Welcome to Prickles in a Pickle

Registered Charity Number 1189005

Our Hedgehog Hospital is run from our home address. We have 4 designated areas set up for triage, treatment, rehabilitation, soft release and an area for Mothers and Hoglets. Our aim is to have a purpose-built unit away from our home and with better and more facilities. These would include a staff room, isolation room and bigger and more comfortable space to work in.

We always try to return the hedgehogs back to where they were found or as close as possible.  Sometimes this is not possible, and we must find an alternative site. We insist that all releases have full support.

Of course, not every rescue is a success story and although it is a harsh reality, sometimes we must recognise that the kindest action is to put to sleep.

We work closely with our local veterinarians, and our supporting practice is Dart Vale Veterinary Group. This amazing team also carry out two inspections every year and monitor and supply the medications to us.

I speak to schools and groups to inspire people to care for their local area and support wildlife.   Please note I am often asked, but I do not bring hedgehogs with me as they are wild, nocturnal animals and any human contact causes them stress.

When needed, quite frequently, we also take in other wildlife, from garden birds to raptors and mice to foxes and more. Anything that comes into the rescue is treated with the same care, dignity and respect as any other.

Thank you for looking at our website

As a Registered Charity we rely on donations to provide essential care for the rehabilitation and safe release of Hedgehogs.

For hedgehog help and advice, telephone Judy 07891 657104 or Alan 07970 983608 between 08.30 – 20.30. Please see the information below for more guidance.

What to Do if you Find a Hedgehog? (click here)

Wear gardening gloves if possible.  Pick up and put in a box or cat carrier lined with a towel or similar, provide another towel to cover the casualty.  Please DO NOT use leaves, grass, hay or straw.

 Bring inside your house, this is vital, DO NOT leave outside, in a shed or garage, they must be warm.  A hot water bottle or a drinks bottle filled with hand hot water and covered can be put in with the hedgehog, allow enough space for the hedgehog to get near to the heat source or move away if it needs to. 

DO NOT worry about fleas, some hedgehogs do have them they are host specific and cannot infest your home or pets.

Like all creatures who feel poorly, they need warmth, comfort and quiet.

If you have to keep over night, we recommend using your bath or shower.  Line the bath or shower tray with a towel or newspaper, put the cat carrier or a cardboard box on its side as a nesting place, put another towel or similar in the box and leave a non tippable dish of water and a dish of food, cat biscuits or food is ideal, in the bath or shower.  Call a rescue in the morning.

If the hedgehog is in obvious distress, there is an obvious wound or injury, or bleeding please contact your vet.  Ask them to contact us in opening hours which are 0830-2030 every day.

If you have disturbed a nest and you cannot cover and leave, to monitor from a distance.  Please gather up mum first and secure her, then carefully, preferably with a pair of gloves, gather up the babies and put with mum.  Put them in a safe, secure and quiet place and call a rescue.  If you have to keep over night, follow the previous instructions, no further disturbance is vital.

For hedgehog help and advice, telephone Judy 07891 657104 or Alan 07970 983608.

How you can Help without spending money? (click here)

If you shop online, please could you sign up to #easyfundraising and help Prickles in a Pickle raise free donations with all your favourite brands?

Every time you use the easyfundraising website or app to shop online with over 7,500 websites including big names like Expedia, Just Eat, John Lewis & Partners, Argos, Uswitch and eBay, we’ll get a donation. It won’t cost you a penny and it will really make a difference to us. Thank you!
https://join.easyfundraising.org.uk/…/A2307/facebook

If you have any old ink cartridges and would like us to recycle them for you we can do so and also earn money for Prickles in a Pickle. We have numerous collection points in different superstores so you could just leave them in our collection boxes

As they say every little helps

Collection boxes /drop off locations are :

• Tesco Lee Mill
• Tesco Transit Way
• Morrisons superstore – Plymouth
• Natures Larder – Ivybridge
• Tesco-Kingsbridge
• Sainsbury’s – Dartmouth

Helen is Running to Save Hedgehogs!

Helen Pearse, one of our lovely volunteers, is running the London Marathon to raise funds for Prickles in a Pickle. If you would like to support her and our charity, please use the button below which will take you to the Just Giving page. Thank you!

Just Giving

946 admissions in 2025

Please see the graph and pie chart below for more detailed analysis and year on year comparisons.

Our Mission:

To reduce the vulnerability to extinction for the European Hedgehog

To spread awareness of their decline in population

To encourage the public to make their gardens friendly and accessible to hedgehogs

To provide friendly and supportive advice to the public who have found a hedgehog or other animal

To provide treatment, relief of suffering and rehabilitation of animals brought to Prickles in Pickle with veterinary support

To facilitate them to return to the natural habitat

To provide suitable areas for the release of animals not able to return to the wild

To do no harm

Thanks to you we’ve already made a difference..

Hedgehog rescue interventions to date.

..but more work is needed if we are to stop the decline of our beloved hedgehog population.

With your help we cannot fail!

There are lots of ways you can support us. See our current donation campaigns below or for other ways please see donations and help.