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Calling an animal ambulance in the Netherlands: when, how and what it costs

Iris van Loon · Editor-in-chief
6 min read

In the Netherlands you call 144 for an animal in distress, 112 when there is immediate danger, and 0900-0245 to book transport for your own pet. Here is exactly which number to use, what to say and what a ride costs.

A cat by the roadside. A dog that will not get up. A pigeon that hit a window and stays down. Your phone is already in your hand, but which number do you dial? Here is the answer, in the order you need it.

Quick answer: In the Netherlands, call 144, the national animal reporting line known as Red een dier, open Monday to Saturday 8:00 to 18:30 and Sunday 9:30 to 18:30. The police control room sends the animal ambulance. If the animal is in immediate danger or lying on the road, call 112. To book transport for your own pet, call 0900-0245 instead.

Does 144 work outside the Netherlands?

No. 144 and 0900-0245 are Dutch numbers and only work inside the Netherlands. If you are reading this from another country, look up your local animal rescue or wildlife rescue number now and save it in your phone. Dialling 144 abroad will not reach anyone who can help your animal.

One number does travel: 112 is the emergency number across the entire European Union, so from anywhere in the EU you can reach police, fire and ambulance on 112 (European Commission). For an animal in acute danger, that is your fallback anywhere in Europe.

What exactly is 144, and who picks up?

144 is the Dutch national reporting number Red een dier, which means "save an animal". It is not an animal ambulance dispatch desk. The phone is answered by police officers of the Eenheid Landelijke Expertise en Operaties in Driebergen. They assess your report and send the right service: the animal ambulance, the police, the Netherlands animal welfare inspectorate (LID) or the food safety authority (NVWA). Sources: politie.nl and inspectiedienst.nl.

That distinction matters. On 144 you do not order a vehicle. You file a report, and someone else decides who comes.

When do you call 144 and when 112?

This is where most people get stuck, partly because the sources do not fully agree.

The police and the LID are strict: a wounded animal in acute distress, or an animal that endangers people, is a 112 call. 144 is for abuse and neglect without an acute threat to life. The Dutch animal protection society points to 144 more broadly, including wounded animals and cases you are unsure about.

In practice:

  • Danger to life, traffic or people: 112. An animal on the motorway, a road accident, an animal in the water.
  • Wounded or sick animal without immediate danger: 144.
  • Abuse or neglect: 144. This is what the control room passes to the LID or the NVWA. See also the Dutch government page on reporting animal abuse.
  • Transport for your own pet: 0900-0245, or your regional animal ambulance directly.

Unsure between 112 and 144? Call 112. Being transferred costs a minute. Calling too late costs more.

What is the difference between an emergency report and a transport request?

This one distinction decides who comes, how fast, and who pays.

An emergency report concerns an animal that needs help now and usually is not yours: a stray cat, a hedgehog hit by a car, an injured gull. You report it on 144, or on 112 if life is at stake.

A transport request is a ride you book as the owner: your dog has to go to the vet and does not fit in the car, or your cat needs collecting after surgery. That is not an emergency and does not go through 144. Call the national number 0900-0245, enter your postcode and you are connected to the nearest station, or call your regional animal ambulance directly. Source: dierenambulance.nl.

Book a transport request a day ahead if you can. If an emergency comes in, a planned ride can be moved.

What do you say when you call?

Keep it short and factual. This is what the control room needs:

  1. Where. Street and house number, or a kilometre marker, junction or other landmark. Check your phone if you are not sure.
  2. What kind of animal, and what you see: blood, a dangling leg, no response, laboured breathing.
  3. Whether there is danger, to the animal or to traffic.
  4. Whether you can stay, plus your phone number.
  5. Whether the animal is yours. That decides whether there is a bill.

Stay with the animal if it is safe to do so. Someone on the spot saves the crew valuable searching time.

What does an animal ambulance cost?

Two rules cover almost everything.

If the animal is not yours, you normally pay nothing. Dierenambulance Utrecht states it plainly: if you report an animal that is not your property and not in your care, no costs apply. Help for strays and wildlife is funded by donations, sponsors and municipalities. A voluntary contribution is welcome almost everywhere, but it is never a condition for help.

