Ready North / Blog / Who feeds the pets if you cannot get home? Build a buddy system
Who feeds the pets if you cannot get home? Build a buddy system
By the Editorial team · Published Oct 20, 2026 · General information, not veterinary advice, and not reviewed by a licensed veterinarian. About and sources
A nor’easter can close roads while you are at work. Ready.gov’s pet guidance includes a step many people skip: a buddy.
What Ready.gov says
Ready.gov says to develop a buddy system: plan with neighbors, friends or relatives so someone is available to care for or evacuate your pets if you cannot. It also says to have your pet microchipped, keep your address and phone number current, and include an emergency contact outside your immediate area.
Know where you can go
Ready.gov says many public shelters and hotels do not allow pets, so you should know a safe place to take your pets before an emergency. If officials ask you to evacuate, your pet should evacuate too.
What your buddy needs (our suggestion)
A key or access plan, and the pet’s name, age and feeding routine.
Your vet’s name and number, and your emergency contact.
A list of medications, with doses and times, written by you or your vet.
The location of the kit.
Keep the kit fresh
Ready.gov says to keep two kits, a larger one for sheltering in place and a lightweight one for evacuating, and to review them regularly so food and medicine stay fresh.
Have a plan before the emergencyPawLine gives calm triage and first-aid steps, helps you find nearby vet clinics, and keeps your pet’s profile and notes ready to share.Be ready before it is an emergency. Free to download. Try it free, no payment info needed, then decide after the trial.What is PawLine? An AI-powered pet health app whose answers draw on published veterinary research, including sources like PubMed. Ask health questions any hour, get emergency triage and first-aid steps, set medication reminders, keep a profile and daily notes for each pet and email them to your vet, and find nearby vets. Try it free for 30 days with no payment info needed; after the trial, continued access is an in-app purchase (weekly or yearly). Guidance only, not a diagnosis.
