seals;
• dolphins;
• whales; and
• other marine wildlife

may require specialist assistance.

Contact the relevant marine-wildlife, wildlife rescue or government authority.

Keep members of the public and dogs away where appropriate.

Do not automatically attempt to push a stranded marine animal back into the water.

Animals may strand because they are:

• injured;
• ill;
• exhausted;
• disoriented; or
• otherwise unable to remain in the water safely.

Fishing line, hooks, nets and other entanglements can also create substantial risks to rescuers.

Animals Trapped or Inaccessible

Animals may become trapped in:

• trees;
• roof spaces;
• wall cavities;
• drains;
• stormwater infrastructure;
• fences;
• pits;
• waterways;
• buildings;
• machinery; or
• other inaccessible locations.

Do not turn one animal emergency into two emergencies by attempting an unsafe rescue.

Depending on local arrangements and the circumstances, assistance might be available from:

• council or rangers;
• fire and rescue services;
• SES;
• police;
• animal-welfare organisations;
• specialist animal-rescue organisations;
• wildlife rescue;
• appropriately equipped arborists; or
• other specialist rescue services.

Not every emergency service attends every type of animal rescue.

Explain the circumstances and follow the advice provided.

Animals in Hot Vehicles or Other Immediate Danger

An animal confined in a hot vehicle or another dangerous environment may represent an urgent animal-welfare situation.

Contact:

• police;
• the relevant animal-welfare enforcement authority; or
• emergency services

according to the seriousness and immediacy of the situation.

Do not assume that concern for an animal automatically provides legal authority to:

• break into a vehicle;
• enter private property;
• damage property; or
• remove an animal.

Where circumstances permit, contact the appropriate authority and follow its instructions.

Injured Animals

An injured animal should receive appropriate veterinary assistance as soon as practicable.

However:

Human safety comes first.

Pain, shock, fear, trauma and neurological injury may cause even a normally friendly animal to defend itself.

Where practicable, telephone the veterinarian before transport and follow veterinary instructions regarding:

• handling;
• containment;
• first aid;
• transport; and
• urgency.

Do not administer:

• human medication; or
• veterinary medication prescribed for another animal.

Do not automatically give food or water.

Whether food, water or another intervention is appropriate depends on the species, injury, condition and likely treatment required.

This builds on the animal first aid principles introduced in the previous Foundation topic and is explored in much greater detail later in AAOT.

Never Dump or Abandon an Animal

Do not dump or abandon an animal.

Leaving an animal:

• in bushland;
• beside a road;
• in a park;
• in a reserve;
• at a beach;
• beside a waterway;
• on another person’s property; or
• outside a shelter, pound or veterinary practice

is not the same as lawfully surrendering or transferring the animal.

Depending on the species and jurisdiction, abandonment may engage animal-welfare, companion-animal, biosecurity, environmental, wildlife or pest-management law.

If you cannot keep an animal temporarily or do not know where it can lawfully be taken, contact the appropriate authority and ask.

Do Not Independently Release or Relocate Animals

Once you have caught, collected or contained an animal, do not simply decide to release it somewhere else.

For example, a domestic rabbit that has been found and contained should not be released into bushland.

Likewise, an introduced or invasive animal may be subject to specific requirements concerning:

• possession;
• movement;
• release;
• surrender;
• biosecurity; or
• humane management.

Do not take an animal to another:

• suburb;
• park;
• reserve;
• beach;
• waterway; or
• area of bushland

and release it without appropriate authority or advice.

Relocation can result in:

• starvation;
• dehydration;
• territorial conflict;
• predation;
• traffic injury;
• separation from dependent young;
• disease or parasite transmission;
• disruption of existing populations; or
• introduction of invasive species into new areas.

Wildlife release and relocation should be undertaken by appropriately authorised people and in accordance with applicable requirements.

A Note About Trap–Neuter–Return

Trap–Neuter–Return, usually abbreviated TNR, is an approach used in some countries and communities to manage populations of unowned or free-roaming cats.

A typical TNR model involves:

Trap → Veterinary Assessment → Desex → Treat or Vaccinate Where Appropriate → Identify → Return

However, the legal and policy position concerning free-roaming, unowned and feral cats varies across Australia.

