Family safety7 min read
Pet emergency go-bag: what to pack before you need it
A pet evacuation gives you 60 seconds, not 60 minutes. A bag packed in advance, refreshed twice a year, and stored where you can grab it without thinking is the whole game.
The Driyu team
Pet safety editorial
Quick answer: Pack at least 3 days of food and water per pet, current records (rabies, vaccines, microchip, photo), leash/harness/carrier, medications, comfort item, basic first-aid supplies, and your two emergency contacts. Store near the exit. Refresh twice a year. Per FEMA and Ready.gov, the immediate kit is for 72 hours; a separate shelter-in-place supply targets 2 weeks.
Pet evacuations are stressful for everyone. The pre-packed bag removes most of the decisions from the moment that decisions are hardest to make. Households with disaster experience consistently say the same thing: pre-packing made the difference. The good news is the bag is small and the work is one-time.
Food and water
- 3 days of the food your pet eats (in waterproof packaging).
- Manual can opener if you pack canned food.
- 3 days of water — roughly 1 oz per pound of pet per day plus extra.
- Foldable food bowl and water bowl.
- Treats your pet recognizes — useful for stress eating and capture if they bolt.
Containment and walking
- Leash — sturdy, not retractable.
- Harness fitted to current size.
- Crate or carrier for cats and small dogs.
- For larger dogs: a slip lead in case the regular collar fails.
- Spare collar with current ID tag.
Records pouch
- Rabies certificate (paper original).
- Vaccine summary.
- Microchip number plus registry account info.
- Current photo of each pet (within last 6 months).
- Medication list with doses and timing.
- Two emergency contacts (phone numbers).
- Vet phone and emergency clinic phone.
Keep paper originals in a waterproof zip pouch. A digital copy in a profile you can pull up on your phone is the backup.
Medications and first aid
- At least one week of any current medications in original packaging.
- Basic first-aid: gauze, vet wrap, blunt scissors, tweezers, small flashlight.
- Disposable gloves.
- Towel or small blanket.
- Pet-safe wipes for cleaning paws or messes.
Comfort and behavior
- A familiar blanket or piece of clothing with your scent.
- One favorite toy.
- For cats: a small bag of familiar litter and a foldable litter pan.
- For anxious pets: discuss with your vet beforehand whether anti-anxiety medication should be in the bag.
Sanitation
- Poop bags — many.
- Trash bags.
- Paper towels.
- Hand sanitizer.
Storage and refresh
Store the bag near your household exit or human go-bag — not in a basement or attic. Refresh twice a year, anchored to daylight-saving-time shifts. At each refresh: rotate food and water, replace medications nearing expiration, update the photo if your pet has changed, and reconfirm emergency contacts are still reachable.
Where Driyu fits, honestly
A Driyu profile is the digital twin of the records pouch. Photo, contacts, medications, microchip, vet info — one tap on your phone, even if the paper pouch gets wet or lost. The QR tag on the collar is the layer that closes the gap if the pet escapes during evacuation chaos. For the broader evacuation plan, see pet evacuation: a calm plan for wildfires, hurricanes, and floods.
Sources and further reading
- Ready.gov — Prepare your pets. Federal owner-facing emergency preparedness guidance. ready.gov
- FEMA — Pet preparedness. Federal emergency-management guidance for pet owners. fema.gov
- AVMA — Disasters and pets. Veterinary-side preparedness resources. avma.org
- ASPCA — Disaster preparedness. Owner-facing checklists and planning. aspca.org
