A good plan answers three questions.
- Who will know?
- Choose who should be alerted if something happens to you.
- Who can get there?
- Arrange safe access with someone you trust.
- What does your pet need?
- Leave clear care instructions for each pet.
Choose your person and a backup
Ask a friend, family member or neighbour whether they would be willing and able to care for your pet if you were unexpectedly hospitalised.
Talk through what that would involve. Could they get to your home? Are they comfortable handling your pet? Would they be able to help with feeding, daily routines and any specific care needs?
Choose a backup contact too. Your first person may be away, working or unable to answer. Make sure both people understand the arrangement and know how to reach each other.
Arrange safe access to your home
Knowing who to call is only part of the plan. Your chosen person also needs an agreed way to reach your pet.
Discuss access in advance, including keys, building entry and where your pet is likely to be. Share sensitive access instructions privately with the people you have authorised.
Let them know where to find leads, carriers, food and other essentials. A quick walkthrough together can make those instructions easier to follow.
Make the everyday details easy to find
Write down the information someone would need to care for your pet without having to guess. Include feeding amounts and times, normal routines, your vet’s contact details and any handling or behavioural needs.
For medication, record the current instructions provided by your vet and where the medication is kept. Your contact should speak to the vet if anything is unclear.
Prepare details for each animal in your household. Review the plan whenever routines, medication or contact information change.
Organise your pet’s details and emergency contact in a printable plan. A free account is required.
Help someone discover that your pet is waiting
Your chosen person may know exactly how to help, but they still need to find out that help is needed.
A pet emergency card in your wallet can tell someone that you have animals at home and who to contact if you cannot speak for yourself. Keep the information current and carry it where it can be found.
PetKin’s KinKit includes a QR wallet card and keychain that you carry with you. If someone finds and scans the code during an emergency, PetKin can alert your nominated Kin Contacts through the service provided with an active subscription.
The free printable plan helps organise care information. KinKit alerts are a separate subscription feature. Both depend on people being prepared to take action.
See how PetKin emergency alerts work
Put the plan into practice
Before you put the plan away, check it with the people you have chosen. Confirm that they have agreed to help, can access the information and understand how they might be contacted.
Show them where the essentials are and keep a copy of the care instructions somewhere they can access. Revisit the arrangement when someone moves, changes their number or becomes unavailable.
A useful plan is one that your people know about and can follow.
Questions you might be asking
Choose a trusted person who has agreed to help and arrange how they can access your home and your pet’s care information. Carry an emergency card so someone can discover that your pet is waiting if you are unable to explain.
Further reading
Additional guidance on planning your pet’s care in an emergency.
