What do I do when I can't keep my pet, or it needs a vet at night?

Two pages in this library are about the same animal on two different days. Find the vet that is open at night before your pet needs one is about the night you cannot wait, and the small jobs that take the searching out of it. Ask a shelter or rescue for help before you give your pet away free is about the day you cannot keep it, and who to ask before you advertise. Both are for dogs and cats, mostly, in the US and the UK. The night-vet page carries the emergency lines, so it comes first.

If your pet is hurt or ill right now, stop reading and call your own vet or the nearest emergency vet. The ASPCA, a US animal charity, lists these signs that emergency care is needed: pale gums, rapid breathing, weak or rapid pulse, change in body temperature, difficulty standing, apparent paralysis, loss of consciousness, seizures and excessive bleeding. The list is not complete. In the UK, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), the vets’ regulator, says emergency services will help you understand how urgent your animal’s condition is. The ASPCA says a badly hurt pet may act aggressively toward its owner, so protect yourself from injury first. For a cat, it says to gently place a blanket or towel over the cat’s head to prevent biting, then slowly lift the cat into an open-topped carrier or box, supporting its head and avoiding twisting its neck in case of a spinal injury. If your pet may have swallowed something poisonous, call your vet or an animal poison line now, before you try any home remedy. In the US, the ASPCA poison line is (888) 426-4435 and its page says a consultation fee may apply; the Pet Poison Helpline, (855) 764-7661, also answers at any hour and charges an $89 fee per incident. If there is a fire, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a US fire safety body, says to get out and stay out, to never go back inside for people, pets or things, and to tell firefighters right away if pets are trapped. In the UK, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service says not to stop to grab valuables or pets, to call 999 once you are out, and never to go back inside. Call 911 in the US or 999 in the UK.

On an ordinary day, find out which vet near you is open at night and save its number and address in your phone, and write down who would look after your pet if you were in hospital or could not act. A regular vet is not always open at night. In the UK, the RCVS says every vet practice must provide 24-hour emergency first aid and pain relief, and that this is a legal requirement. It says the way a practice does it can differ: a 24-hour service at the practice, a shared arrangement with other local practices, a dedicated emergency clinic, or online services working with local practices. It tells owners to ask their practice who provides its out-of-hours service and how to reach them, to save the emergency number in their phone, and to note the address. In the US, the ASPCA says to talk to your vet about an emergency protocol: does your vet provide 24-hour service, or work with an emergency clinic in the area? It says to keep the name, number and address of your local emergency clinic on the refrigerator or in your phone. Some people say a 24-hour practice is rare outside very large cities; the page could not check how common one is in the US. One person says that ringing your own vet’s number after hours can give a recorded message that names the emergency backup. The RCVS says to plan how you will get your animal there, especially at night, because you are usually responsible for transport, and to keep your pet’s microchip and insurance details ready. The ASPCA says to ask a friend or family member to call the clinic so the staff knows to expect you and your pet. If you have a bird, a reptile or another animal that is not a dog or cat, some people say a general emergency hospital may not have the knowledge, and to find out ahead of time who does.

On cost, the RCVS says emergency care usually costs more than routine treatment, because of the expense of 24-hour cover. It says practices cannot refuse emergency first aid and pain relief, but can discuss costs and may ask for payment at the time of treatment, that if cost is a worry you should speak to the practice team, who may offer payment plans or discuss prioritising the most essential treatment, and that any talk about costs should not delay first aid or pain relief. In the US, the AVMA says many clinics offer payment plans, deferred payments and financing, that not all can, and that it is always worth asking; nonprofit and low-cost clinics mostly do preventive care and may have limited capacity for emergencies. One person says a clinic would not treat their pet when they were short of the estimate, even though their pay was coming the next day. The page cannot say what your clinic will do; one way to find out is to ask now, while nothing is wrong, how and when it takes payment.

Keep a carrier where you can reach it. The NFPA says to include pets in your home escape plan by keeping a leash or carrier with you where you sleep or next to the exit door. Ready.gov says to leave the carrier out in places your pet visits, to leave it open, to feed treats near it, and to put a favourite blanket inside so it smells familiar. If you have no carrier, people disagree: some say a pillowcase can be a backup for a cat in an immediate danger such as a fire or tornado, not for routine trips, and one person warns it can cause a fatal stress response in some cats. The page could not check a pillowcase with a vet or an animal charity, so treat it as a last resort. If you are going into hospital and need only a short stay for your pet, the RSPCA says it cannot board animals temporarily, so ask other organisations. For who would look after your pet, Ready.gov says to make a buddy system with neighbours, friends or relatives. The ASPCA says a pet alert card in your wallet tells authorities that you have a pet at home and lists two emergency contacts, and that the person who would step in during an emergency does not have to be the person who would take your animals permanently; it says “Don’t assume!” and to check in with your chosen caregivers now and then. On wills, the ASPCA recommends a will provision only together with an informal plan with your caregiver, and says a letter of instruction is generally not legally binding; the page cannot say what a will, trust or letter does where you live. In the US, LawHelp.org can point you to legal help; in England, Citizens Advice is on 0800 144 8848, in Wales 0800 702 2020 and in Scotland 0800 028 1456, and in Northern Ireland Advice NI is on 0800 915 4604. If officials ask you to evacuate, Ready.gov says your pet should evacuate too, that many public shelters and hotels do not allow pets, and to know a safe place you can take them before anything happens. In the UK, Blue Cross, an animal charity, says its Pet Peace of Mind service aims to find a loving new home for your pet if you die before it; registering is free, and an application can be rejected.

