Find the vet that is open at night before your pet needs one

Imagine your pet is hurt late at night and your own vet is shut. Some people say that searching for an emergency vet in the middle of a crisis wastes time that matters. A few small jobs done on an ordinary day can take that search away.

Find out now 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.

This page is for someone with a dog, cat or other small pet. If your pet is hurt or ill right now, read the safety note above and ring a vet; the rest can wait.

1. Find the vet that is open at night

A regular vet is not always open at night. In the UK, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), the vets’ regulator, 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, and that smaller places rely on a shared emergency clinic or on after-hours referrals from regular vets. This page could not check how common a 24-hour practice 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. One person warns that a regular clinic may not be open on Sundays or at night, so look at the hours for nights and weekends and not only for daytime.

Three more habits help. First, 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. One person suggests keeping a binder of your pet’s vet records, so that emergency staff get an accurate history. Second, the ASPCA says to ask a friend or family member to call the clinic so the staff knows to expect you and your pet. Third, some people say to look up an emergency vet before you travel to a place you do not know, and to save the number labelled with the city.

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; for a bird, that means a vet with experience of birds. One person warns that some vets do not treat exotic animals such as reptiles, birds and small mammals. In the UK, the RCVS says a vet should not unreasonably refuse first aid and pain relief for any animal of a species the practice treats in normal working hours, and should also help other species until a suitable emergency service can take over.

2. Know what to expect at the door

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. It says 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, the American Veterinary Medical Association, says that if you can set aside a small emergency fund or buy pet insurance, it can help when you must decide fast. It says many clinics offer payment plans, deferred payments and financing, that not all can, and that it is always worth asking. It says nonprofit and low-cost clinics mostly do preventive care and may have limited capacity for emergencies, and that some veterinary schools and nonprofit organisations may help owners who can show a need.

Some people say emergency clinics ask for payment before treatment, so a card or savings should be ready. 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. This page cannot say what your clinic will do. One way to find out is to ask now, while nothing is wrong: ring your vet or the emergency clinic and ask how and when they take payment.

This page does not cover prices. The page linked below on asking a shelter or rescue for help covers low-cost vet care and pet food help. For poisoning, there is a linked page too: in the US, the ASPCA says a consultation fee may apply to a call to its poison line, so ask when you ring.

3. Keep a carrier where you can reach it

The NFPA, in its 2026 fire safety messages, 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. Some people say the same: keep the carrier out where it can be reached, not stored away. One person says to teach a pet that the carrier is a safe place, with steady practice and rewards. One person says a secondhand (thrift) shop run by an animal charity can sell donated carriers cheaply.

Ready.gov also says to make a note of where your pets hide, so you can find them quickly if you have to leave your house in a hurry. Some people say the same, and some point out that a hiding place can be dangerous in a fire, for example an attic with heat and things that burn. The NFPA says never to go back inside a burning building for a pet, so this note is for an evacuation order, a storm or a hurried departure, and for telling firefighters where a trapped pet may be.

If you have no carrier, people disagree. Some people say a pillowcase can be a backup for a cat when a carrier cannot be used quickly, and that it is for immediate dangers such as a fire or tornado, not routine trips. One person warns that it can cause a fatal stress response in some cats. Some people say a pillowcase is not suitable for a bird except in an immediate fire, and that a bird needs a cage or carrier with a perch. One person warns that a cardboard box can fail if the cat jumps out of the top. The ASPCA says that for a hurt cat you can put a blanket or towel over its head and lift it into an open-topped carrier or box. This page could not check a pillowcase with a vet or an animal charity, so treat it as a last resort, and use a proper carrier where you can.

4. Say who would look after your pet if you could not

Some people say to write down a plan, or to leave your contact details in your wallet, on your pet’s ID or in your will, so that someone knows to look after your pet if you are dead, missing or unable to act. Ready.gov says to make a buddy system: plan with neighbours, friends or relatives so that someone is available to care for or evacuate your pets if you cannot.

