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Look up a chip number

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Call the animal ambulance

I have found an injured or dead animal

The animal ambulance is the first number you call. After that the microchip counts, because that is how the owner gets word.

Report a found animal Look up a microchip number

Portrait of a cat

Call the animal ambulance for your region; they are there for injured and deceased animals too and will come out in most cases. If the animal is injured, touch it as little as possible: an animal in pain bites, even one that knows you. If the animal has died, still have the microchip read, because the owner has a right to know.

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    Call the animal ambulance first

    Find the number of the animal ambulance for your region and call. They handle injured and deceased animals, collect the animal and can read the microchip. If the animal is on the carriageway, also call the emergency number if there is danger to traffic.

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    Touch an injured animal as little as possible

    An animal in pain may bite or scratch, even if it knows you. Throw a towel or a coat over it to keep it calm and stay away from the mouth. Do not lift an animal with a suspected broken back or leg yourself.

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    Have the microchip read

    The animal ambulance, a vet, a shelter or a participating chip reader reads the microchip free of charge. Also for a deceased animal: the owner should know what happened, and that is better than searching for weeks.

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    Report the animal or report that you saw it

    If you have the animal or it has been collected, report it with us as found. If you could not stop or the animal lay along a motorway, use a sighting; an owner who is searching can then still see where and when the animal was seen.

Who is responsible for a found animal?

In the Netherlands the council is legally responsible for the care of found animals, including deceased animals on or beside the public road. Councils usually contract that out to an animal ambulance or a shelter.

If you take a found animal home, you are expected to report this to the council. That is not a formality: it is how a searching owner can reach you through the council.

Why the microchip matters with a deceased animal too

For an owner, knowing nothing is worse than bad news. Someone who keeps searching while the animal has already been found stays in limbo for weeks, keeps putting up posters and keeps calling shelters.

Reading a microchip takes half a minute and is free. If the animal is registered with ChipReaders, we alert the owner; if it is held elsewhere, we point you to the right database.

Frequently asked questions

Who should I call for an animal hit by a car?
The animal ambulance for your region. If the animal is on the carriageway and there is danger to traffic, also call the emergency number. For wildlife on the road (deer, badger, fox) call the police, because different arrangements apply there.
May I take an injured animal to a vet myself?
You may, and with an animal in distress it is often the fastest route. Bear in mind that the treatment costs initially land with you; the animal ambulance and the council have arrangements about that.
What do I do with a dead animal in my garden?
Call the animal ambulance or the council. Where possible have the microchip read first, so the owner can be informed. Burial in your own garden is permitted in the Netherlands under conditions, but then the owner never learns anything.
Does reading the microchip cost anything?
No. The animal ambulance, vets, shelters and participating chip readers do it free of charge. Looking up the number at ChipReaders is also free and needs no account.
I could not stop, can I still report it?
Yes. Use a sighting and report where and when you saw the animal. For a searching owner that is often the only lead.

Report the animal you found

Free and without an account. Your report is automatically compared with open missing reports nearby.

Report a found animal