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Hedgehog help in the Canton of Schaffhausen

Have you found an injured, sick or conspicuous hedgehog in Schaffhausen, Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Thayngen, Beringen, Stein am Rhein or another municipality in the canton? Here you can find out when a hedgehog needs help, which regional hedgehog station you can contact and how to make your garden hedgehog-friendly.

In the Canton of Schaffhausen, hedgehogs live mainly in gardens, residential neighbourhoods, parks and on structurally diverse edges of settlements. Hedges, leaf piles, brush piles and natural green spaces offer them food, shelter and suitable places to spend the winter.

At the same time, their habitats are increasingly cut off from one another by roads, dense development, impenetrable fences and tidied-up gardens. Other dangers include robotic lawnmowers operated at night, brush cutters, pesticides, light wells and a lack of water sources.

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A hedgehog in tall grass

Found a hedgehog – what should you do now?

Not every hedgehog needs human help. A healthy hedgehog is mainly active at dusk and at night. If you see a hedgehog during the day, this does not automatically mean that it is sick.

Action is needed in particular if the hedgehog:

  • is injured or bleeding
  • seems apathetic or does not roll up
  • staggers, walks in circles, wheezes or breathes heavily
  • is infested with flies, fly eggs or maggots
  • is noticeably thin or weak
  • lies unprotected in the sun for a long time
  • is a young hedgehog found obviously without its mother

  1. If possible, contact a hedgehog station before transporting the animal. The station can assess whether the hedgehog needs to be taken in and whether a care place is currently available.

    Hedgehog stations

  2. Until the handover, wearing gloves, you can place the hedgehog in a sufficiently high cardboard box. Line it with newspaper and a towel and put the box in a quiet place. Offer fresh water in a shallow dish. Never give the hedgehog cow’s milk and do not treat it yourself with medication or anti-parasite products.

Hedgehog stations and points of contact in the Canton of Schaffhausen

Please always call a station before bringing a hedgehog there. Capacities, admission times and responsibilities can change at short notice.

  • Hedgehog station at the Tierheim Buchbrunnen

    The hedgehog station of the Schaffhauser Tierschutz is the central regional point of contact for hedgehogs in distress. It takes in injured, sick and orphaned hedgehogs all year round. Animals that can no longer be released before winter are cared for until spring if necessary.

    According to the current contact page, the animal shelter is closed on Sundays and public holidays. Be sure to call before bringing a hedgehog. Animal shelter contact details and opening hours

If the hedgehog station cannot be reached:

Emergency numbers that charge a fee may incur higher call charges. For a seriously injured hedgehog, you can also contact a veterinary practice or animal clinic. Before setting off, call to ask whether they treat hedgehogs or wild animals.

Note on this regional information page · As of: August 2026

This page brings together information and points of contact for hedgehog protection in the Canton of Schaffhausen. It is not an independent cantonal branch, nor is it an authority.

The care stations listed are independent organisations. Opening hours, responsibilities and admission capacities may change at short notice. Please therefore always contact them by phone first.

Cantonal contact points

  • Veterinäramt des Kantons Schaffhausen

    The veterinary office is responsible for enforcing animal welfare and animal health legislation. It also runs the cantonal reporting office for found animals. However, it is not a hedgehog station and does not normally take on the care of individual injured hedgehogs.

    If you find a sick or injured hedgehog, you should first contact the hedgehog station at the Tierheim Buchbrunnen. The veterinary office is the right cantonal body in particular for questions relating to animal welfare law, unclear responsibilities or reports of found animals.

  • Game wardens

    You can find the game warden responsible for your region on the official page of the cantonal hunting supervision.

Why Schaffhausen is a special habitat for hedgehogs

The Canton of Schaffhausen has varied landscapes with vineyards, forest edges, farmland, villages and urban neighbourhoods. The transitions between these habitats are particularly valuable for hedgehogs.

In the city of Schaffhausen and in municipalities such as Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Beringen, Thayngen, Neunkirch or Stein am Rhein, hedgehogs find suitable places of refuge in green residential neighbourhoods. For this, gardens and green spaces must remain connected to one another.

The Rhine, busy roads, railway lines, walls, densely built-up settlements and enclosed properties can cut habitats off from one another. The location on the border with Germany is also relevant: wild animals do not follow cantonal or national borders but need connected habitats throughout the whole region.

As part of regional projects, Pro Natura Schaffhausen enhances areas within residential zones. Brush piles are used specifically as hiding places for hedgehogs and other small animals. Pro Natura Schaffhausen – nature in residential areas

View over Stein am Rhein with the Rhine, old town, residential areas, fields and forest edges
A hedgehog among stones

How many hedgehogs live in the Canton of Schaffhausen?

There is currently no official and scientifically verified figure for the Canton of Schaffhausen as a whole. Hedgehogs are nocturnal, move across several properties and are not counted comprehensively, either at cantonal or at national level.

Individual sightings or the number of animals admitted to a care station do not allow a reliable extrapolation of the total population. Nor does a large number of hedgehogs brought in automatically mean that the population is growing. It may equally point to increasing dangers, habitat loss or a greater willingness to report them.

What is certain is that the European hedgehog has been classified as “near threatened” on the Swiss Red List since 2022. Densification, sealed surfaces and the loss of natural gardens are putting its habitats under pressure. For this reason, Pro Natura chose the hedgehog as Animal of the Year 2026. Pro Natura – Animal of the Year 2026

Naturally designed area with deadwood, stones and shrubs

Protecting habitats together in Schaffhausen

Hedgehog protection works best across property boundaries. Private individuals, municipalities, schools, businesses, farms and horticultural businesses can help create safe and interconnected habitats.

A single near-natural garden is valuable. Even more helpful is an entire neighbourhood with permeable fences, native plants, safe water sources and green spaces that are not completely sealed or mown automatically every night.

Hedgehog Help Switzerland provides information material and supports schools, private individuals and professionals with knowledge about the proper handling of hedgehogs.

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We are also available by phone and are happy to help you with advice and practical support.

Whether you are looking for our hedgehog magazine full of helpful tips, information about hedgehog talks or materials for school projects – we provide everything free of charge to promote the welfare of hedgehogs.

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Expert knowledge on the care and treatment of hedgehogs

Free hedgehog courses for veterinary practice assistants throughout Switzerland

Hedgehog Help Switzerland offers free hedgehog courses for veterinary practice assistants throughout Switzerland. These courses are specially tailored to veterinary practice assistants who want to familiarise themselves with the particularities of hedgehog care and acquire professional knowledge of the medical treatment and care of hedgehogs. In veterinary practices, hedgehogs need special attention and expert care that differs from other wild animals – and this is exactly where our hedgehog courses for veterinary practice assistants come in.

In our courses you will learn everything about caring for and treating hedgehogs in a way that suits the species. We cover important topics such as correct feeding, stress management during treatment and recognising typical hedgehog diseases. Our hedgehog courses are offered both at our hedgehog station and directly at your veterinary practice – we work throughout Switzerland and adapt to your location and your schedule.

Registration form for hedgehog courses

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Help make the canton of Schaffhausen safer and more liveable for hedgehogs! Become part of our hedgehog community and contribute to the protection of these fascinating animals.

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