Issues may involve:

• companion-animal law;
• animal-welfare law;
• local council requirements;
• biosecurity;
• pest-management legislation;
• conservation policy; and
• wildlife protection.

For that reason, do not assume that a TNR approach used overseas or in another Australian jurisdiction can lawfully be implemented in your area.

AAOT practitioners should not independently capture, desex and release cats without first establishing the relevant legal and regulatory position.

The broader ethical, welfare and environmental debates surrounding cat management are explored elsewhere in the Credential where relevant.

Biosecurity and Infectious Disease

An apparently sick or deceased animal may represent more than an individual animal-welfare problem.

It may also represent a biosecurity, infectious-disease or public-health concern.

Be particularly alert to:

• unusual illness;
• unusual neurological signs;
• unexplained deaths;
• multiple sick animals;
• multiple dead animals;
• unusual disease patterns;
• sudden mortality;
• disease appearing across several species;
• clusters of sick wildlife; or
• current government warnings relating to particular species or locations.

Depending on the circumstances, these may need to be reported to:

• a veterinarian;
• wildlife authority;
• State or Territory agriculture department;
• biosecurity authority;
• Chief Veterinary Officer; or
• another designated authority.

Avoid unnecessary contact with:

• blood;
• saliva;
• urine;
• faeces;
• respiratory secretions;
• other bodily fluids;
• feathers;
• carcasses; and
• potentially contaminated equipment or environments.

Use appropriate hygiene, infection-control measures and personal protective equipment according to the circumstances and current advice.

Do not unnecessarily transport a potentially infectious animal between locations.

Keep Up to Date With Local Biosecurity Risks

Biosecurity is not something that can be learned once and assumed to remain unchanged.

The appropriate response to a sick, injured or deceased animal may change when there is:

• an emerging infectious disease;
• a declared biosecurity incident;
• a local outbreak;
• unusual wildlife mortality;
• a notifiable animal disease;
• restrictions on animal movement;
• quarantine or containment requirements; or
• new government advice concerning particular species.

AAOT practitioners should therefore maintain awareness of current animal-health and biosecurity alerts relevant to where they live, work and travel.

Useful sources may include:

• the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry;
• State or Territory agriculture and biosecurity departments;
• Chief Veterinary Officer communications;
• local government;
• wildlife authorities;
• veterinary professional bodies;
• emergency-management agencies; and
• other authoritative government sources.

The purpose is not to turn an Occupational Therapist into an epidemiologist or veterinarian.

It is to recognise that:

Advice that was appropriate previously may not necessarily be appropriate during a current disease or biosecurity event.

Avian Influenza — Why Current Information Matters

Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, provides a useful contemporary example.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza can cause serious disease in birds, and some strains can also infect mammals.

The biosecurity situation can change over time as outbreaks occur internationally and surveillance identifies new risks or detections.

For that reason, do not rely on static course material to determine the current Australian bird-flu situation.

Check current Australian Government and relevant State or Territory advice.

Where bird flu or another significant infectious disease is suspected, the appropriate response to a sick or dead bird is not necessarily to pick it up and transport it somewhere.

Current government advice may instead require people to:

• avoid touching sick or dead birds;
• keep people away;
• keep companion and assistance animals away;
• record the location;
• avoid moving potentially infected animals or material; and
• report the incident through the appropriate animal-disease or biosecurity pathway.

For assistance-animal teams, current biosecurity advice may require particular attention to preventing an animal from:

• sniffing;
• licking;
• mouthing;
• retrieving;
• carrying; or
• eating

sick or dead wildlife.

Contact a veterinarian where an assistance animal becomes unwell following a potentially relevant exposure.

The Australian Government maintains an Emergency Animal Disease Hotline for reporting suspected emergency animal diseases. Participants should identify and save the current reporting details as part of their local biosecurity resources.

Do not rely solely on a telephone number printed in course material indefinitely. Confirm that emergency and reporting contacts remain current.

Bird Flu Is Only One Example

The same principle applies to other emerging or locally important hazards.

Depending on where and when you practise, relevant concerns might include:

• zoonotic disease;
• parasitic disease;
• livestock disease;
• wildlife disease;
• vector-borne disease;
• unusual neurological disease;
• contaminated water;
• mass wildlife mortality;
• emerging pathogens;
• environmental contamination; or
• another notifiable animal disease.

