Please do not turn a wild bird or an animal over to anyone unless he or she is a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. It is illegal to do so. If you suspect someone is treating wildlife without a license, please report them to the Department of Environmental Conservation or the Dept of Health. Either one of the two can handle the complaint.
Submit her/his full name and her/his location, phone number, and any other information you have about her/him. Report exactly what happened. The agency will investigate.
The DEC office that covers the five boroughs (Region 2) can be reached at: (718) 482-4941.
Here is an email that I received from the DEC concerning a wild dove that someone found:
I received an e-mail about the baby dove you located. I wanted to let you know that although it is illegal for you to keep and rehabilitate injured wildlife, there are several DEC permitted wildlife rehabilitators in Brooklyn. Please see the names and phone numbers of three Brooklyn area wildlife rehabilators below;
Katty Calderon (646) 821-0363
Eileen Jones (718) 853-9290
Mary Bruce (718) 680-0393
If you have any further questions, or need the names/numbers of wildlife rehabers in other areas of NYC, feel free to call our office (718) 482-4885.
-Lt. Lochner
