Questions

Will someone come and pick the animal up?

No. We don't collect animals ourselves. A dispatcher reads your report and helps you reach a place that can take it, and the app shows who to call and what's open now.

Why does it sometimes tell me to leave the animal alone?

Because often that's what helps. A feathered baby bird hopping on the ground is learning to fly, and its parents are still feeding it. A fawn lying alone was left there on purpose by its mother.

Taking animals like these away is the most common way a healthy one ends up dead.

Is it free?

Yes. You don't need an account, and there are no ads.

Does it work outside New York City?

The guide works anywhere. The map and its phone numbers only cover the five boroughs, and reports only go to a dispatcher from inside the city.

Do I need a signal?

Not for the guide or the map, which are stored on your phone. You need one to make a call or get directions. Without a signal, a report waits on your phone and is sent when the signal returns.

What happens to my photo?

Working out what kind of animal it is happens on your phone. When you send a report, the photo goes to a dispatcher with where the animal is and what you ticked, so they can find help. Before it leaves your phone, it is resized and the location stored in the file is removed.

If the app says to leave the animal or watch it, nothing is sent unless you later tell it the animal is hurt or got worse. Sent reports are kept for a year after the case closes, then deleted. The privacy policy has the details.

How do I delete my data?

In the app, go to Profile, then Your reports, and tap Delete everything One Step keeps about me. It removes your reports, photos, messages and phone number from our servers and from your phone.

If you've already deleted the app, use the deleting page or email hello@onestepnyc.org.

Can I report a message?

Yes. Hold the message down, or tap the … beside it, and choose Report this message. You can stop that dispatcher's messages from the same place. We act on every report within 24 hours.

How do I know the advice is right for my animal?

It's written for common situations in New York City, and it can't see your animal. If a wildlife rehabilitator, a vet, Animal Care Centers of NYC or the police tell you something different, follow them.

If a card looks wrong to you, tell us.

Where do the places and phone numbers come from?

We checked each one against an official source: the place's own website, or a city or state page. Hours and numbers change, so if one is out of date, please tell us.

I'm a rehabilitator, a vet or a shelter. How do I get involved?

Use the contact form and choose your role. We'd like to hear how you take animals in, and whether the guide matches what you see.

Can I volunteer?

Yes. Volunteers drive animals to rehabilitators, check the directory's phone numbers, or answer reports from home as dispatchers.

Driving and dispatching are for 18 and over. At 16 or 17 you can check phone numbers. The volunteer page has the form.