Some animal diseases are legally notifiable.

If you suspect an unusual or significant animal-disease event, contact the appropriate veterinary or biosecurity authority rather than attempting to investigate it yourself.

Do not independently collect multiple specimens, move carcasses, transport animals between locations or undertake other activities that may increase disease transmission unless appropriately instructed and authorised.

Make Biosecurity Alerts Part of Your Professional Resources

Consider bookmarking:

• your State or Territory biosecurity department;
• State or Territory Chief Veterinary Officer information;
• Australian Government animal-disease alerts;
• current outbreak information;
• Emergency Animal Disease reporting information;
• relevant wildlife disease information; and
• local emergency and animal-management authorities.

Review these periodically and whenever there is a significant local, national or international animal-health event that may affect Australian practice.

This information can also form part of your AAOT Professional Portfolio.

For example, you might include:

• your local biosecurity contact list;
• evidence that you subscribed to relevant alerts;
• a short summary of a current biosecurity issue;
• a reflection on how an emerging disease changed your professional planning;
• changes made to an infection-control or emergency procedure;
• an updated risk assessment;
• a relevant government resource;
• evidence of consultation with a veterinarian or other appropriate professional; or
• an example of how you incorporated current biosecurity information into assistance-animal practice.

Again, the purpose is not to collect information for its own sake.

The useful Portfolio evidence is the professional learning and change in practice.

For example:

New Biosecurity Alert → Check Authoritative Guidance → Consider Implications for Assistance-Animal Teams → Consult Where Required → Update Risk Assessment or Procedure → Apply in Practice → Retain Evidence of Learning

The broader principles of infection prevention, zoonoses, biosecurity, disease transmission, One Health and professional risk management are developed in substantially greater detail later in Unit 3: Infection Prevention, Biosecurity and One Health in the Assistance Animal Industry.

Do Not Routinely Feed Wildlife or Invasive Animal Populations

Feeding wildlife can:

• alter natural behaviour;
• increase disease transmission;
• create dependence;
• increase competition;
• encourage animals into unsafe areas; and
• increase conflict between wildlife, people and companion animals.

Feeding introduced or invasive populations may also contribute to an existing environmental or biosecurity problem.

Do not establish feeding practices without understanding the species, circumstances and applicable local guidance.

Follow specialist and government advice.

Suspected Cruelty, Neglect or Abandonment

Finding an animal in poor condition does not automatically give you ownership of it or authority to enter property and remove it.

Where you suspect cruelty, neglect or abandonment:

• document relevant observations where lawful and safe;
• contact the relevant animal-welfare enforcement authority; and
• contact police where there is immediate danger, violence or another matter requiring police involvement.

Do not trespass or unlawfully enter premises to remove an animal.

We explore animal-welfare law, reporting, professional responsibilities and complex ethical situations in greater detail later in AAOT.

Assistance Animals and Other Working Animals

Take particular care before assuming that an apparently unattended dog is simply a stray.

It may be:

• an assistance animal;
• detection dog;
• stock-working dog;
• livestock guardian dog;
• search-and-rescue dog; or
• another working animal.

Identification, registration and management requirements for working animals vary by jurisdiction and type of work.

An Assistance Animal Without Its Handler

An assistance animal found alone may indicate that its handler is nearby and requires assistance.

Consider:

• whether the animal is wearing working equipment;
• whether it appears to be deliberately seeking a person’s attention;
• whether it repeatedly returns to or looks toward another location;
• whether there are signs of a nearby accident or medical event; and
• whether there is reason to believe a person may be unconscious, injured, missing or otherwise at risk.

Some assistance animals may be trained to seek help or attract attention when their handler is incapacitated.

If the circumstances suggest that a person may be in danger, contact emergency services.

Do not unnecessarily:

• distract the animal;
• feed it;
• remove working equipment; or
• separate it from its handler.

Immediate safety may, of course, require temporary intervention.

Detailed assistance-animal handling, task work, public access and emergency planning are covered later in AAOT.

Children and Assistance-Animal Teams

Children and young people may be involved in assistance-animal teams in a variety of ways.

The level of adult involvement required depends on matters including:

• the child’s age;
• capacity;
• disability;
• animal;
• tasks performed;
• environment;
• risks;
• applicable law;
• organisational requirements; and
• the individual team’s arrangements.