If it is your own animal, a regional tariff applies. Every animal ambulance is an independent foundation with its own prices. Three examples, checked on 21 August 2026:

  • Utrecht: 47.50 euro base rate for a single trip, with 10 euro surcharges for a return within fifteen minutes or a ride after 22:00 (2026 tariffs).
  • Leiden: 33 euro single and 55 euro return for non-donors, 27.50 and 44 euro for donors (2026 tariffs).
  • Amsterdam: flat rate of 50 euro, or 25 euro for donors, plus 1 euro per kilometre outside the region (tariffs).

So expect roughly 25 to 60 euro for a single trip with your own animal, and ask for the amount before the ride. Separate tariffs apply to a deceased pet and to renting a trap cage. Some pet insurance policies reimburse transport, so check yours.

What do you do while you wait?

  • Make yourself safe first, especially on a road. A second casualty helps nobody.
  • Lay a coat or blanket over the animal, not over its head.
  • Do not give food or water if surgery is possible, and never milk.
  • Move the animal only if it is in acute danger, and support the whole body.
  • Keep dogs, cats and bystanders at a distance.

More on first response in Help animals in need, and on found strays in How to help stray animals. With wildlife, well meant help is sometimes more harmful than keeping your distance.

What if 144 keeps you on hold?

It happens. Your options:

  • Call 112 if life is at stake. Do that without hesitation if you are on hold with a badly injured animal.
  • Call the police on 0900-8844 if 144 is unreachable for technical reasons.
  • Call your regional animal ambulance directly. Amsterdam answers on 020 626 21 21, Utrecht on 06 5477 2700. Look up the number for your area now and save it.
  • To report something without your name attached: Meld Misdaad Anoniem, 0800-7000.
  • Lost or found pet without medical urgency: Amivedi, 0900 264 83 34.

Why this number is on our site

Stichting Animal Protect does not run an animal ambulance. We pay for the medical care of animals nobody else covers: the gap between the moment an animal arrives and the moment it is clear who pays the bill. What that care costs is set out in what it costs to save an animal.

Want the next call to not fail over money? You can donate here. Our Dutch ANBI charity status has been applied for and not yet granted, so a gift is not tax deductible at this moment. We would rather say that now than afterwards.

Sources

All numbers and amounts were checked on 21 August 2026. Tariffs change per year and per region, so ask in advance.

Frequently asked questions

What people often ask us

Short, honest answers to the questions people ask most.

Does 144 work if I am not in the Netherlands?

No. 144 and 0900-0245 are Dutch numbers and only work inside the Netherlands. From another country, use your local animal or wildlife rescue number. The one number that works everywhere in the European Union is 112, the general emergency number for police, fire and ambulance.

Is calling 144 free?

You call 144 at local rate, so it is not a free line but also not a premium service number. The help itself is free when the animal is not yours, such as a stray or a wild animal. Transport for your own pet does carry a fee.

When is 144 open?

No, 144 is not open around the clock. Dutch animal welfare organisation Dierenbescherming lists Monday to Saturday 8:00 to 18:30 and Sunday 9:30 to 18:30. Outside those hours call 0900-8844, and in an emergency always 112. If you are on hold and life is at stake, call 112. If 144 is unreachable for technical reasons, call the police on 0900-8844.

What does an animal ambulance ride cost in the Netherlands?

It differs per region, because every animal ambulance is an independent foundation. In August 2026 Utrecht charged 47.50 euro for a single trip, Leiden 33 euro for non-donors and Amsterdam 50 euro. For an animal that is not yours you normally pay nothing. Ask for the tariff in advance.

Do I pay if I report someone else’s injured animal?

No. If you report an animal that is not your property and not in your care, there are normally no costs. Help for strays and wildlife is funded by donations, sponsors and municipal contributions. Never let the fear of a bill stop you from calling.

Should I call 144 or 112 for an animal hit by a car?

For a road accident, an animal on the carriageway or danger to people, the Dutch police explicitly direct you to 112. If there is no acute danger and the animal is wounded or neglected, 144 is the right number. When in doubt, call 112.

Can I call the animal ambulance directly?

Yes. For transport of your own pet, call the national number 0900-0245 and enter your postcode, or call your regional animal ambulance directly. Amsterdam answers on 020 626 21 21 and Utrecht on 06 5477 2700.

Iris van Loon is editor-in-chief at Stichting Animal Protect and writes about animal welfare, emergency care and honest giving. Every article is fact-checked before publication; cost figures are indicative.

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