The ASPCA gives a fuller plan. It says a pet alert card in your wallet tells authorities that you have a pet at home and lists two emergency contacts to notify if something happens to you. It says a clearly visible emergency contact sheet in your home means that anyone who enters, including emergency services, knows that all your pets are accounted for and who to call. It says to keep a pet portfolio of your pet’s habits, medicines and vet details with your important papers, and to give copies to the people who would care for it.

The ASPCA says the person who would step in during an emergency does not have to be the person who would take your animals permanently, and gives the example of a neighbour or friend checking on your pets if you are in hospital. It says: “Don’t assume!” Check in with your chosen caregivers now and then to be sure they are still willing and able. It says that if you have more than two pets, it may not be realistic for one person to care for all of them.

The AVMA wrote its page for owners who are travelling, and the same questions apply if you are in hospital. It says to choose someone as your authorised agent and tell them: how to reach you, your regular vet, your preferred emergency clinic, any medical conditions your pet has and how you would want emergencies handled, which treatments you would not authorise without asking you, whether they may consent to euthanasia, your insurance details, any financial limits, and your wishes for aftercare. It says you are ultimately responsible for the vet bills, so agree how they will be paid, and that if you give someone a card you should tell the card company ahead of time so the payment is not flagged. It says to put it in writing, sign it, and share it with the agent and the vet or clinic.

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. It says registering is free, that an application can be rejected, and that you should tell your executor, family and friends about your arrangement.

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. This page cannot say what a will, trust or letter does where you live. In the US, LawHelp.org can point you to legal help; it says its tools and directories are always free to use. In England, Citizens Advice is on 0800 144 8848; in Wales, 0800 702 2020; in Scotland, 0800 028 1456. In Northern Ireland, Advice NI is on 0800 915 4604.

5. If there is a fire

The NFPA says in a fire to get out and stay out, never to go back inside for people, pets or things, to close doors behind you as you leave, and to tell firefighters right away if pets are trapped. In the UK, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service says to get out and stay out, not to stop to grab valuables or pets, to only open the doors you need to and close them behind you, to call 999 once you are out, and never to go back inside. It says going back in puts your life in danger and can delay firefighters from rescuing others.

One person suggests opening windows so a pet that cannot be reached can find its own way out. Another, who says they are a volunteer firefighter, advises against opening doors or windows unless absolutely necessary, because it feeds the fire, and says to tell firefighters where the animal is. The NFPA says a closed door may slow the spread of smoke, heat and fire. If a pet cannot be reached, the NFPA says to get out, stay out and tell the firefighters.

6. If you have to leave your home

Ready.gov says that if local officials ask you to evacuate, your pet should evacuate too, and that pets left behind may end up lost, injured or worse. It says many public shelters and hotels do not allow pets, so know a safe place you can take them before anything happens, and make two kits: a larger one if you shelter in place and a lightweight one for leaving. It says to have your pet microchipped and to keep your address and phone number up to date, with an emergency contact outside your immediate area. The page linked below on registering a chip covers the last step.

Who this page is not for

If your pet is hurt or ill now, this page is not the tool: use the safety note and ring a vet. This page is about dogs, cats and other small pets. It does not cover horses or farm animals, which are a different case: the RCVS says emergency vets often travel to larger animals, while for smaller animals you usually need to travel to the practice or clinic. If you cannot afford emergency care at all, this page cannot fix that, but the AVMA’s and RCVS’s lines in section 2 say to ask early, and the page linked below on asking a shelter or rescue for help covers low-cost care. If you have no car, the RCVS says you are usually responsible for transport, and this page does not cover how to move a pet without one. And if you are thinking of giving a pet up, a different page here covers that.

If you are worried about a pet’s health today, a vet is the person to ring. If you or anyone else is in danger, call 911 in the US or 999 in the UK.