Planning a Pet Care Backup Plan for Severe Weather

1. Put pets at the centre of the household plan

A pet is part of the household emergency plan—not an item to arrange after an evacuation begins. A pet emergency plan for severe weather in Canada should account for wildfire smoke, floods, severe thunderstorms, winter storms, extreme cold, and other local emergencies. Planning ahead gives you time to identify where your pet can go, gather supplies, and decide who does what.

Aim to support at least 72 hours of sheltering in place or evacuation. Your plan should cover temporary care, supplies, identification, transport, official alerts, communication, and the possibility that local services or accommodations may not be available.

2. Map hazards, routes, and decision points

Begin with a local hazard and household-risk assessment. The best route, meeting place, and backup caregiver will depend on where you live and the event affecting your area. Include a plan for situations in which household members are separated or normal phone service is disrupted.

Monitor official alerts. For severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, incorporate official weather information and alerts into your plan. When lightning or thunder is present, plan to move people and pets inside a building or vehicle with the windows closed. Keep your pet’s carrier, leash, or harness close to an exit so action is not delayed while searching for equipment.

• List the hazards most relevant to your municipality and region.
• Consider whether anyone in the household may be away, have mobility needs, or be unable to return home quickly.
• Choose a shelter-in-place trigger and an evacuation trigger based on official local information.
• Write down meeting places, evacuation routes, and an out-of-town contact if local communications fail.

3. Build a network of backup care

Identify multiple evacuation or temporary-care options. Treat having at least two options as a household planning recommendation, not a universal requirement. Do not assume that a pet-friendly shelter, hotel, boarding facility, or emergency foster service will be available everywhere in Canada. Availability and rules can vary by municipality, province, territory, facility, and event.

Contact intended accommodations before an emergency. Confirm that they accept animals and ask what conditions apply during an evacuation. Record names, phone numbers, addresses, and requirements, then check these arrangements whenever your plan is reviewed because policies and availability can change.

• Pet-friendly hotels or other temporary accommodations.
• Boarding facilities and veterinary clinics.
• Shelters where applicable.
• Family, friends, or neighbours who can provide temporary care.
• A trusted caregiver with home access, when appropriate.

4. Prepare a portable 72-hour pet kit

Keep the kit portable and easy to take with you. The contents should match your animal’s species and circumstances. Carrier, temperature-control, food, water, and handling requirements differ for birds, reptiles, rabbits, livestock, aquatic pets, and other animals, so avoid treating one checklist as universal.

Store supplies where they are easy to reach and check them regularly. Review expiry dates, replace used items, and adjust for seasonal needs. Keep a household emergency kit alongside the pet kit, including relevant communication and power supplies.

• Food and water for at least 72 hours.
• Medications and relevant care supplies.
• Sanitation supplies, such as litter or newspaper where suitable.
• A carrier or crate.
• A leash or harness, where suitable for the animal.
• A pet first-aid kit and species-appropriate comfort items, such as treats or toys.
• A portable grab-and-go bag.

5. Make identification and records easy to use

Make records accessible in both the pet kit and another practical location. Recent photographs can help identify an animal if you become separated. Include your pet’s name, your contact information, the caregiver’s contact information, and the location of carriers and supplies.

If a neighbour, friend, or caregiver may enter your home, arrange access in advance when appropriate. Tell that person where to find the emergency kit and transport equipment, and share the household’s communication plan.

• Permanent identification or microchipping information.
• Recent photographs of your pet.
• Medical and vaccination records.
• Licence information, where applicable.
• Medication details and veterinary contact information.
• Emergency contacts, including your out-of-town contact.
• Written instructions for a backup caregiver.

6. Plan safe transport

Transport planning should account for the animal’s species and the conditions expected during the event. Think through where each pet will be placed, who will carry or handle them, and how the equipment will be found quickly.

During volatile weather, bring pets indoors. If an evacuation is ordered or becomes necessary, use the planned carrier, crate, leash, or harness and avoid relying on an improvised arrangement.

• Keep carriers and crates readily accessible.
• Keep leashes and harnesses with the emergency supplies, where suitable.
• Use secure containment appropriate for the animal.
• Plan how the animal will be kept safe during loading, travel, and arrival.
• Keep pets leashed or in carriers until safely contained during an evacuation.

7. Plan communication and household roles

Assign responsibilities before an emergency. One person might collect the pet kit while another contacts the temporary-care option. Decide how the household will confirm that everyone, including pets, is accounted for.

Share the plan and practise it. Include instructions for a trusted neighbour or friend who may need to enter the home. Recheck phone numbers, routes, meeting places, and accommodation policies when the plan is reviewed.

• Assign household roles: who collects pets, supplies, records, and household members.
• Choose a local meeting place and an out-of-town contact.
• Agree on a communication method if local communications fail.
• Share the written plan with household members and backup caregivers.
• Keep official alert sources available, including the weather information used by your household.

8. Adapt the plan to the hazard

Use the same core plan, then adjust it for the local hazard and season. Avoid relying on assumptions about shelter availability, travel, or animal needs. For animal-specific concerns—especially during wildfire smoke or when an animal has a respiratory or other health condition—consult a veterinarian.

• Wildfire smoke: include official information in your decisions and consult a veterinarian about concerns involving smoke or an animal with respiratory or other health conditions.
• Flooding: identify routes and temporary care that do not depend on an area likely to be affected, and keep transport equipment ready.
• Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes: monitor official alerts and include an indoor shelter-in-place plan for people and pets.
• Winter storms and extreme cold: review seasonal supplies, transport arrangements, and temperature-related planning for your animal.
• Other emergencies: reassess routes, communication, temporary care, and species-specific supplies.

9. Practise, review, and update

Practise the plan with your animals and household. Review it when household members, routines, local hazards, seasons, supplies, routes, contacts, or accommodation arrangements change. Check expiry dates and replace used supplies.

• Practise loading, moving, and securing your pet calmly.
• Confirm that temporary-care options still accept animals.
• Check that records, medications, and contact information are accessible.
• Review routes, meeting places, official alert sources, and household roles.

Printable pet emergency checklist

Use this checklist to document your plan and identify missing equipment or information.

• Hazards and official alert sources reviewed.
• Shelter-in-place and evacuation triggers written down.
• Routes and meeting places selected.
• Out-of-town contact and household roles assigned.
• At least two temporary-care options confirmed.
• Trusted caregiver and home access arranged, when appropriate.
• 72-hour food, water, medications, sanitation supplies, and comfort items packed.
• Carrier or crate accessible and suitable for the animal’s species and circumstances within the household plan.