Most people slow down, feel something, and drive on. This guide is for the ones who want to stop — and don’t know what to do next.
You’re driving, or walking, and you see a dog on the side of the road. Something is wrong — the way it’s lying, the way it’s holding a leg, the way it isn’t moving the way a healthy dog moves. You slow down. You feel it. And then, because you don’t know what to do, you keep going.
This guide is for the next time that happens. Because there will be a next time — and this time, you’ll know exactly what to do.
Step 1 — Stop and Assess from a Distance
Before you approach, watch the dog for a moment from a safe distance. An injured animal is often frightened and in pain, and fear can cause even the gentlest dog to snap or bite. You are not helping anyone — including the dog — if you rush in and get hurt yourself.
Look for:
- Is the dog conscious and responsive, or unresponsive?
- Is there visible bleeding or an open wound?
- Is the dog able to move its legs, or does it appear paralysed?
- Is it on or near active traffic?
This assessment takes thirty seconds and changes how you respond next.
Step 2 — Make the Area Safe
If the dog is on or near the road, the first priority is reducing the risk of further injury — to the dog and to yourself. If you have a vehicle, park it with hazard lights on to slow approaching traffic. Ask bystanders to help create a barrier if possible.
Do not attempt to move the dog yet. A dog with a spinal injury can be made significantly worse by being moved incorrectly.
Step 3 — Approach Slowly and Calmly
If the dog is conscious, approach from the side — never from behind or directly head-on. Lower yourself to the dog’s level. Speak softly and steadily. Let the dog see and smell you before you touch it.
If the dog growls or snaps, do not pull away sharply — this can escalate the fear response. Stay calm, stay still, and give it a moment. A frightened dog is not an aggressive dog. It is a dog that is terrified and in pain.
The most important thing you can do for an injured animal is stay calm. Your energy is the first thing they respond to.
— Vaikuntha Animal Wellness Centre
Step 4 — Call for Help Immediately
This is the most important step. You do not need to handle this alone — and in many cases, attempting to transport an injured animal without experience can cause additional harm.
Call Vaikuntha Animal Wellness Centre immediately:
- +91 93108 23209
- +91 93103 97064
When you call, tell us: your exact location, the condition of the dog as best you can describe it, and whether the dog is conscious. Our team responds every day of the year. We will guide you through what to do next while help is on the way.
Step 5 — If You Must Move the Dog
If the dog is in immediate danger from traffic and cannot be left in place, here is how to move it as safely as possible:
- Use a flat surface — a piece of cardboard, a jacket laid flat, or a car mat — as a makeshift stretcher
- Slide it gently under the dog rather than lifting the dog onto it
- Support the entire body, keeping the spine as straight as possible
- Move slowly and steadily, with at least two people if available
- Place the dog in a quiet, shaded spot away from traffic
Do not offer food or water to an unconscious or semi-conscious dog. Do not attempt to splint a broken limb yourself.
Step 6 — Stay With the Dog Until Help Arrives
If you can, stay. Your presence matters more than you know. An injured animal alone on a roadside is a frightened animal. Having a calm human nearby — even just sitting close, speaking quietly — reduces the animal’s stress and can make a measurable difference to their condition.
You do not need to do anything extraordinary. You just need to stay.
What Happens When Vaikuntha Arrives
Our rescue team will assess the animal on the spot. Depending on the severity of the injury, the animal will either be treated at the scene or transported to our facility in Noida for immediate veterinary care. Every animal we receive is assessed by our in-house veterinary team, treated with the same standard of care regardless of condition, and never turned away.
You made the call. We take it from there.
No animal should ever be denied care, love, or life because of lack of space, money, or resources.
— Silky Juneja Chopra, Founder, Vaikuntha Animal Wellness Centre
Save This Number Right Now
You may not need it today. But someone will, and that someone might be you. Save Vaikuntha’s emergency line in your phone before you finish reading this.
- +91 93108 23209
- +91 93103 97064
Available every day. For every animal. No exceptions.
Vaikuntha Animal Wellness Centre is a registered NGO based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, providing free rescue, treatment and rehabilitation for stray and injured animals across the region. Donations may qualify for 80G tax exemption.