When faced with a situation outside of your comfort zone, like a moose on the loose or cattle in an urban area, it can be hard to think through what to do or who to call. 

Red Deer RCMP are out with a few reminders following an incident Tuesday which saw a couple of cows make it through a hole in a fence along Barrett Drive, finding some greener grass in the Bower neighbourhood in the south end of the city. 

Corporal Karyn Kay says the majority of these scenarios do not require a 911 call, and their complaint line likely shouldn't be your first call either.

“Short answer is that Fish and Wildlife should be called for wild animals in the city.  It’s not necessary to report wild animals when they are in the city and going about their business, only if they are injured or posing a hazard.  So I guess if you see one down by the river or something like that within the city limits, we should only call when there’s a danger for  the animal or for public safety, so the deer is no longer in the park, but it’s actually up on the highway or on the street”.

Kay says the RCMP does help out where they can when there's a threat to public safety.

She also asks you to be patient when you’re reaching out to Fish and Wildlife.

“Lots of them have messages, I know that we get complaints that when you call them you have to leave a message, but they do get notified, like via a pager, that there has been a message left, so they usually respond within minutes”.

For calls regarding cats and dogs, whether it is removal of deceased animals, aggressive dogs, barking dog complaints or pets on the loose, you should call Animal Services.

To reach Fish & Wildlife call 403-340-5142 or 1-800-642-3800, to reach Animal Services call 403-347-2388 or 1-866-340-2388, there's also some information on the city's website, and the city provides who to call magnets you can pick up free of charge.