The North Devon Animal Ambulance (NDDA)
When North Devon folk fall sick, the Ambulance Service or Barnstaple's District Hospital often provides the care. On the road? It's the Devon & Cornwall police or the Devon Air Ambulance who come to the rescue. A fire? Call the Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Service. And if you're at sea or on the Devon coast there's the Coastguard or a lifeboat.
For North Devon animals, whether pets, farm animals or wildlife, there's another special emergency animal rescue service – The North Devon Animal Ambulance (NDAA)
WARNING: some of the pictures on this website are graphic and may upset you. Though they’re unpleasant, we feel it’s important to show them so you can fully understand the challenges facing the North Devon Animal Ambulance.
Your special animal rescue service
What if you're an orphaned baby hedgehog, a neglected pet rabbit or a deer that has been knocked down on North Devon's roads? Or a much-loved cat whose elderly carer suddenly goes into a hospital, hospice or residential home that can't accommodate pets? In situations like these, for creatures as diverse as stick insects, baby seals or fully-grown horses, North Devon has a special animal rescue service – The North Devon Animal Ambulance (NDAA).
Dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of all animals
Founded in 2003, The North Devon Animal Ambulance is a completely voluntary animal rescue service dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming (or release back into their natural habitat) of all domestic and wild animals. From hedgehogs to horses, or budgies to dogs, the NDAA will rapidly attend to and care for any sick or injured animal in distress.
24/7 animal welfare for North Devon
The North Devon Animal Ambulance provides welfare backup and a 24/7 emergency call out service for all pets, farm animals and wildlife in North Devon.
In recent years, this 'hands-on' welfare work has become increasingly difficult to obtain with the financial constraints and continuing rationalisation of the national animal welfare organisations.
Every penny is spent on North Devon animals
Though its work has earned it many friends across Devon and Cornwall, the UK, Europe and beyond, The North Devon Animal Ambulance is truly a North Devon charity. Every penny donated to the service, raised through fundraising or through the NDAA's charity shops, is used for the care of North Devon animals. None of the NDAA's volunteers are paid.
North Devon's own 'animal angel'
If one individual must be singled out from the North Devon Animal Ambulance team it should be Diana Lewis, North Devon's 'animal angel' whose tireless voluntary animal rescue work lies behind the success of the North Devon Animal Ambulance. For nearly 20 years, Diana has worked tirelessly for the good of North Devon animals in need – a commitment that has regularly led to appearances in the North Devon Journal and on Carlton TV to promote the work of the North Devon Animal Ambulance.
Very appropriately, given her longstanding role in the welfare of North Devon animals, Diana’s own name has been adopted as a promotional acronym for the North Devon Animal Ambulance. Back in the organisation’s early days, the North Devon Journal devised an acronym to simultaneously represent the NDAA’s mission and reflect Diana’s figurehead role.
That’s why the acronym D.I.A.N.A. still appears on North Devon Animal Ambulance sweatshirts and other promotional devices – standing for Distressed, Injured And Needy Animals
Diana Lewis
Diana, who spent 11 years as an animal welfare officer for the RSPCA, regularly appears on TV to promote animal rescue and welfare. She has also featured in a documentary with actor John Nettles and, in 2001, won a BBC Animal Award as well as Carlton Television's prestigious Westcountry Woman of the Year award.
How can I help?
There are many ways that you can help the NDAA with its work for Devon's animals:
• Report injured, mistreated or abandoned animals.
• Help with fundraising.
• Join the NDAA team.
• Provide a permanent or temporary home for a rescued animal.
• Make a donation to NDAA funds.
• Remember the NDAA in a legacy.
• Join a friendly team of volunteers at one of our charity shops.
Read on to find out about the work of the North Devon Animal Ambulance or how you can contact us about a sick, injured or orphaned animal. Or, if you just can't wait to get involved through fundraising, rehoming an animal or making a donation, please contact us now!
