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Entry 950Filed under Breeding

Disaster Preparedness for Pets: What to Plan and Pack

Plan a pet-accepting destination, pack a two-week supply of food, water and medication with one month of flea, tick and heartworm preventive, and train your pet to use its carrier before an emergency.
6-minute read By Animalso Team
Disaster Preparedness for Pets: What to Plan and Pack
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A pet disaster plan has four parts: a destination that accepts your animal, a go-kit with at least two weeks of food, water and any prescribed medication, identification that still works if you are separated, and a carrier your pet already accepts. CDC’s pet kit guidance adds one month of flea, tick and heartworm preventive to the kit. Everything below explains how to build each part and how to test it before you need it.

Plan where your pet will go before you need to leave

CDC warns that pets left behind in a disaster may be lost, injured or worse, so your household evacuation plan has to include the animal from the start. Do not assume that a general evacuation shelter will take pets. CDC notes that many evacuation centers, including some Red Cross centers, do not allow pets and other animals, so verify the policy of the specific site you would use.

Plan at least two destinations so that one blocked road or full shelter does not leave you without an option. The table compares the usual choices and what to confirm for each.

Option What to confirm before you rely on it Main limitation
Pet-accepting public shelter That it accepts your species and your specific animal, and what documents it requires Acceptance is set by the local event; national guidance cannot confirm a particular site will accept your animal
Pet-friendly hotel on your likely route Its current pet policy, and whether it has a limit on animal size or number Availability can disappear quickly during a regional evacuation
Friends or relatives outside the hazard area That they agree in advance and can house your animal for an unknown period Depends on their own location and their willingness to take animals
Veterinary clinic or boarding facility Whether it is open during the incident and whether it will board animals you did not bring in before the event Clinics and boarding facilities may be closed or at capacity
Trusted neighbor as backup caregiver That they can collect the animal, know where your kit is, and can get into your home if you are absent Only useful if they are reachable and not also evacuating

Contact your local emergency management office to ask which accommodations and transportation options are available in your area. Local arrangements vary, and you should follow the directions of local officials during an incident. CDC’s overview page is a good starting point: CDC, “Be Prepared: Pet Safety in Emergencies”.

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If you end up in a shared evacuation center

CDC’s guidance on evacuation centers describes real health and safety concerns in shared spaces. Stressed animals can be more likely to bite or scratch, and close contact can carry risks of illness or injury. Keep your animal under control at all times, use a leash, carrier or crate as appropriate, and follow the shelter’s hygiene procedures. Source: CDC, “Pets in Evacuation Centers” (dated January 30, 2025).

Assemble the pet go-kit

CDC recommends asking your veterinarian to help you assemble the kit. Keep it packed and ready to take, store food in waterproof containers, and check and rotate supplies on a regular schedule. The items below come from CDC’s pet kit checklist, dated April 9, 2024: CDC, “Build a Pet Disaster Preparedness Kit”.

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Documents and identification

  • Photocopies of veterinary records, including the rabies certificate, vaccination history, medical summary, prescriptions and relevant test results
  • Proof of ownership or adoption
  • A written description: name, breed, sex, color and weight
  • Recent photographs of the animal
  • Microchip number and the registry’s contact information
  • Owner and alternate-contact details, plus boarding instructions
  • All of the above in a waterproof document container

Put owner and pet contact details on the carrier itself. Keep digital copies as a backup, but keep a paper set as well, because phone power or service may not be available when you need the information.

Food, water and medication

  • A two-week supply of each animal’s food, in waterproof storage
  • A two-week supply of water
  • Non-spill bowls
  • A manual can opener, if any of the food is canned
  • Written feeding instructions
  • A two-week supply of any prescribed medication, with written instructions
  • One month of flea, tick and heartworm preventive

The two-week figure appears in both CDC’s pet kit checklist (April 9, 2024) and its guidance for chemical emergencies, “Pets: Preparing for a Chemical Emergency” (dated June 10, 2026). Those are checklist recommendations rather than measured figures for any particular event. Do not change a prescribed treatment based on a checklist. Ask your veterinarian how to handle medication storage, refills and missed doses for your animal.

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Transport, comfort and cleanup

  • Leash, collar with current identification, and harness
  • An appropriately sized carrier or crate, with familiar bedding, a blanket or a towel
  • Toys that your pet already uses, to reduce stress
  • A pet first-aid book and a pet first-aid kit
  • Paper towels, plastic bags and disinfectant
  • For cats: litter and a litterbox. The chemical-emergency guidance mentions a scoopable litter and disposable pans as possible substitutes.
  • For dogs: waste bags

Choose equipment for your species and your animal’s size. A carrier that fits a small cat is not suitable for a medium dog, and the reverse is also true.

Train your pet to use the carrier before an emergency

CDC’s chemical-emergency guidance gives a direct instruction: “Get a carrier or crate for your pet and train your pet to travel and sleep in it.” (CDC, “Pets: Preparing for a Chemical Emergency” (2026).) A carrier that the animal already accepts is far easier to use in a crisis than one it has never seen.

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  1. Set the carrier out in a room your pet uses every day, with the door open and familiar bedding inside.
  2. Feed meals near it, then inside it, and gradually close the door for short periods while you stay in the room.
  3. Practice carrying the animal to the vehicle, placing it in the seat or cargo area you plan to use, and securing the carrier.
  4. Take short drives to a destination on your evacuation route, then lengthen the trips.
  5. Run a household drill: everyone should know who collects the animal, where the kit is stored, and which destination you are heading to.
  6. Identify where your frightened animal tends to hide, and plan how you would safely catch and contain it.
  7. Check the kit every few months, replace expired items, and rotate food and medication so nothing is out of date when you need it.
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Keep identification working if you are separated

A collar with a tag showing current contact details should stay on the animal at all times. Register its microchip with the manufacturer and update the contact information whenever you move or change phone numbers. A microchip helps only if the registry has current owner details. CDC notes that shelters can scan a found pet and use the registered information to contact its owner. Keep the chip number with the kit records, and keep recent photographs on your phone as well as in the document pack.

Adjust the plan for your species and your individual animal

CDC’s kit list specifically refers to dogs and cats, and its chemical-emergency guidance says it is mostly about dogs and cats. If you own birds, reptiles, horses, livestock, rodents or other animals, do not assume that the dog and cat carrier, food and shelter advice transfers directly. Seek species-specific advice from your veterinarian and from relevant animal-response authorities in your area.

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Even for dogs and cats, tailor the list to the individual. Ask your veterinarian about medical records, long-term medications and any special needs the animal has, such as mobility limits, anxiety or a condition that requires a particular diet. Record those needs on the written description in the document pack so a shelter or caregiver can read them without you present.

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