Pet Emergency Contact Card: What to Include and Why It Matters

If something happens to you while you are out with your pet, someone nearby will need to know there is an animal at home. If your pet has a medical emergency, you need vet and out-of-hours clinic details immediately — not after scrolling through your phone. A laminated card takes five minutes to make and works even when your battery is dead.

What to Include

• Pet's name, breed, and any medical conditions
• Primary vet — name, phone, address
• Nearest 24-hour emergency clinic — phone and address
• Emergency contact (not you) — someone who can care for the pet if you are unable to
• Microchip number
• Any critical medications or allergies
• Your phone number as backup

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Only keeping this information on your phone (dead battery, locked screen)
• Not including the emergency clinic address — most people know their vet but not the nearest 24-hour clinic
• Not updating it after moving or changing vets
• Not having a named emergency contact who actually knows about the pet

Frequently Asked Questions