Pet Emergency Kit Checklist for Wildfire Season
When people think about emergency kits, they often focus on themselves first and only later realize they have not planned for their pet. During wildfire season, that matters because conditions can change quickly. If you need to leave home, you do not want to be searching for a carrier, food, records, or medication at the last minute.
Before you build your kit, make a plan of where your pet is going to stay and think about the needs for your entire household. This means deciding:
- Where your pet will go if you need to leave
- Who can help if you are not home
- How your pet will be transported
- What records or medications you may need to bring
If your pet is stressed easily, it also helps to think about what will make them easier to move, such as a familiar blanket, carrier, or leash stored in one place.
What to pack in a pet emergency kit
Make sure yo keep your pet essentials grouped together in a small bin, pouch, or bag that can be added to you main household kit. You should include:
- Food for several days
- Bottled water
- Collapsible bowl
- Leash, harness, or carrier
- Waste bags or litter supplies
- Medications
- Vaccination or vet records
- ID and contact information
- Recent photo of you and your pet
- Comfort item like a toy or blanket
Keep records with your go-bag documents including:
- Vaccination records
- Vet contact details
- Medication list
- Microchip information
- A current photo of your pet and a photo of you and your pet
These make it easy to confirm ownership, continue medications, or provide information if you have to stay somewhere temporarily.
When it's smoky, you want to take precautions for your pet like you do for the people in your household, including:
- Keeping your pet indoors more often when smoke is heavy
- Having enough food and medications at home
- Making sure the carrier is accessible
- Keeping the pet kit near the main emergency exit
Make sure to avoid common mistakes in pet prep such as keeping the carrier stored deep in a closet, not having medication, not having vet and vaccination records, no plan for where your pet will stay and assuming there will be time to gather everything later.
A pet emergency kit is one of the easiest ways to make wildfire season prep more complete, and thinking through food, records, transport, and temporary shelter ahead of time can save you a lot of last-minute scrambling.
