Keeping Pets Safe Before, During and After a Flood

Floods are one of the emergencies most likely to catch a UK household with pets unprepared, and the actions that protect animals are the same ones that protect people, done a little earlier. When a flood warning is issued, bring pets indoors and provide a litter tray¹. If it looks as though your home might be at risk, move everyone, including pets, upstairs or to higher ground². Keep pets away from floodwater entirely: Public Health Wales advises "Do not walk, drive or allow children or pets to play in floodwaters" because flood water may be polluted by sewage, chemicals and animal poo that can cause a wide range of disease³.

The single most useful thing you can do before any of this is sign up for flood warnings. Floodline is a free service that provides flood warnings directly to you by phone, text or email, whichever you select, and you can sign up so you are notified when the area you live, work or travel through is at risk of flooding; call 0345 988 1188⁴. Warnings give you the hours you need to bring animals in, move them up or move them out before water arrives.

This page covers the flood-specific actions for pet owners: what to do at each warning stage, what goes in a pet flood kit, where animals can go if you evacuate, what floodwater can do to them, and the checks to make before they come home. For the wider household side of flooding, see Flooding: A Household Guide, and for planning that covers all emergencies, see Including Your Pets in a Household Emergency Plan.

Bring pets inside and upstairs as soon as a flood is forecast

The first and most important action is timing: get animals inside and up before water reaches the property, not once it is lapping at the door. Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service advises that on a flood warning you should bring pets indoors and provide a litter tray¹. Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service goes further: if it looks as though your home might be at risk, move everyone, including pets, upstairs or to higher ground, and move as many possessions as possible upstairs with them².

Do this as early as the warning allows for three reasons. First, floodwater rises faster than most people expect, and a dog or cat loose in a garden or a rabbit hutch at the bottom of the garden can be cut off in minutes. Second, animals sense the change: bringing them in early, before the noise and stress of the flood itself, is calmer for them and easier for you. Third, you will have your hands full with the rest of the household's flood actions, and pets dealt with early are pets you are not chasing later.

For cats, a litter tray upstairs is essential: a cat shut upstairs with no tray will hold on or find an unsuitable corner. For dogs, bring leads and any indoor bedding up with you. For small animals in outdoor hutches, such as rabbits and guinea pigs, SEPA's flooding guide for older communities advises considering moving small animals upstairs⁸, and the same logic applies to any household: a hutch on the ground in a flood zone is a hutch at risk.

Wiltshire and Swindon Prepared's general advice for pets in emergencies is to ensure pets are brought inside, if appropriate, when storms or extreme heat is forecast⁹. Flooding is the same principle with a harder deadline. West Midlands Ambulance Service asks households at risk of flooding a plain question worth repeating to yourself: "Pets? Can you arrange a suitable place of safety for them?"¹⁰. If the answer is no, that is the gap to close before the next warning arrives.

Sign up for Floodline warnings: 0345 988 1188, 24 hours a day

Floodline is the free warning service that tells you flooding is coming while there is still time to act. The number is 0345 988 1188, and it is a 24-hour service⁴. Surrey County Council sets out how to register: sign up to the Flood Warning Information Service for free flood warning messages for your area, either registering online or by telephone by calling Floodline⁵. Nottinghamshire County Council confirms who it is for: it can be used by households and businesses who are at risk of flooding, and it is a free service that provides flood warnings directly to you by phone, text or email, whichever you select¹¹.

The service works because of river gauges. The Floodline service uses gauges at strategic locations in main rivers to identify any rivers rising past specific thresholds¹¹. When flooding is forecast in your area, messages are sent by phone as an SMS or voice message and will tell you where to find more information¹². SEPA's Floodline leaflet explains how the messages are assigned: if your property is in a local Flood Warning Area you receive local Flood Warnings specific to your area; if it is not, you receive regional Flood Alerts¹².

