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🌐 Translation under veterinary review. The French version prevails.

I have found an animal

Thank you for looking after it. Here are the right steps, in order.

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Injured animal, or in distress? Call your usual vet or your region's veterinary emergency service, without delay. This service does not replace veterinary emergency care. To find one: vet directory or exotic-pet emergencies on nac.ch. As a last resort, to find a vet near you: search for “emergency vet near me” on Google Maps — the link opens Google's own site, which will ask for your location; animaux.ch never asks for it.

The right steps, in order

  1. Approach calmly. A frightened or injured animal may bite or scratch: protect yourself, do not force anything, do not chase it.
  2. Injured, very weak or endangered animal: contact a vet without delay. That is the emergency, before anything else.
  3. Check for a collar, tag or tattoo. A veterinary practice or a shelter reads the microchip in seconds and can contact the owner.
  4. Report the animal to the service designated by your canton (police, shelter or competent service), then on SOS Animals: no account needed, two minutes.
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What the law says In Switzerland, anyone who finds a lost animal must inform its owner or, if the owner is unknown, the service designated by the canton (Art. 720a of the Civil Code). Arrangements differ from one canton to another: ask your cantonal authorities or a shelter. Keeping the animal without reporting it is not allowed.

What you can do online

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Report the found animal

On sos.animaux.ch, no account needed. You get a private link to manage your notice and reply.

Report the found animal

And then?

  • Your report becomes a public notice on sos.animaux.ch: species, description, approximate place and date. It is visible to people looking for their animal, and through the short code on a poster.
  • Replies reach you through a protected contact: neither your phone number nor your e-mail address is published. You alone decide whether to give them, in the conversation.
  • You receive a private link, to keep: it is what lets you correct the notice, add a photo, or close it whenever you want.
  • When the owner has been found, you say so from that same link: the notice is closed and stops being visible.