Before you give your pet away for free, ask a shelter or rescue what help they have: some can help you keep your pet, and some can take it or help you find it a safe home. Having to give up a pet is a hard thing. Blue Cross says on its page for people in this position that it never judges anyone for making the responsible decision to give up their pet. A shelter or rescue is a charity or local-government service that takes in animals and finds them homes. The RSPCA, a UK animal charity, says giving up a pet should be your last resort. Humane World for Animals, a US animal charity, says many challenges are temporary, and that local organisations may be able to help you and your pet stay together; it says to contact a local pet rescue or dial 211, and that help can include pet-friendly housing, low-cost vet care and food banks that supply pet food.

Food: in the US, Humane World for Animals says its Pet Help Finder lists pet food pantries, and that some human food pantries also give pet food, so call ahead; the US Department of Agriculture says SNAP cannot be used to buy pet food. In the UK, Blue Cross says it provides pet food banks, animal hospitals for low-cost vet care, and free advice on caring for a pet on a budget. Vet bills: in the US, Humane World for Animals says to ask your vet about a weekly or monthly payment plan, which clients in good standing may get but which is not guaranteed, and that nearby veterinary colleges may have emergency help or low-cost clinics for people with limited income. In the UK, PDSA gives free or low-cost vet treatment to owners who get certain benefits and live near one of its pet hospitals or practices, and says it cannot give money. Behaviour: the RSPCA says to have a vet rule out illness or injury first, then to see a clinical animal behaviourist, and that Dogs Trust runs a free behaviour support line. Housing: in England, Shelter says that since 1 May 2026 a private tenant can ask in writing to keep a pet, with a description of the pet, and the landlord has to reply in writing, normally within 28 days. The landlord can still refuse for a reasonable reason, the new rules do not cover social tenants, and legal aid is not available if a court is asked to order the landlord to allow the pet. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own housing law. In the US, one person says a no-pets clause may be void or unenforceable in some places. Before you decide, ask a tenants’ rights group or legal aid: 211 can name one in the US, and Shelter or Citizens Advice can in the UK.

If you cannot keep it, Humane World for Animals says you may be able to surrender your pet to a local shelter or rescue as a last resort, that each has a different process, so check its website or call ahead, and to check with the shelter, rescue or breeder you got your pet from, because some require the pet to come back to them. In the UK, Blue Cross asks you to call its pet admissions team on 0300 777 1960 and follow the options for “give up a pet”. It says its space is limited and goes first to pets most in need, and if it cannot help, it will give advice on what to do next. The RSPCA says each charity has its own procedures, and that once you sign a pet over, you have no right to get it back. If your pet is older or has a health or behaviour problem, tell the shelter or rescue the whole of it. Humane World for Animals says to be open about your pet’s personality, likes and dislikes, and any medical or behaviour issues.

If you rehome it yourself, GOV.UK says it is against the law in the UK to sell, give away or abandon a banned type of dog: a Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro or XL Bully, and in England and Wales rehoming organisations should not rehome an XL Bully. If you have a banned type of dog you cannot keep, ask your vet or your local police; Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own XL Bully rules. Humane World for Animals says to start with family and friends, to have the pet vaccinated and checked by a vet, and to advertise through your vet, your workplace and your community with a good photo and an honest description. People disagree on a fee: some say a small fee puts off people who want a free animal for a bad reason, some say careful questions to the new owner work better, and one person warns a fee will not stop someone determined to deceive you. The page cannot say how often a free advert goes wrong, and gives no interview questions; a shelter or rescue does the screening for you.

Do not leave a pet outside a shelter, or on a road or in the countryside. Blue Cross says that abandoning an animal outside its site unattended, especially when it is closed, could put the animal at risk, and that if you need to give up a pet urgently you should speak to one of its team on site. Some people warn that a pet left in the countryside is likely to die of cold, be shot or go wild, because a pet cannot look after itself outdoors. If your pet is hurt or ill, see a vet first: the RSPCA says a vet should rule out illness or injury before you decide a behaviour problem is why you must give the pet up. If your pet has bitten someone or is unsafe around people, do not rehome it through an advert: ask a shelter or rescue, and tell them plainly. If it bit someone recently, call your vet first, and in the US your local animal control, because local rules may say what has to happen to the pet.

If you need to leave home to get away from someone who is hurting you, the RSPCA says a number of charities offer to foster pets for people escaping an abusive relationship. In the US, the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233, or text START to 88788) can help you plan, at any hour. In the UK, the 24-hour helplines are the National Domestic Abuse Helpline in England (0808 2000 247), Live Fear Free in Wales (0808 80 10 800), Scotland’s Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline (0800 027 1234) and the Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline in Northern Ireland (0808 802 1414). If you are in danger now, call 911 in the US or 999 in the UK.

Who this is not for. If your pet is hurt or ill now, this answer is not the tool: use the safety lines and ring a vet. If you found a pet, or someone left one with you, the shelter page is about owners, not finders; a shelter or vet can help you find the owner. If you are choosing between buying and adopting, neither page weighs that. If you cannot afford emergency care at all, this answer cannot fix that, but the AVMA and RCVS lines say to ask early. If you have no car, the RCVS says you are usually responsible for transport, and the page does not cover how to move a pet without one. Neither page covers horses or farm animals. The night-vet page is for dogs, cats and other small pets, and on birds and reptiles it says only to find out ahead of time who treats them; the shelter page is about dogs and cats and does not cover reptiles or birds, the RSPCA names its own routes for rabbits and small pets, and Blue Cross has a team for horses. If giving up your pet feels like more than you can carry, a call can help: in the US, call or text 988, any hour; in the UK, call Samaritans on 116 123, any hour. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911 in the US or 999 in the UK.