Updated
Prepare supplies for several days, keep current records and contacts accessible, and make sure your household knows where the bag lives.
In this guide
Get the free emergency-kit checklist
Use this two-page printable to check supplies, write down contacts and note what to collect at departure. Keep one copy in the bag and share the plan with your backup caregiver.
Download the free checklist (PDF)
No email required. Print on US Letter paper. Fill in quantities for your dog and local emergency plan.
Five easy-to-forget essentials
- A recent photo and ID details. Keep an offline copy and the microchip registry contact in case you need help identifying your dog.
- A waterproof records pouch. Put important health records and ownership information together so they can travel with you.
- Written medication instructions. Someone else should be able to find the vet's directions without guessing. Keep medicines labeled and ask your vet about storage and transport.
- A backup caregiver contact. Agree who can collect your dog if you cannot get home, including how they will reach the supplies.
- A familiar comfort item. Choose something your dog already uses safely, such as a small blanket. It complements the essential supplies.
These are additions to food, drinking water, bowls and secure transport equipment, not a complete kit on their own.
Source: CDC: pet disaster preparedness kit.
Start with the essentials
- Food, drinking water and bowls for several days.
- Needed medication and copies of care instructions.
- Veterinary records, current photos and ID information.
- A secure leash, harness and suitable carrier if needed.
- Waste bags, cleanup supplies and a familiar comfort item.
- Contact details for veterinary care and a backup caregiver.
Source: Ready.gov: include pets in your emergency plan.
Ask your veterinary practice how to prepare and store medication that has special requirements. Make a separate reminder for essentials that cannot live permanently in the bag.
Choose a location you can describe in one sentence
“The labeled bag on the hall shelf” is more useful than “somewhere in the spare room.” Choose an accessible, dry location, store food and medication according to their labels, and tell everyone who might need to collect it. Avoid treating a hot car as permanent medicine or food storage.
Put a list of the contents near the top. If you borrow something for an ordinary outing, leave yourself a replacement reminder instead of assuming you will remember later.
Review it as your dog’s needs change
Check expiry dates, fit and contact information regularly, and after a change in food, medication or care arrangements. Growing puppies can outgrow equipment; an emergency bag is not a one-time purchase.
Pair the bag with clear caregiver instructions. Supplies answer “what do I need?” A care sheet answers “what do I do with it?”
Do one thing today: choose the bag’s home and add current veterinary contact details.
Copy or print this packing inventory
Download the printable above, or use your browser’s Print command to keep this inventory with the bag. Write actual quantities and dates on your copy; a checked box is useful only when the supply is still suitable.
| Pack | Record on your copy | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Food + bowls | Usual daily amount × planned days; expiry | ☐ |
| Water | Planned quantity; refill or replacement date | ☐ |
| Medication | Vet-approved supply plan; storage and expiry | ☐ |
| Records | Current health records, photo and microchip details | ☐ |
| Leash + harness + carrier | Correct fit and working fastenings | ☐ |
| Cleanup + comfort | Waste bags, towels and familiar item | ☐ |
| First-aid supplies | Contents checked with your veterinary team | ☐ |
| Contacts + destination | Owner, backup caregiver, vet and pet-friendly refuge | ☐ |
Plan quantities and last-minute items
Use your local emergency guidance and your dog’s normal needs to plan the supply period. The CDC recommends a two-week food, water and medication supply; discuss medication reserves with your veterinarian. Ready.gov distinguishes a larger shelter-in-place kit from a lightweight evacuation kit. Plan how to move your supplies rather than assuming everything will fit into one backpack. For food, multiply the usual daily amount by the number of days you are preparing for, then label portions clearly. Avoid changing diet simply to fill the bag.
Ask your veterinary practice how much medication can be set aside and how it must be stored. Do not move medicines into unmarked containers or improvise refrigeration. Put a bright note on the bag for items that must be collected at departure, such as refrigerated medicine, with their location and the vet’s transport instructions.
Find a destination that accepts your dog before an emergency. Confirm transport, any carrier requirements and a backup person who can collect your dog if you cannot get home. Practice locating the bag and securing the dog calmly.
Want one place for the rest of your care records?
The free checklist is enough to start. Reuse a bag, bowls and folder you already own if they are suitable. You do not need a branded emergency bundle.
A five-minute review you can repeat
Set an optional calendar reminder for your next supply review. Check the downloaded event in your own calendar; the website does not send alerts.
- Replace borrowed supplies and check food and medicine expiry dates.
- Check harness and carrier fit, especially for a growing puppy.
- Refresh photos, phone numbers, records and caregiver instructions.
- Make sure everyone knows the bag’s location and departure plan.
View the saveable go-bag checklist
