Pet Emergency Information Sheet

What this sheet is for

Put everything a neighbour, a sitter or an emergency responder would need onto one page and leave it where a stranger would look. It answers the questions that get asked when you are not there to be asked.

Who it is for

Every household with an animal, and particularly people who live alone or who leave animals at home during the working day.

How to use it

1. Fill in the animal, the usual vet and the out-of-hours vet — they are often not the same practice, and the second one is the one you will need at midnight.
2. Add the insurance policy number and the claims line.
3. Write the microchip number, then check the database still holds your current phone number.
4. List only people you have actually asked, and pin the sheet where it can be found — inside a cupboard door or on the fridge.

What is on the sheet

The layout is fixed at a size that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the A4 and Letter files are visually identical and print at full size on either. Rows are set at a height that an adult can actually write a date and a few words into with a pen — most printable tables are built in a word processor and never tested with one.

Questions

Is my pet's microchip enough on its own?

Only if the record attached to it is current. A chip points at a database entry, and an entry with an old phone number on it is no use to whoever scans the animal. Registration and update rules differ from country to country, so check what applies where you live.

Should I put my address on a sheet like this?

It stays inside your home, so the address is usually less sensitive than it feels. What matters more is that the phone numbers on it are right and that the people named have agreed to be named.