Pet emergency kit checklist
Food, water, carriers, records and contact details to keep ready for your pet in an emergency.
Supplies
Papers and contacts
Keep ready
Using this page
Why prepare
In an emergency such as a fire, flood or storm, you may have to leave home quickly. A kit packed in advance helps you take care of your pet. Include several days of food and water, a carrier or lead, bedding, and records that show ownership. Keep everything together in a waterproof bag, near the door or in the car.
Keeping it fresh
Check the kit twice a year, when you change the batteries in your smoke alarms. Replace food before it expires, update the phone numbers on the tag and in the records, and add new photos if your pet's appearance changes. Ask your vet about what else to include for your pet, and check local council and emergency service advice for your area.
Planning your evacuation
Decide in advance where you would go. Many emergency shelters do not take pets, so look for friends, relatives, pet-friendly accommodation or boarding kennels outside the area. Practise getting your pet into its carrier or into the car, because a scared animal can be hard to catch. If you have several animals, plan one carrier or lead for each, and agree who will collect which pet. Know the local alerts and the emergency plan for your area.