If you can see water building up in the street, London Fire Brigade advises calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188¹³. Deanshanger Parish Council's animals-in-a-flood guidance gives the same number for pet owners: contact Floodline on 0345 988 1188 if you are concerned that your property might flood¹⁴. And if you are in immediate danger at any point, call 999¹⁵.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

In Scotland, Floodline is operated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and provides live flooding information and advice on how to prepare for or cope with the impacts of flooding 24 hours a day, 7 days a week¹⁶. The number is the same, 0345 988 1188: select option 2 for Scotland and option 3 to speak to an advisor¹⁷. To register with Floodline online you will need to provide your email address; if you have no email or need assistance, call 0345 988 1188, option 2 for Scotland and option 3 to speak to an advisor¹⁶. SEPA can provide two different types of warning message depending on your property location: a targeted Flood Warning message for your local area if your property is within an area covered by a SEPA flood monitoring system, or a more general Flood Alert message for the wider geographical area, usually representing local authority boundaries, if it is not¹⁶. You can find out your quick dial code or codes online or by calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188¹⁶.

In Wales, flood warnings are issued through the same Floodline number, 0345 988 1188, which is a 24-hour service¹⁸. If you're in Wales you can sign up, update your details or cancel your account by calling Floodline, just as in England and Scotland¹².

The 0345 988 1188 Floodline number covers England, Scotland and Wales⁴. Northern Ireland's flooding guidance is published through nidirect, which advises calling 999 immediately if you are in danger and warns you to beware of sharp objects and pollution in flood water¹⁵. If you live in Northern Ireland, use the nidirect flooding pages for warnings and clean-up advice in your area.

Help for deaf or disabled callers

If you have a disability or need extra help, you can contact Floodline and ask for flood warnings to be sent to a friend or relative instead of you⁶. Floodline also has a textphone number, 0345 602 6340⁶. When you register, choose the format that works for your household: warnings can arrive by phone, text or email, whichever you select¹¹. If you need extra help in emergencies more broadly, see Extra Help in an Emergency.

Flood alerts and flood warnings: what each message means for your pets

The warning system uses escalating messages, and each one has a matching set of pet actions. The government's personal flood plan tells you to check you understand what the warnings mean, starting with the flood alert¹⁹. A flood warning means flooding is expected⁶, and at that point you should move your family, pets and important items to safety, for example upstairs or to higher ground.

Natural Resources Wales' advice for a flood warning in Wales is to move family, pets, and valuables to a safe place, turn off gas, electricity and water supplies if it is safe to do so, and put flood protection equipment in place²⁰. At a flood alert in Wales, prepare a flood kit of essential items, monitor local river levels, check the 5 day flood risk, and farmers should consider moving livestock and equipment away from areas likely to flood²⁰.

The government's personal flood plan lists the immediate actions for the moment before water arrives: turn off electricity, water and gas supplies; move important items to safety; get your flood kit together; move pets and vehicles away from flood areas; and make sure mobile phones or devices are charged¹⁹. Note where pets sit in that list: they are moved at the same stage as vehicles, early, while the roads and routes are still passable.

Add your pets to your flood plan and emergency kit

A flood plan that only covers people will fail at the moment it matters, because pets need carrying, feeding and containing. The government's personal flood plan asks you to think about what to do with pets if a flood happens: where they might go, food, carriers, medicines¹⁹. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service's advice for heavy rain is to think about your pets, car and furniture²¹, and to include supplies for your baby or pet in your emergency flood kit²¹. Lancaster City Council's emergency guidance puts it simply: remember to make provisions for domestic animals²².

What that means in practice, gathered from the official guidance:

• Carriers and leads: keep portable pet carriers and leads close at hand, as SEPA's flooding guide for older communities advises⁸
• Food and water: keep their food, water and bedding somewhere safe⁸; see How Much Pet Food and Water to Store for an Emergency
• Medicines: include any medicines your pet needs in the kit¹⁹
• Documents: keep pet documents with your plan; for horses, SEPA advises keeping the passport with the flood kit²³. See Documents to Keep for Your Pet in an Emergency
• Litter tray: have one ready even for cats that normally go outside¹
• Contact numbers: for horse and livestock owners, list emergency contact numbers including your vet, and keep this in a safe place²³

Natural Resources Wales' flood advice for households adds the wider kit actions that protect the home your pets live in: get your flood kit, prepare to move people and pets to a safe place, move important items, move or weigh down large or loose items outside, put flood gates in place, turn off gas, electricity and water, and move your car to higher ground²⁰. SEPA's community flooding guide's preparation step is to put a family flood kit together⁸, and Birmingham City Council's "Are You Ready" guidance asks households to plan so their pets have a safe place to stay²⁴.

