Emergency Supplies for Pets Checklist
Prepare dogs, cats, and other household pets for power outages, evacuations, storms, wildfires, floods, shelter-in-place situations, and car emergencies.
Emergency supplies for pets should be part of your family preparedness plan, not an afterthought. During evacuations, storms, power outages, wildfire smoke, floods, or road closures, pets still need water, food, medications, records, leashes, carriers, sanitation supplies, and comfort items.
If you are asking what are the best emergency supplies for pets, start with the same priorities you use for people: clean water, food, medical needs, safe transport, identification, and basic comfort. Then adjust the kit for your pet’s size, age, behavior, health, and evacuation needs.
This is especially important for emergency supplies for families because a family kit is incomplete if pets are not included. If you are asking how do I prepare for natural disasters, include pets in your evacuation route, shelter plan, car kit, and document binder before warnings escalate.
Printable Emergency Supplies for Pets Checklist
- Three days of pet food
- Stored water for pets
- Collapsible food and water bowls
- Leash, collar, and harness
- Pet carrier or crate
- Pet medications
- Medication instructions
- Vaccine records
- Vet contact information
- Recent photo of your pet
- ID tag and microchip information
- Waste bags or litter supplies
- Pet wipes or cleanup supplies
- Blanket, toy, or comfort item
- Pet first aid basics
- Emergency contact who can help with pets
- Pet-friendly lodging or shelter notes
- Backup leash or slip lead
Best Emergency Supplies to Build Around
Emergency Water Storage Container
Pets need clean water too. Add extra stored water beyond your human supply so pets are covered during outages, evacuations, road closures, and shelter-in-place situations.
- Best for: Dogs, cats, family emergency kits
- Why it matters: Pets can go through more water during heat, stress, or travel
Waterproof Document Bag
Keep copies of vaccine records, medication instructions, microchip information, vet contacts, and pet-friendly lodging notes with your emergency documents.
- Best for: Evacuation, boarding, shelter check-in, travel
- Why it matters: Pet records are hard to gather during a rushed evacuation
General First Aid Kit
A household first aid kit can support basic minor-injury supplies for people, while your pet kit should also include pet-specific medication notes and vet guidance.
- Best for: Family kits, car kits, evacuation supplies
- Why it matters: Minor injuries can happen during travel, stress, or evacuation
Portable Battery Bank
A phone power bank helps you call vets, check evacuation routes, find pet-friendly lodging, receive alerts, and keep emergency contacts available.
- Best for: Evacuations, car kits, disaster alerts
- Why it matters: Pet planning depends heavily on phone access
Pet Emergency Kit by Situation
Staying Home
Store extra food, water, waste supplies, medication, comfort items, and cleaning supplies where they are easy to reach.
Leaving Quickly
Keep carriers, leashes, records, medications, food, water, and comfort items ready before evacuation warnings are issued.
Road Delays
Add pet water, food, waste bags, leash, towel, and a small comfort item to your vehicle emergency kit.
Pet Documents to Include
Health Records
- Vaccine records
- Medication list
- Prescription instructions
- Vet contact information
- Medical condition notes
Proof and Contact Info
- Recent photo of your pet
- Microchip number
- ID tag information
- Emergency pet caregiver contact
- Pet-friendly shelter or hotel notes
Pet Preparedness Mistakes to Avoid
- Do not forget extra water for pets when calculating your water storage.
- Do not assume every shelter, hotel, or evacuation center accepts pets.
- Do not keep vaccine records only in one place.
- Do not forget waste bags, litter, cleanup supplies, or towels.
- Do not let pet medications run too low during storm or fire season.
- Do not leave carriers buried in storage where they are hard to reach.
- Do not forget pets in your car emergency kit and bug-out bag plan.
Final Recommendation
A pet emergency kit should be built alongside your family emergency kit. Store pet food, water, medications, records, leashes, carriers, sanitation supplies, and comfort items in a place you can access quickly.
For evacuation planning, keep pet documents with your emergency document binder and add pet supplies to your car kit or bug-out bag before a disaster warning happens.
Print Checklist Document Binder Guide
Recommended Next Guides
Add pet records, medications, leash, food, water, and comfort items to your evacuation plan.
Open Bug-Out Bag ChecklistPrepare home supplies for staying inside during outages, smoke, storms, road closures, and local hazards.
Open Shelter-in-Place ChecklistAdd pet supplies to your vehicle kit for evacuation traffic, road delays, storms, and travel emergencies.
Open Car Kit ChecklistKeep pet records, vet contacts, microchip information, vaccine records, and emergency contacts with your document kit.
Open Document Binder GuidePrintable Emergency Supplies for Pets Checklist
Use this checklist to prepare pets for evacuations, shelter-in-place situations, storms, fires, floods, outages, and car emergencies.
Food, Water, and Medical
- Three days of pet food
- Stored water for pets
- Collapsible food and water bowls
- Pet medications
- Medication instructions
- Pet first aid basics
Transport and Identification
- Leash, collar, and harness
- Pet carrier or crate
- Vaccine records
- Vet contact information
- Recent photo of your pet
- ID tag and microchip information
Sanitation and Comfort
- Waste bags or litter supplies
- Pet wipes or cleanup supplies
- Blanket, toy, or comfort item
- Emergency contact who can help with pets
- Pet-friendly lodging or shelter notes
- Backup leash or slip lead