Your Emergency need not become an Emergency for Your Pet

Anyone with a pet will tell you that Fido and Fluffy is as much a part of the family as their human counterparts. With 36.5% of American households having a dog, and just over 30% with cats, never mind birds, critters, reptiles and other furry friends, pet ownership has never been more common.

When you go on holidays, chances are you assign a loved one, trusted friend, neighbor, or pet sitter to take care of your pet while you’re away. Alternatively, you might send them to a boarding kennel.

Whether it’s providing food and water, taking them on walks, or administering medication, your pets are reliant on their caretakers. But what if the unexpected happens?
For example, what if you’re delayed? Or worse, incapacitated? Same goes for your caretaker – what if something happens to them while you’re gone?

Understand the Risks

Pets without access to food and water can be quickly impacted, with potentially serious side effects. For example, dogs should be drinking 50 to 60 ml of water per kilogram of body weight. A healthy pooch (or any animal) will struggle to survive longer than a few days without access to water. While a missed meal is okay for most pets, some species (like certain types of rodents) or pets with additional medical concerns (like diabetes) that miss a meal could be at a heightened risk for health issues, including starvation.
Don’t forget the impact of neglect on your pet’s psyche – and potentially your home. An animal that’s used to be let out of its kennel may physically harm themselves trying to ‘escape’. Dogs that are usually let outside to go to the bathroom, or cats that will only relieve themselves in a clean litterbox, may start going to the bathroom around the house. These are just a few ways that failure to care for your pets could lead to long-term, negative impacts.

Stay in Contact

At a minimum, if you’re going away, set up a communication schedule with whoever is looking after your pet. You can ask them to send you a daily text, email, or photo to keep you in the loop of any happenings (and remind you of how cute your pet is!) In return, send a quick response or thank you. This type of daily communication may signal that something is up if one of you misses an update.

Automate Emergency Alerts

Staying in contact with your pet care provider is one way to stay on top of what’s happening at home – but it’s not necessarily foolproof. Perhaps your friend or sitter is running a little late. Maybe you don’t have cell service where you are to respond to them. The truth is, this method has plenty of room for error and annoyances, especially if one party is worried that the other isn’t okay.

A better solution is to have something on you (or your pet care provider) that helps first responders identify you have a dependent pet. While it likely won’t be the first call that’s made, you can have peace of mind knowing your beloved pets are being looked after if you’re unable to do so. UberID® allows you to input information for any caregivers, including for pets. In the event of an incident, these people will actually receive automatic notifications, ensuring they’ll know to extend the care of your pet as required.

This is particularly important if you live alone. While a helpful neighbor may realize your pet needs help, this can hardly be relied on. If the worst happens, ensure your loved ones and caretakers are kept updated to help save the lives of your cherished animals.