What To Pack in Your Dog Emergency Kit: How To Prepare Your Pup for a Disaster

Everyone hopes to never live through a disaster—but it’s always good to be prepared for the worst.  

When planning ahead for potential emergencies like a fire, tornado, or hurricane, you’ll want to keep your four-legged family members in mind too. That way, you’ll have what you need to manage the unexpected—whether you need to evacuate quickly, treat a minor injury, or find your dog after getting separated.  

Here, we’ll break down how to build a pet disaster preparedness kit so you can rest assured you and your dog are ready for whatever comes your way.  

What Is a Dog Emergency Kit?

A dog emergency kit should have everything you might need in the event of natural disasters such as tornadoes, flooding, earthquakes, wildfires, or hurricanes. That includes food and bowls, medications, first aid items, medical documents, and other supplies.  

With a well-packed kit, you can make it through a crisis knowing you have what you need to care for your pet despite the circumstances. A disaster will always be traumatic, but emergency kits can make it easier to take the next steps. 

Your pet disaster kit can also serve as a dog first aid kit, which is helpful to have on hand for more localized emergencies. Use your dog emergency kit as needed, or any time you need to treat an injury before you can get your pet to the vet. Just remember to restock anything you use up.  

Having a kit packed and ready to go is a crucial part of pet disaster preparedness. When and if the event strikes, there will be no time to delay. Creating your emergency dog kit now helps ensure the future safety of your pup.  

What To Pack in Your Dog Emergency Kit

A well-equipped dog emergency kit provides everything you might need to take care of your four-legged family members when you’re removed from your normal routine.  

Think about your regular routines and make a list of each item you use. Then, use the following list to supplement and build out a disaster kit for your dog. 

Food, Water, and Medicine 

In the event of an emergency, even fresh water could be difficult to find, and getting your dog’s medications filled may be even more challenging. Make sure you have enough dog food, water, and medications to last at least two weeks. Be sure to include the following items in your dog’s emergency kit. 

• A two-week supply of dog food 

• Dog treats 

• A two-week supply of fresh water 

• Collapsible dog bowls for food and water 

• A two-week supply of your dog’s medications and supplements 

• Printed instructions for feeding and medication 

Paperwork 

You never know what you might lose in a disaster, so it’s important to have extra copies of your pet’s paperwork. Keep copies of the following documents in a waterproof pouch: 

• Vet records: Make sure to include a medical summary, vaccination records, rabies certificate, and any medical prescriptions 

• Registration information 

• Emergency contact information: Include your contact info, as well as phone numbers to your pet’s vet and your preferred 24-hour emergency vet 

• Recent photographs of your pet: Along with a written description in the event you are separated from each other 

• Microchip information 

First Aid 

Dog first aid is a crucial part of an emergency kit in case you need to treat an injury. You can purchase pet first aid kits online or build your own. Make sure to include the following in your pet first aid kit: 

• Gauze 

• Non-stick bandages 

• Cotton balls 

• Adhesive tape 

• Tweezers 

• Scissors 

• Gloves 

• Pet-safe antimicrobial spray, wipes, or ointment  

• Pet thermometer 

• Pet-safe eye rinse  

• A magnifying glass  

• Syringes  

• A flashlight  

Other Supplies 

Your kit should include an extra of anything your dog might need in an average week. It can help to keep a running list of what you use throughout the day with your dog.

Use that list as your foundation and consult the following list of essentials to make sure you cover the basics. 

• Leash 

• Harness 

• Waste bags 

• Collar with ID 

• Favorite toys 

• Brush 

• Pet carrier or crate 

• Bedding and blanket  

How to Prepare Your Dog for a Disaster

In addition to packing an emergency kit, learn how to prep your dog for natural disaster. This includes both teaching your dog how to respond in a quick evacuation and making sure their identification is current.  

Check every three or four months to ensure your dog’s microchip and ID tags are up to date. Locate different emergency vets in your area, and keep those numbers written down as part of your emergency kit.

It can also be helpful to save digital copies of your pet’s records on your phone or in an email to yourself.  

Make sure your home is equipped with working smoke alarms and extinguishers, and have an emergency escape plan that includes your dog.

Practice this emergency drill with your pet so everyone in your family—two-legged and four-legged alike—feels ready in the event of disaster.