Deanshanger Parish Council's animals-in-a-flood guidance adds a step many pet owners miss: plan your escape route before a flood¹⁴. Know which road out of your area stays passable longest, and where you would go with animals if you had to use it. For the general household kit around all this, see Emergency Kit: What a UK Household Should Keep Ready.

Where pets can go if you have to evacuate

If you have to leave your home, pets need somewhere to go too, and that decision is far easier made in advance. Birmingham City Council's advice is to plan so your pets have a safe place to stay²⁴. The government's personal flood plan frames the same question: where might they go¹⁹. London's flood awareness guidance describes the action at the sharp end, moving family and pets to safety if you are at high risk of flooding and receive a severe weather alert or flood warning²⁵.

Work through the options before a flood is forecast:

• Family or friends outside the flood zone: the simplest option for dogs, cats and small animals that can travel in a carrier
• Boarding kennels and catteries: book early, as flood events affect many households at once
• Pet-friendly accommodation: identify it in advance rather than searching during the warning
• Your vet: record your vet's contact details in your plan, alongside boarding kennels, cattery and friend or relative contacts, so you have them to hand²³

Whether you can take pets to an emergency rest centre depends on the centre and the circumstances; see Can I Take My Dog or Cat to an Emergency Rest Centre?. If the worst happens and an evacuation leaves a pet behind, see What to Do If You Have to Leave a Pet Behind in an Evacuation. Whatever option you choose, the kit items above, carriers, leads, food, medicines and documents, travel with the animal.

Keep pets away from floodwater

This is the rule that protects animals most during a flood, and it comes from the health authorities in plain terms. Public Health Wales advises: "Avoid contact with flood water. Do not walk, drive or allow children or pets to play in floodwaters."³ The reason is that flood water may be polluted by sewage, chemicals and animal poo that can cause a wide range of disease³.

The UK Health Security Agency's flooding and health guidance for frontline responders sets out what floodwater can contain: human and livestock waste; sewage; household, medical and industrial hazardous waste; physical objects; wild or stray animals; and petrol or oil spillages²⁶. For pets, that list means contaminated fur they lick clean, water they drink, sharp objects under the surface, and stray animals displaced by the same flood.

The practical rules from the official guidance:

• Prevent pets from drinking floodwater, whether running or standing²⁶
• Keep pets on a lead or limit garden access until water has receded²⁶
• Keep pets out of the affected area until clean-up is complete²⁶
• Clean away mud and dry pets well after any contact²⁶
• Ensure pet vaccinations and deworming are up to date²⁶

For dog walkers specifically, Derbyshire County Council advises keeping dogs on leads close to water: dogs running free risk struggling to slow themselves on slippery banks and paths and end up in deep or fast-flowing water²⁷. That applies during the flood and for as long as water remains afterwards. If a dog does get into trouble in water, see What to Do If Your Dog Gets Into Trouble in Water or at the Coast.

SEPA's flooding guidance adds an electrical danger: stay away from power lines and electrical wires during a flood²⁸. That applies to you and to where you walk your dog.

Floodwater health risks to people and animals

The health risks of floodwater run in both directions: the water can harm your pets, and what your pets carry in can harm your household. Public Health Wales warns that flood water may be polluted by sewage, chemicals and animal poo that can cause a wide range of disease³. The UK Health Security Agency's guidance lists the contents in detail, from human and livestock waste to medical and industrial hazardous waste, and states that floodwater can contain sewage, harmful pollutants or contaminants to humans and animals²⁶.

For animals, the main routes in are drinking the water, licking contaminated fur and paws, and walking through it. The guidance for recovery from flooding addresses all three: avoid direct contact with floodwater, prevent pets from drinking floodwater, clean away mud and dry pets well, and ensure pet vaccinations and deworming are up to date²⁶. The vaccination and deworming point is worth acting on before flood season, not after: a pet whose routine treatments are current has one less route for disease during and after a flood.

