problems

For anything you want to know about hedgehogs, please visit our main website www.thehedgehog.co.uk

If you can't find what you want then please post a message here and we will help

Please sign our petition to prevent  deaths & injuries to hedgehogs caused by strimmers
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-hedgehogs-being-killed-by-strimmers-and-lawnmowers

>>> See this weeks special offers from Pet Planet <<<<<

[Derek]

some good points there

healthy young hoglets can be looked after quite easily by almost any interested person with a bit of guidance but frequently the autumn orphans get sick and die so quickly and even very experienced vets & carers miss the symptoms

I really would like to have a network of carers who can each look after one or 2 hogs at a  time and act as a liaison between them and the finders who can't manage for whatever reason

About 90% of the ones I get in at this time of year need antibiotic treatment to stand a chance of survival

[Rachel Howell]

Hi Derek,

I'm so sorry to hear that. I've had to be out of helping hogs for a while but I'm able to start again now - if any work needs doing in the South West please let me know - I'll send you my details privately, I know you used to have them.

All the best with the finances, I know how horrible that situation is.

Kind regards,

Rache

[Derek]

We are in a much worse state than we were last year

We are spending between £150 and £200  each month only on petrol picking up hedgehogs and taking them to vets & the wildlife hospital for emergency treatment. People can't be bothered to give even as little as 20 pence towards the costs. We cannot continue with this and everytime the phone rings my heart sinks knowing we will get even further into debt trying to save a hedgehog from further pain and suffering. Unless we get some help and money fast we will be forced to take our phone number off the website as we just cannot cope any longer

Today I have driven nearly 130 miles with hedgehogs costing about £25 in petrol

first call should have been totally unnecessary but was  a mum had given birth to a litter of babies ( about 2 days old) in a garden and the owner refused to have them in the garden and unless we collected and moved them would have got a shovel, dug them out & dumped them in the road. That was a round trip of nearly 70 miles, collecting them & taking them to the wildlife hospital because I am full of of other casualties and have no room for  a mum and new born babies to take a pen up for 6 weeks or so

The second call was a genuine emergency with a hedgehog with a badly injured leg but even worse, she had a fractured pelvis that had caused a bladder blockage so was so full with urine, she was in danger of bursting

she was in so much pain and distress that she was taken to wildlife hospital where vet was called out to attempt to operate but decided she was suffering too much and the damage was too severe to repair so was euthanised

I don't want to see hedgehogs left to suffer and die in agony because I can't go and take them to a vet or hospital but I cannot continue without money and need help

I dread the credit card bill each month which gets higher and higher every month

[nicola123]

What was with the man with the hogs in the garden?

Sorry I would have been very close to taking the spade to him.

I just dont understand people these days, even if they dont like animals, bloody hell they are taking up hogs habbitat, my blood boil again, I would love to have that mans telephone number.

I will try and get some fund rasing done to help...

and please can I have that uncaring mans number

[AlliH]

Hi Derek

Makes me sad to know that you are struggling so, you work so tirelessly for the little hedgehogs, and I understand your dismay as the possibility of having to turn hedgehogs away.

As my previous post, I am not as experienced as some, but have a shed fully equipped ready and waiting, and with the help of everyone one here I would certainly try my best to help.

I live in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, please email if you need any further details, anything I can do to help please let me know and I will try.  I may be a bit restricted on travel but I'll do what I can.

AlliH x

[Mouse]

Hi Derek,

I've put off answering because I don't know what to say.  It is just so sad to read of your struggles, which could be eased if people were just a little more thoughtful.  I know how much it costs me with the few that I look after and with fuel prices increasing it is costing more and more. 

When you do something so emotionally draining the last thing you need is stress in other areas too. 

I know it's not much help but perhaps now is a good time to just say thank you for everything you do, you have always been there when I've needed advice and help and I really appreciate it; I'm sure I'm speaking for everyone on the forum and all the hoggies you've helped too.

Ali xx

[Hedgehogirl]

I agree with all of you.
This is just stupid, the fact that no one will pay even the slightist bit of cash.
I'm just going to do everything I can, infact may be I could do some fund raising, I'm sure my friends could help me.
I would have knocked that horrible man out with his spade, he was an idiot.

With the prices going up and up and more and more Hedgehogs falling ill this is just horrible to hear.

