Safety · July 21, 2026 · 7 min read
Pet emergency kit: what CENAPRED recommends keeping ready
Emergencies leave no time to search for a leash, record, or food. Preparing a dog and cat kit reduces stress and improves family response.
CENAPRED has recommended including pet supplies in family emergency kits. In a country with earthquakes, heavy rain, fires, outages, and evacuations, including dogs and cats is part of family preparedness.
| Water | Include food, water, bowl, leash, bags, records, and medication. |
|---|---|
| First aid | Keep a recent photo and guardian data inside the kit. |
| Records | Practice securing the pet during evacuations. |
| Urgent care | Update the kit every few months to avoid expired food or old data. |
The kit should cover the first hours. It can include measured food, water, collapsible bowl, leash, harness, bags, absorbent towels, copy of records, medications, prescription if needed, veterinarian phone number, recent photo, and guardian data. Cats need an accessible carrier.
Preparation is also behavioral. If a dog never uses a leash or a cat never enters its carrier, emergencies become harder. Short practice sessions and rewards make the equipment familiar before pressure appears.
The kit should be reviewed. Expired food, outdated medication, old phone numbers, or a puppy photo of an adult dog reduce usefulness. Reviewing every few months keeps information current.
Villa CanInna recommends adding behavior notes: fear of noises, escape tendency, sociability, and stress signals. During a contingency, those details help another person support the pet safely.
A kit only works when there is also an exit plan
Divide preparation into documents, consumables, and transport. Keep waterproof copies of vaccination records, prescriptions, identification, and photos; rotate water, food, and medication before they expire; and store a leash, harness, or carrier near an accessible exit. Label each container with the animal's name, phone numbers, and feeding instructions. Supplies should fit each species and medical need rather than a generic list.
Practice a short evacuation to learn how long it takes to secure every animal and who carries each item. Choose two destinations, an out-of-area contact, and a person authorized to collect the pets if you are away. After an emergency, use a leash or carrier even when the animal normally has reliable behavior: scents, routes, and behavior can change, and stress increases escape and bite risks.
Sources consulted
Adapted from CENAPRED recommendations about pet items in a family emergency kit.
