Hedgehog Welfare

Hedgehog Welfare Hedgehog Welfare is a charity formed by Janet Peto in July 1993, registered May 2021, No.1194494.

Hedgehog Welfare is a small, registered charity formed by Janet Peto in July 1993. If you have found a hedgehog you think is in need of care please call 07940714830 immediately. Janet started caring for hedgehogs when she found two small hedgehogs – she named Softy and Tiny - in her garden in Surrey on Saturday 27th November 1982. Les Stocker (the founder of St Tiggywinkles Hospital for wild anima

ls) aided Janet in their rehabilitation which sparked the beginning of Hedgehog Welfare. Since then the charity has grown and Janet has hardly been without a couple of hedgehogs in her care. The main aims of Hedgehog Welfare are:

To take in sick, injured, and orphaned hedgehogs, to care for them and return them back to the wild where found, if possible. To encourage the finders of the hedgehogs to care for them, wherever possible, with full support from Hedgehog Welfare including supplying equipment. To support and advise hedgehog carers and vets and to promote good hedgehog rehabilitation. Running courses to help improve the knowledge and standard of care. To promote public awareness of the hedgehog in the wild (and of conservation in general). We take in hedgehogs from as far as Great Ponton which is just south of Grantham, to Retford in the North, as far west as Southwell and as far east as Ancaster.



- We do not collect as we do not have the time or the volunteers.

- We have been known to take in hedgehogs in other areas when other carers are full or have been taken ill but only when we have space.

- We work closely with the RSPCA and local vets in our area. Our “triage nurse” is Sally who checks out the hedgehog and what treatment is needed. We then have many volunteer carers who all work tirelessly to rehabilitate and release our prickly patients. We set a high standard of care, always remembering that the hedgehog lives to different rules than domestic pets. Importantly, our aim is to return them to the wild and care for them accordingly. We are proud members of the British Wildlife Rehabilitations Council. Our charity was officially registered in May 2021, No. 1194494.

Happy Spring!I hope you’re starting to see lots of hedgies appearing back in your garden. Enjoying the water and biscuit...
15/04/2026

Happy Spring!

I hope you’re starting to see lots of hedgies appearing back in your garden. Enjoying the water and biscuits I’m sure you’re all putting down.

They are spending this time foraging and gaining back body condition after hibernation. Breeding has already started so we are expecting to see babies soon.

Janet is starting to receive more calls daily from all over the country. Sadly we can only take our local ones, however, Janet’s been doing this for a very long time 🤫 so has contacts across the country she can direct people to.

Here are a few photos of recent releases, along with Ronald’s bum. He’s been a long time patient who we hope will finally be ready for release.

Hello from us at Hedgehog Welfare!! Our long term rescue hogs have been enjoying a nice long sleep. Waking up on occasio...
27/01/2026

Hello from us at Hedgehog Welfare!!

Our long term rescue hogs have been enjoying a nice long sleep. Waking up on occasion for a quick snack then back to slumbering.

With all this rain, some of our wild hedgehogs nests will be flooding. Please keep an eye out for any hedgehogs in trouble.

Please continue to leave food out (dry, chicken flavoured, kitten biscuits) in a covered location. When they do wake up they will be very hungry.

01/01/2026

Happy New year! Here’s to another year, full of rescuing our prickly friends!
🦔

Releases We’re thankful the weather has warmed up enough to release a few of our hedgehogs. Debbie 540gGus, a whopping 7...
28/11/2025

Releases

We’re thankful the weather has warmed up enough to release a few of our hedgehogs.

Debbie 540g
Gus, a whopping 710g
Bunty 513g

We have may others nearly at release weight which will help clear us out a bit.

We are absolutely bursting at the seams, with calls coming in at all hours, and a backlog of poorly hedgehogs waiting to come into our care.
We’re thankful to those people continuing to feed and water hedgehogs, it’s so important all year round.

In better news, here are some photos of sweet Stella and Blossom, thought to be mother and daughter, after their ringworm baths.

Updates We’re still receiving lots of calls regarding poorly and young hogs. Many of them are coming in in really poor c...
11/11/2025

Updates

We’re still receiving lots of calls regarding poorly and young hogs. Many of them are coming in in really poor condition. We find hedgehogs coming from homes that feed wildlife are recovering far quicker and have a better outcome.

Releasing so far this week are Fig and Biscuit. Biscuit came in with a large wound to her face. Pitate was released on Friday. OXO has also been released after a short stay.

New arrivals are

- Star, dehydrated and thin
- Holly, sadly passed away the following day, emaciated.
- George, sadly passed away, again, totally emaciated.
- Blossom, ring worm and a mass on her jaw
- Bunty, thin and dehydrated

Plus lots more. Most suffering from a high burden of internal parasites.

We are pretty much at capacity with some long term hedgehogs still requiring treatment.

05/11/2025

As always, please check log piles before burning! We don’t want any burnt prickle bottoms! Thank you!

Updates!It’s still rather busy in the world of hedgehogs. Thankfully we’ve had a few releases which have cleared us out ...
17/10/2025

Updates!

It’s still rather busy in the world of hedgehogs.

Thankfully we’ve had a few releases which have cleared us out a little for new hedgehogs in need. Sadly a lot are being taken to vets who are having to be put to sleep. Many injuries, some poisoned and some considered far too poorly by the vet to survive.

Released recently are Raven, Honey, Riley, Pippin, Luna and Jaffa.

Admitted - OXO, Biscuit, Buttercup, Ronald, Morris, Kiwi, Mimi plus a few that sadly didn’t make it.

We all have families and lead personal lives too so it’s definitely full on for all of our carers.

As always, please remember to leave out food and water and check any leaf piles, hedges, log piles before clearing or burning.

Many thanks!

Updates We’ve got some lovely little hogs in at the moment. The majority are autumn juveniles. The seasons are turning s...
02/10/2025

Updates

We’ve got some lovely little hogs in at the moment. The majority are autumn juveniles. The seasons are turning so please remember to pop out food, refresh water and check any over grown parts of the garden before strimming.

14/09/2025

Thank you!
To everyone who came and made our fundraiser a success.

14/09/2025
All set up and we have some early arrivals, cake and coffee are flowing.
14/09/2025

All set up and we have some early arrivals, cake and coffee are flowing.

Address

P. O. Box 8686
Grantham
NG310AG

Website

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