72 Hour Kits for Family Pets

Regardless of what you think about Crazy Cat Ladies, if you own a pet, (even if it's just an outdoor cat that occasionally comes home for a meal,) in order to be a responsible pet owner, you need to make provisions for your pets in the event of an emergency where you may have to leave your home.

Just as your kit should include essential items that would sustain and keep you comfortable for 72 hours, or three days, so too, your pets need this. And they can’t do it for themselves! I prepared emergency kits for both my dogs using guidelines created by the ASPCA after Hurricane Katrina. You may remember after the hurricane hit, many pets were either abandoned or had to be left at animal shelters because most of the time, public shelters will not allow pets. Animal shelters, however, will not take pets that do not have clear record of vaccination and most of us do not have these readily on hand.

The following items and information are recommended by the ASPCA as essential items to include in your pet’s emergency kit. This list is specific for a dog. As always, tailor this list to your individual pet and circumstance.

72 Hour Kit for a Family Pet

• Animal Transport Crate
• 1-Gallon Drinking Water
• 9 cups dry dog food (1 cup/3x a day)
• 1 or 2 cans wet dog food
• Small bag of treats
• Extra Collar
• Extra Leash
• Cloth Muzzle
• Tie-out and cable or long chain
• Dish for food/water
• Favorite toy or chew
• Paper towels or Lysol wipes
• 10-12 extra plastic bags for cleaning up
• Small hand trowel for cleaning up
• Copies of license, shots, vet records

I created the following document which I laminated and included in the dog’s kit. I made one for both my dogs. I also shrank it down and laminated it, and have included zip ties in order to attach it to their crates. Those two copies are in the dog’s kits. I have black & white copies of both in my emergency kit. In the event that we could be separated in an emergency, they are clearly marked as being owned by me, and when I go to pick them up, I have documentation that I own them. Again, this was recommended by the ASPCA.

Happy Homemaking!