Do not assume that every child and assistance animal operates under the same model.

Where a child and assistance animal appear separated from the adult responsible for supporting them, or where either appears unsafe, take reasonable steps to identify the responsible adult and ensure immediate safety.

Historical assistance-animal practices may also differ from contemporary practice. An unfamiliar arrangement should therefore be approached carefully rather than assuming that the animal is stray or that the child is deliberately unsupervised.

Child safety, safeguarding, autonomy, risk and assistance-animal practice are examined in greater detail later in the Credential.

Social Media and Finding an Owner

Social media can be useful when attempting to locate the owner of a found domestic animal, but it should not replace any required:

• council reporting;
• surrender process;
• microchip checking; or
• other legal requirement.

Avoid publishing every identifying feature of an animal.

Retaining some information can help distinguish a genuine owner from someone falsely claiming the animal.

Do not give an animal to the first person who claims it online.

Consider asking the claimant for evidence such as:

• photographs;
• identifying features;
• veterinary records;
• microchip information; or
• another reasonable indicator of ownership.

Microchip Scanning

Community scanning networks may help locate a microchip, particularly:

• after hours;
• on weekends;
• where veterinary or council services are difficult to access; or
• where transporting a frightened animal is unsafe.

Groups such as Scanning Angels in OZ (Charlie’s Angels) may connect finders with volunteers who have access to scanners.

A scanner ordinarily identifies the microchip number. It does not automatically provide the scanner user with unrestricted access to the registered owner’s personal information.

Microchip registration systems and authorised database access differ across Australian jurisdictions.

Do not assume that Australia operates one universal national companion-animal registry.

The appropriate council, veterinarian, authorised registry user or other relevant service can assist with identifying the correct process.

Know Your Local Services Before You Need Them

Just as you should know where your nearest emergency veterinarian is, you should know who manages animal incidents where you practise.

Identify and save appropriate details for:

• local council or ranger services;
• local pound or animal-management facility;
• nearest general veterinary practice;
• nearest after-hours or emergency veterinary hospital;
• police non-emergency assistance;
• 000 for genuine emergencies;
• fire and rescue;
• State or Territory Emergency Service;
• licensed wildlife rescue;
• specialist marine-wildlife rescue;
• animal-welfare enforcement;
• agriculture or biosecurity authorities;
• appropriately authorised snake catchers; and
• specialist animal-rescue services operating locally.

For each relevant service, consider identifying:

• normal operating hours;
• after-hours arrangements;
• geographic coverage;
• species accepted;
• circumstances in which the service will respond; and
• what alternative should be contacted if the service is unavailable.

Your local list will be different from that of another AAOT practitioner.

This is another useful professional resource to begin developing from the start of AAOT, rather than waiting until an incident occurs.

Retain it in your AAOT Professional Portfolio if it forms part of your professional development, emergency planning or practice resources.

Review it periodically so that it remains useful.

The Basic Rule

When you encounter an animal and do not know what to do:

Keep yourself and other people safe.
Protect any assistance or companion animals with you.
Do not assume the animal is yours.
Do not unnecessarily handle it.
If temporarily contained, keep it secure, quiet, low-stimulation and appropriately comfortable.
Keep unknown animals separated from other animals.
Do not take it home to keep it.
Do not give it away without establishing lawful ownership or transfer.
Do not dump or abandon it.
Do not independently relocate or release it.
Consider infectious-disease and biosecurity risks.
Do not provide treatment beyond your knowledge, competence or appropriate advice.
Call before transporting where practicable.
Check the current local requirements.
Identify the appropriate authority or professional and follow their instructions.

Sometimes the best way to help an animal is not to physically rescue it yourself.

It is to recognise what is happening, keep people and animals safe, gather useful information where appropriate, and get the right person to the right place as quickly as reasonably possible.

Foundation Principle

This Foundation topic is intended to give you a practical starting framework, not make you an animal rescuer, wildlife rehabilitator, veterinarian, ranger, biosecurity officer or emergency-services worker.

You will explore many of the underlying issues in considerably greater depth throughout AAOT, including:

• animal welfare;
• veterinary emergencies;
• first aid;
• infection prevention;
• zoonoses;
• biosecurity;
• One Health;
• legislation;
• ethics;
• risk management;
• professional scope;
• assistance-animal practice; and
• interdisciplinary collaboration.

