"I'm on vacation in Sicily and I found a dog on my own who seems to need help."
"I'm on the highway and I saw a dog but I couldn't stop."
"I found a dog in trouble, I stopped but I can't take it with me".
These are just some examples of the numerous reports and calls that the National Animal Protection Authority is receiving these days from people who find dogs on the street and do not know how to behave.
So here is a small video vademecum so as not to be caught unprepared.
If you are on the motorway or on a fast road: never brake or chase the dog instead call 112 and indicate the position of where you spotted the animal.
If you are in town or on low-traffic roads: always call 112, but try to secure your dog until the authorities arrive. How? Use caution, from the four arrows to the triangle, and don't put people at risk. Approach safely: a frightened or injured animal can have unpredictable behavior. Therefore never chase the dog. Try to approach him by holding out your hand, perhaps with food or water. And use a makeshift leash, perhaps a purse strap, to hold it until the owner or the recovery service arrives.
If the animal is injured, there is an obligation to rescue. Anyone who hits a dog or finds an injured animal on the street must obligatorily provide assistance and immediately notify the Police. Article 189 of the Highway Code establishes it in paragraph 9-bis: "Anyone who does not comply with the obligations referred to in the previous period is punished with the administrative sanction of payment of a sum from 410 to 1,643 euros".
Not all dogs on the street need to be rescued or picked up. Especially in the South there are many permanent or neighborhood dogs. They are recognized by their confident gait and how they move around the area. They are cared for by the locals.
For a cat everything is more complicated, because the use of the microchip is not mandatory and to find the owner we often rely on social channels.
If we are on the street and we find a cat, also in this case we have to call 112, but securing a cat is more complex. You should try to keep him in a closed place, even asking for help from a bar, or an apartment building, preventing him from running away again or getting hurt.
It is good to remember that throughout Italy there are feline colonies registered and owned by the mayor: so if you find a wandering cat do not take it home, find out if there is a colony in the area. Contact the local law enforcement agencies, who will give you all the information. Furthermore, it is important to know that the transfer of an animal from one region to another follows a specific bureaucratic procedure required by law: this is to avoid contamination or zoonosis between animals.