Sometimes you may have to go into hospital at very short notice and it might not be possible to make arrangements for your pets to be looked after. You can plan for an emergency however, in case one should ever happen. It may be possible to register with a scheme that holds names of nominated relatives or friends who have agreed to look after your pet if an emergency occurs and you are unable to do it yourself. When you have registered, which may involve a one-off fee, you will be given a card which has the contact details of the organisation that keeps your details. Once they know you are in hospital they will contact your nominated relatives or friends to make arrangements for your pet.

Alternatively you can leave contact details of relatives or friends with your solicitor and carry an emergency card which has the solicitor's details on it. The RSPCA, The Dogs Trust and Cats Protection produce cards you can use for this purpose.

It can also be a good idea to make arrangements for your pets in the event of your death. You can leave specific details about your pets in your will.

The RSPCA run a free rehoming service called Home for Life. In the event of a pet owner's death, the RSPCA will collect the pet and make sure it goes to a new, loving home. Pet owners need to leave instructions about the scheme in their will. The RSPCA can give you further advice about this service.