Planning for pet care during unexpected absence

A survey by the National Animal Welfare Trust (NAWT) has found that just one in five pet owners have made plans for their pets' care in the event of an emergency.

In response, the charity has launched a campaign called Tails of the Unexpected, which is hoped to encourage pet owners to make contingency plans for such an eventuality.

The campaign will be aimed at the 80 per cent of owners who were found to have no such plan in place, particularly those with cats.
 
Despite the survey finding cats to be the most popular pet, it also revealed that just 18 per cent of their owners had made emergency arrangements for them. This figure compared with 28 per cent of dogs owners.

NAWT chief executive officer Clare Williams said: "Thinking about care for a pet in times of emergency is something many pet owners only consider in passing.

"Our new campaign aims to help people take the process one step further."

The campaign includes an online guide to take owners through the planning process, along with a set of pet lifestyle and care forms for owners to complete and keep safe with other important pet records.

"People want peace of mind knowing that their pet is in safe hands and that their routine is disrupted as little as possible while their owner is unexpectedly absent," explained Ms Williams.

"This is what our information pack will help with."

Image courtesy of NAWT