[Derek]

I am not asking people here just venting my frustration

The one big increase in my expenses has been petrol

Medicines & food have all gone up but not by much but petrol prices are ridiculous

This time last year, I was using a full tank of petrol a week and costing about £35

now I am using almost 2 tanks a week on many weeks and each time is nearly £50 to fill up

last year petrol was about 90p litre now £1.28

30 p a litre rise is 30% and that is crippling me

I know I am not the only one & we have all had problems
I have had so many badly injured hogs & had to go so far for them because people couldn't or wouldn't take them anywhere

I met someone at Stansted airport services (30 miles each way )last week with a really ill youngster. He drove from north of cambridge because he couldn't find anywhere to take him and local vet just wanted to put him down

We tried but he died 3 days ago despite everything, but we gave him a chance

He was here for 8 days and at first picked up but the internal damage had already been done

I just wish some people could give a small amount to at least cover part of the petrol when I go to pick them up

[mambo]

Thanks for your consideration when I rang you this morning.  Little hedgehog surrounded by warm bottles and seems happier.  Would like to make a donation.  Having trouble with Paypal.  Could send cheque if you email me address.

[Derek]

What I had hoped wouldn't happen has:

I have had to take the phone number off the website as I just can't cope with the number of phone calls & requests for help just outside my local area

Locally my number is still available via most of the vets, pet shops & posters & leaflets that are distributed widely

In June I spent £257 just on petrol picking up & taking injured or sick hogs to vets & wildlife centres

I am still getting phone calls & dealing with the hogs locally (ish)

Last night I had a hog with 2 chopped back legs that had turned gangrenous so went to emergency vet to be put to sleep to save any further suffering

This morning a female hog attacked by a Staffordshire bull terrier during the night
The vicious dog had chewed its way through a  solid wooden fence into the finders garden and really chewed into the hog
She went straight to hospital when I got her & unfortunately died this afternoon

She was so bad that it was unlikely any treatment would have worked but we tried

they Did a quick Post mortem on her & she was pregnant with 4 babies, but so full of blood internally & damage to stomach & lungs as well as the tears on the outside of the body

It really was dreadful sight to see such horrific injuries caused by such a vicious dog who needs to be put down but of course the owners don't care   
 

[susancee]

That's such a shame that you have had to do that, Derek, and I can fully understand why. 
I am guessing people think you are similar to  the RSPCA (heaven forbid!) who are charity funded and don't realise that this is all coming out of your own pocket.  That expense is just too much. 
Wonder if worth contacting your local paper to do an article re lack of funding/donations curtailing your work, might bring in something - or at least making people think about cost when they ask you to go and collect a hedgehog

That is so sad about the 2 badly injured hedgehogs, both really awful and injuries that should never had  happened
Sue x

[Derek]

Wonder if worth contacting your local paper to do an article re lack of funding/donations curtailing your work, might bring in something - or at least making people think about cost when they ask you to go and collect a hedgehog

Sue x

The local paper do regular stories on us & when it is  a quiet news week, they put a picture of a hedgehog in & some advice & information

We always know when they have printed something & forgot to tell us they are printing because the phone rings & more calls for help come

They have run an article 5 times the last year and I think the sum total of donations from the articles has been  about £7 but we have had approx 80 sick or injured hedgehogs where people have kept the articles & our phone number and rung us when needing help

The major problem in this area is we have a lot of quite rich people with very big houses and I get a  lot of calls from them as they have the gardens that hedgehogs like to live in

They get rich or stay rich by NOT putting their hands in their pockets

Those that can afford it almost never give anything but the poor old pensioner round the corner who hasn't got 2 halfpennies to rub together will try to give more than they can really afford ( 50p or £1 to a pensioner is a lot )

[Alison]

Derek have you come across this:

http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/

I've never used this site so have no opinion on it but have recently had an email from CAPS as they've just started using it and have just had a quick look. Looks really good, I'd be very happy to buy stuff through it and a lot of my job involves searching the net so if I understand the 'easysearch' thing correctly could make you quite a bit of dosh just doing mywork. Not sure exactly how it works but the FAQs (which I don't have time to read properly at the moment) look quite comprehensive. At first glance looks like there's nothing to lose by registering anyway.

Alison

[Derek]

looks useful Alison, I will try that

[jimmy h]

hi,derek,you are doing a brill job,i have just finished building a hoggie house for a workmate, he said he would pay for materials,but i told him to make donation to you,i dont know what he will give but i will make it up to £20 if not more,i will double what ever he gives,if you could let me know i will send cheque,,i dont like paying anything over net,,please give me yr address and to whome make it payable to,my number is 01925721409,or my email is, cbjhyland@btopenworld.com ,hope this is first of many,if anyone in the cheshire region wants hoggie house building i will do it and deliver as long as you make donation to derek,.on another note,the wife and i have spent the last few nights watching
torres,he comes at the same time every night ,11,05 ,then comes back within the hr,when i send the cheque i will put in a dvd i compiled of torres,for you to look at,i think its as good as anything ive seen on youtube,i would like to know about the  white spots on his head could they be ticks ?
                   pls get in touch jimmy,

[Derek]

