About us

by Judy Oliphant – Co-Founder

 For more years than I care to recall, we have been bringing injured animals and birds home to nurse back to health and release back into the wild where they belong.  

My co-founder is my partner Alan Pook, he is from good old fashioned farming stock. He has a wealth of experience and knowledge and is a true countryman. He works tirelessly raising funds for the rescue and has donated both time and money to allow PIAP to grow and prosper and carry out the work we do.

Over recent years we have become busier and busier especially with hedgehogs.  These little iconic creatures are suffering a huge decline. With the constant changes in rural environments, research has shown that the decline of these wonderful animals is even steeper whilst their urban cousins have stabilised in number. Some of the causes are lack of and in particular, fragmented habitat, with no safe passage to move from one to the other. Building, roads, farming practice, pesticides and much more.

The picture is bleak with our prickly friends having declined by 75% since the turn of the century. No species can sustain this loss.

Up and down the country there are many people like myself and Alan, who quietly go about helping all the animals and birds we can.  Those involved in hedgehog care are usually registered in the British Hedgehog Preservation Society’s  database.  This list of people includes their contact details and postcode so you can be put in touch with someone in your area.  

From very small beginnings, we have evolved into a fully fledged hedgehog hospital and are a registered charity. We run things as professionally as possible, observing the required protocols and have regular Vet inspections. We have in the region of fifty volunteers between our transport group and carers at the hospital. Veterinary students come to us from time to time on placements as do students from colleges of Further Education. We also offer places to Duke of Edinburgh award students, bronze, silver and gold, and are insured to accept children from the age of 13 years upwards. All our volunteers are Enhanced DBS checked.

Training is given to new volunteers at the hospital, but we do encourage them to attend the Vale Wildlife Hospital Hedgehog Rehabilitation Course which we invite Vale to present at Stoke Fleming every year. Our charity raises money to fund volunteer places to enable everyone to attend.

Though operating from our home, we manage to admit in the region of 1,000 hedgehogs a year with a small number of other wildlife too. We hope that this is the start of a long and successful journey and whatever the future holds we will continue to help our spiny friends.

We have the facilities  to soft release the hedgehogs prior to returning them to the wild.  We always try to return them back to where they were found or as close as possible.  Sometimes this is not possible and we have  to find an alternative site.

I give talks to schools and other groups, this is an amazing opportunity to get people  involved and looking after their little patch to encourage 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.

Thank you for looking at our website

​Judy and Alan

Team Helpers and Hedgehog Heroes

J&S Cleaning Services, Dartmouth: 07472 281713

Stephen Guard Architect, Totnes: 01548 521540

Hedgehog Property Services: 07368 239969

Smale Brothers Trees & Garden Care, Dartmouth: 07736 825955

The Bake House, Salcombe, Kingsbridge & Dartmouth: 01548 852456

Other Organisations who provide valuable support and information

British Hedgehog Preservation Society
Vale Wildlife Hospital
Ash Cross Rescue