For people, the same guidance covers hygiene around animals in a flooded home. Northern Ireland's nidirect advice after a flood in your home is to cover cuts or open sores, wash children's hands regularly, keep children and pets out of contaminated areas, use rubber gloves when cleaning up, and use disinfectant to clean surfaces and tables where you want to put food¹⁵. Those rules matter most in a household with pets, because animals move between contaminated and clean areas without knowing the difference.

One winter overlap deserves special attention. Floods and freezing weather often arrive in the same season, and grit and salt spread on roads and paths can sit in floodwater and mud. Wiltshire and Swindon Prepared, citing the British Veterinary Association, warns that grit and salt can be toxic to dogs and cats if ingested, so it is important to get it off their paws around the winter season²⁹. Wipe or wash paws after walks near treated surfaces. For more detail, see Is Rock Salt Dangerous to Dogs' and Cats' Paws?.

Returning home: keep pets out until the clean-up is finished

The flood ending is not the moment pets come home. Northern Ireland's guidance on keeping children safe during a flood is direct: keep children and pets out of the affected area until the clean-up is complete⁷. The same guidance adds that you should not let young children play on affected grass or paved areas until the area has been cleaned down and restored to its normal condition³⁰, and the same caution applies to pets that sniff, lick and walk bare-pawed over those surfaces.

The UK Health Security Agency's recovery guidance gives the pet-specific version: keep pets out of the affected area until clean-up is complete, clean away mud and dry pets well, and ensure pet vaccinations and deworming are up to date²⁶. Before your pets re-enter the home, work through the checks:

• Clean-up of the affected area finished, surfaces cleaned down and restored to their normal condition⁷
• Mud and contamination cleaned away from anywhere pets will walk or sleep²⁶
• Any pet bedding, food or belongings that were in floodwater discarded or thoroughly cleaned²⁶
• Pets dried well and cleaned after any contact during the flood itself²⁶
• Vaccinations and deworming up to date²⁶

nidirect's after-flood advice also covers protecting the home while water is still a threat: if you don't have non-return valves fitted, plug water inlet pipes with towels or cloths and turn off any equipment that uses water, like washing machines and dishwashers¹⁵. And it repeats the standing warning to beware of sharp objects and pollution in flood water¹⁵, which matters most in the days of clean-up when pets most want to return to their territory.

When you do bring pets back in, dry any that got wet properly: nidirect's winter advice is that after a walk in snowy, icy or wet conditions, you should dry your pet off as quickly as possible and make sure they keep warm³¹. A wet pet in a cold, half-restored house is at risk of getting chilled, so dry them quickly and keep them warm³¹. If a pet seems unwell after flood contact, contact a vet; see Emergency Vets: Out-of-Hours Care and the 24-Hour Rule for how to reach one at night or at a weekend.

Horses and livestock: gates, field details and emergency access

Animals kept outside cannot be brought upstairs, so the flood plan for them is about ground, gates and access. SEPA's guide to protecting your farm and livestock sets out the preparation steps. Identify fields on higher ground and gain permission to use these in advance of flooding so livestock can be moved to safety²³. The same applies to horses: identify fields on higher ground and gain permission in advance²³. Somerset Council's advice during flooding is to check that pets and livestock kept outside can move freely and escape rising water³².

SEPA's horse-specific advice covers handling: wear a hat and gloves, and if you have many horses, try to move them together as this helps to keep them calm²³. Plan ahead by listing everything you need in the event of a flood, including emergency contact numbers: emergency services, local authority, insurance companies, horse transporters, feed suppliers and your vet. Keep this in a safe place and add a flood plan to your emergency procedures²³.

SEPA's horse flood kit list:

• A spare head collar and lead rope, with contact details attached to the head collar²³
• Your horse's passport and first aid kit²³
• Any medication your horse needs²³
• Wire cutters, in case you can't leave the field through a gate²³
• A warm waterproof rug²³

The wire cutters point is worth pausing on: floodwater can make a planned route unusable, and a gate that is underwater or blocked is no longer an exit. For the full kit, see Horse Evacuation Kit Checklist, and for the wider arrangements, see Horses and Livestock in Floods and Snow. Farmers in Wales should note that at a flood alert, Natural Resources Wales advises considering moving livestock and equipment away from areas likely to flood²⁰.