Thanks Jimmy, wonderful looking house

Looks good enough for me to move into 

address details are http://www.thehedgehog.co.uk/contact.htm

any cheques to hedgehog rescue please

[Derek]

post from Johnston moved to http://www.hedgehoghelp.co.uk/index.php/topic,1922.0.html so it doesn't get overlooked on this thread

[Derek]

post from KristaDagsvik moved to http://www.hedgehoghelp.co.uk/index.php/topic,1925.0.html

[Laura B]

Check everyclick.com, I use it for the RSPB , everytime I  use the web search page, the RPSB accrues money.   http://www.everyclick.com/rspb/124332/134030
There are other hedgehog charities registered.
 
http://charities.everyclick.com/search?locale=world&profile=rspb%2F124332%2F134030

Laura

[Laura B]

Derek, why don't you up set up a hedgehog sponsor page - listing (with pics) those in your care. You can put your paypal link in it.  Sponsors will need to enter there email address etc so you can update them (weekly?) on how their hog is doing/attach a couple of pics etc.  It won't matter if one hog gets more sponsorship than an other as you organise the running costs.
People may be more willing to donate in this way rather than donate blindly, as it's got the personal touch, they get the satisfaction of knowing they have helped a particular individual return to the wild/live out the rest of it's days in peace. 
Other hog sites do this, I don't know to what  success?

http://www.hedgehogrescue.org/sponsor.html
http://www.banathe.co.uk/actnic/acatalog/Hedgalogue_Sponsor_or_Adopt_a_Hedgehog_5.html
http://hedgieflash.org/sponsors.html
http://www.leicesterhedgehogrescue.co.uk/sponsor.html
 

[Mouse]

That's a really good idea Laura and would provide regular income.  Ali x

[Derek]

I will be looking in to that Laura & see what I can do

[Derek]

I just couldn't resist, could I? I was so worried by the weather and thinking of them dying in the rain & cold so, ......................

The phone number is back on both the website & the forum

I have been getting lots of calls from all over the country in the last couple of days, since it went back on
Lets see how long we can last for this time

We have a few pennies, thanks to many donations from people reading this, but at the same time calls & requests for help increase dramatically from just outside my local area, so putting up the mileage & petrol bill again. That is the biggest killer, fuel costs!

I am just about to go & meet one person about 10 miles away ( 1/2 way between the 2 of us) and that is the third this week

Most are orphans about 200g or thereabouts in poor states & needing a lot of care. I know I will soon be full up again and am almost full now but we will cope & find a way

I have found a couple of places where I can release some, when big enough, where they will give food & water every day and both have big enough pens there to acclimatise the youngsters in a safe environment before release ( 3 are going tomorrow)

The houses are surrounded by lots of land and foxes are unwelcome there. That's the best we can offer them. I know they will be well looked after and hope they will be safe.

[Mouse]

Sounds like the perfect solution Derek.  Also, you'll have less stress worrying about the ones you have released knowing they're in a safe place when they're free again.

It's amazing how many people don't even offer a donation, even when I've been asked if I'm part of a sanctuary or something (and even when they know you've come a long way too).  When I explain I do it for love they always say its admirable but thats about it.  I think people just don't realise how much it costs to look after hedgehogs (well, I try and convince my husband it doesn't cost anything  )

[BWR]

We all know how you feel Derek. Its all effecting us, and sometimes I wonder how we cope; you'll know the feeling, on the days when the phone NEVER stops ringing!

I think the worst expenditure for us, by far, is the cost of petrol.
We (I keep on saying 'we'.........its mainly me who pays for it all!! ) spend over £300 per month just on petrol for doing pickups (and releases too!  ) accross the county and not forgetting all the trips to the vets. etc

It all adds up!

THEE worst people I experience on rescues are the ones where they phone up, say they havent got any transport to bring the animal directly to me, they give me their address, I travel to their house or wherever, just to find a car sitting on the driveway; its blatant laziness!

I had one call the other day for a Hedgehog; they had done everything right (put in box and kept warm.etc) but the caller said he had 'better things to do!!' than bring the hog up to me.
I nearly hit the bloody roof!!
But me being me, I just got on with the job and kept me head down.
People amaze me, they do!

You can donate safely and securely by using the paypal service, just click on the button below.

Any amount no matter how small is gratefully accepted and needed to keep the Hedgehog Rescue Centre running

Advanced search

Help the hedgehog in YOUR Garden
Buy a hedgehog House

   Welcome
   Carers List
   Feeding
   Hedgehog Shop
   Videos to download
   Videos
     Tim's Videos 1
     Tim's Videos 2
     Videos 3
   Hercules
   Bonfires

Shop at amazon through this link and help hedgehogs

Any commissions go to funding the hedgehog rescue centre

HSUS MySpace Page | Get web badges