For now, develop the habit of asking:

What is happening? What are the immediate risks? Could there be an infectious-disease or biosecurity concern? Is an assistance animal or another animal being unnecessarily exposed to risk? What do the current local requirements say? Is this within my competence and authority? Should the animal be contained, transported or left where it is while specialist assistance attends? Who is the appropriate person or service to contact?

That is often the most important professional decision you can make.

Build This Into Your AAOT Professional Portfolio

You do not need to turn every Foundation activity into a formal Portfolio task.

However, this topic provides a useful opportunity to begin building practical professional resources that you may genuinely use after graduation.

You might create a simple Local Animal Emergency and Biosecurity Resource containing:

Local Animal Management

• council/ranger contact;
• after-hours council/ranger arrangements;
• pound;
• pound opening and after-hours arrangements;
• surrender arrangements;
• roaming-dog procedure;
• local cat requirements;
• deceased-animal procedure.

Veterinary

• regular veterinary services;
• nearest emergency veterinary hospital;
• after-hours arrangements;
• specialist veterinary services where relevant;
• species accepted where relevant.

Wildlife

• wildlife rescue;
• after-hours wildlife rescue;
• marine-wildlife rescue;
• snake catcher;
• relevant wildlife authority.

Animal Welfare

• cruelty-reporting authority;
• police contact where appropriate;
• relevant reporting procedures;
• after-hours arrangements where available.

Biosecurity

• State or Territory biosecurity authority;
• Chief Veterinary Officer information;
• Emergency Animal Disease reporting;
• current outbreak information;
• relevant alert subscriptions.

Emergency Services

• 000;
• police non-emergency assistance;
• fire and rescue;
• SES;
• other locally relevant emergency services.

Temporary Containment and Transport

You might also develop a simple professional procedure covering:

• when you would and would not attempt temporary containment;
• safe separation from assistance and companion animals;
• provision of a quiet, dim or dark, low-stimulation environment where appropriate;
• temperature and ventilation considerations;
• minimal handling;
• food and water considerations;
• infection-control precautions;
• who you would contact before transport;
• safe transport;
• vehicle cleaning and disinfection; and
• lawful transfer to the appropriate person or service.

Then record briefly:

• what you researched;
• what you discovered;
• anything that surprised you;
• what you changed or created as a result;
• what you still need to clarify; and
• how you will keep the information current.

You might also record an example of how your reasoning developed.

For example:

Initial thought: “I would pick the animal up and take it to a vet.”

may develop into:

“First I would assess immediate human and animal safety, protect any assistance animal with me, consider species and biosecurity risks, determine whether the animal should be moved at all, record useful location information, contact the appropriate service, follow species-specific advice, and only contain or transport the animal where this is safe, appropriate and authorised.”

This turns a simple Foundation activity into evidence of:

Research → Local Knowledge → Professional Preparedness → Practical Application → Reflection

That is exactly the type of meaningful development your AAOT Professional Portfolio is intended to capture.

Important Legal, Biosecurity and Emergency Information Disclaimer

The information in this topic provides general educational guidance only.

Animal-management, wildlife, biosecurity, companion-animal, animal-welfare, infectious-disease and emergency-management laws, risks and procedures vary between Australian States, Territories and local government areas and may change over time.

Disease outbreaks and biosecurity advice can also change rapidly.

WAFA does not intend this topic to replace:

• current legislation;
• current government biosecurity advice;
• advice from government authorities;
• veterinary advice;
• medical advice;
• emergency-service instructions;
• wildlife licensing requirements;
• local council procedures; or
• individual legal advice.

Examples of diseases, authorities, procedures or emergency responses are provided for educational purposes and should not be assumed to represent the current situation indefinitely.

Advice about temporary containment, quiet or dark environments, temperature, food, water, handling and transport is necessarily general. The appropriate response depends on the species, condition, environment and circumstances. Where specific veterinary, wildlife, biosecurity or emergency advice is available, that advice takes precedence.

Participants are responsible for checking the current requirements and official advice applying in the jurisdiction in which they practise.

Where there is an immediate threat to human life or another genuine emergency, call 000.

Where you are uncertain how to manage an animal incident, contact the relevant authority or appropriately qualified professional rather than improvising.