Two cats who get oxygen from staff from a regular ambulance, while staff of the animal ambulance are watching. It made the eyebrows frown on Sunday at a fire in an apartment complex in Eindhoven. In the event of an emergency you call 112, everyone knows that. But what if your pet gets into trouble, or if you see an injured animal on the street?
There are many misunderstandings about what an animal ambulance can mean, says manager Alma van Dorenmalen of the regional stray animals Eindhoven. “Many people think that it works the same thing in an animal ambulance as with a normal ambulance, but we are mainly there to secure and transport animals, for example to a veterinarian or temporary shelter.”
“In principle, an animal ambulance is only for stray animals and wild animals and not for pets with an owner,” explains Alma. They can, however, help with an emergency, such as a fire that also involves pets. “We often come at the request of the emergency services and then assist them.”
Own telephone number
An animal ambulance often runs on volunteers, because the organizations depend on donations and therefore have limited budgets. “We don’t all have expensive equipment on board. The complete design of an ambulance with medical facilities and qualified staff is simply too expensive,” says Alma.
Unlike ordinary ambulances, the animal ambulance is not arranged nationally. Municipalities or regions have their own organization for the transport and care of animals. They all have their own telephone number. It is therefore useful to save the number of the animal ambulance in your region in your phone.
Emergency
If you see an injured animal or stray animal, you can call the animal ambulance. They always try to trace an owner. “The costs of treating a seriously injured animal can quickly rise to hundreds of euros,” says Alma. “You try to stabilize an animal until you find an owner. The costs to treat it can quickly rise to hundreds of euros, the owner can then decide on that.” If there is no owner to be found, the animal ambulance itself pays the ride and the costs for the help or care of the animal.
Do you have an emergency with your pet? Then according to Van Dorenmalen you call the best with your own vet. However, the animal ambulance can help with transport for a fee.
With Katten Loki and Shira things are going well again after Sunday’s fire. They were allowed to go home again on Monday.
