Going away? What to hand over to a pet sitter, walker or boarding

Put it in writing: the usual food and how much, each medicine exactly as the vet wrote it, walk times, the vet's number with the out-of-hours number, and how to reach you and a backup person ¹². Agree what the sitter should do if your pet needs a vet and they can't reach you ¹. In Indian homes, also brief the watchman, check the ID tag and registration number on the collar, and warn about the season's risks. Then do a trial walk together before you leave ³.

Medicines: Written down: what to give, when (morning or evening, before or after food), and how¹
Food: More than enough of the usual food. A sudden change can upset the stomach¹
Vet: Your vet's number, including out of hours, plus your number and a backup²¹
Collar (Delhi, MCD): The registration number on the collar at all times⁴
Lifts: A society can't bar pets from lifts or charge for them (AWBI 2015; BMC 2025)⁵⁶
Before you go: Meet the sitter with your pet, and ask for a trial walk³²

What to write down

Food: what, how much and when, in the exact measure you use at home, such as 'one level steel katori', not 'a little' ²¹¹.
Enough food: more than enough of the usual food for the whole trip. A sudden switch can upset the stomach ¹.
Treats and never-give foods: which treats and how many, and what to keep away, such as chocolate, grapes and raisins ¹¹.
Medicines: each one exactly as the vet wrote it: what, when (morning or evening, before or after food), until which date, and the trick that gets your pet to take it. Leave enough for the whole trip ¹.
Walks and routine: times, route and how long, and how the day usually goes. Pets cope better when the routine stays the same ².
Words and habits: the words and signals your pet knows ('sit', 'chalo', 'no'), what scares it, and how it gets on with people and other dogs ².
Contacts: your number, a backup person in the city, and the vet's number, including out of hours ²¹.
Put it all on a one-page handover sheet and leave it where the sitter will see it.

Sitter, relative or boarding?

A friend or relative looking after your pet at home is usually easiest on the pet, because the routine stays familiar. Cats especially are often better off at home ²¹.
A sitter: meet them with your pet before you book. Ask what they would do in an emergency, whether they're comfortable giving medicines, and for references ³.
A boarding: visit in person before you book, ask friends or your vet, and book early, because good places fill up at busy holiday times ¹. Check whether they ask for vaccination proof and about your pet's diet and health, and whether there are enough staff ².
Boardings want to see vaccinations are up to date ¹. See what boardings ask for.

The vet and the 24-hour hospital

Write your vet's name, number and address on the sheet, and ask your vet what to do out of hours ²⁷.
Find the nearest 24-hour pet hospital before you leave, not at midnight: see 24-hour pet hospitals by city. Keep its name, number and address on the fridge and in the sitter's phone ⁷.
Agree what the sitter should do if they can't reach you and your pet needs a vet, and make sure it matches what you want ¹.
Leave money or a way to pay for a vet visit, and a copy of the vet's prescription.

Collar, ID and papers

A collar with an ID tag and your phone number, on all the time, even indoors. A scared pet can run out of a door that is open for a moment ¹⁹.
In Delhi, MCD's terms say the registration number must be on the collar at all times, and the certificate shown when an official asks ⁴. Leave a copy of the certificate with the sitter.
Keep the vaccination record up to date and hand it over at a boarding. A reputable boarding won't take an unvaccinated pet ¹.
A recent, clear photo of your pet on the sitter's phone. If your pet gets lost, it's what they will show neighbours and put on posters ²⁰.

The society: gate, watchman and lift

Tell the watchman and the society office who the sitter is, their phone number, and when they will come and go.
Lifts: AWBI's guidelines of 26 February 2015 say a housing society cannot stop pets using lifts or charge for it; owners are asked to use another lift if there is a convenient one ⁵. Mumbai's BMC guidelines of 2025 say the same ⁶. See what housing societies can and can't ask.
Leash and clean-up: AWBI advises a leash in public places, and asks owners, and the walkers they hand their dogs to, to clean up after the dog ⁵.
Mumbai: BMC's guidelines say children under 18 should not walk or handle pets in public without an adult, and a society may ask for the BMC dog licence ⁶.

This season's risks

Heat: on hot days, walk early in the morning or in the evening, on grass where you can, because hot roads can burn paws. Carry water ¹⁴. Dogs are 10 times more likely to overheat from exercise in hot weather than in a hot car ¹⁵.
Ticks: in a study of street and shelter dogs sampled from June to September, ticks were found on 80% of dogs in Mumbai and 75% in Delhi ¹⁶. Ask the sitter to check after every walk: head, ears, armpits, groin and tummy ¹⁷.
Crackers (Diwali, weddings, New Year): walk in daylight before they start, keep your pet indoors with windows and curtains closed, and keep the ID collar on ¹⁸¹⁹.

Call the vet at once, then you, if your pet

Checked against vet sources. Not yet reviewed by a vet.

Ate something poisonous, such as chocolate, grapes or raisins, or a human medicine, even if it seems fine. Signs can take hours or days to show ⁸¹¹²².
Struggles to breathe, or its gums look blue or pale ⁹⁷.
Collapses, can't stand, or has a fit ⁷⁹.
Keeps retching with nothing coming up, especially with a swollen belly ¹².
Keeps vomiting, or there is blood in its vomit or diarrhoea ¹².
Is bleeding and it won't stop ⁸⁷.
Is panting hard, drooling and wobbly after a walk or in the heat ⁸¹⁵.
Was hit by a vehicle, fell or was in a fight, even if it seems fine. Some injuries take a day or two to show ⁹¹⁰.
Is a cat or dog straining to pee with little or nothing coming out ¹³.

Not fully clear yet

Official sources disagree or leave gaps on these. Confirm before you rely on them.

We found no Indian government register or licence for home pet sitters or dog walkers. Ask for ID and references, and do a trial walk.
Licensing rules for pet boardings differ by state and city, and we haven't checked them for this page. Ask the boarding which licence it holds, if any.
The tick figures come from street and shelter dogs sampled in 2008 ¹⁶. We found no matching figures for pet dogs. Ask your vet which tick prevention suits your dog and your area.

More in this guide

Pet sitter handover sheet (printable)A free one-page sheet for a sitter, walker, relative or boarding: food, medicines, walks, rules, the vet and 24-hour hospital, and when to call the vet.

Last checked 5 Oct 2026. Facts checked against the official and veterinary sources below by Thapki. Not yet reviewed by a vet. Written with AI help from the sources below and checked against them line by line; the Thapki team reads and approves each page before it goes live.

Spot something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.

Sources

Pet boarding, kennels and holiday care · PDSA · seen 5 Oct 2026
Exploring pet sitting options (leaving your pet when you go away) · RSPCA · seen 5 Oct 2026
How to choose and prepare for a pet sitter · Humane World for Animals · seen 5 Oct 2026
Terms and conditions for registration of pet dog (PDF, from the portal) · Municipal Corporation of Delhi · seen 5 Oct 2026
Guidelines with respect to pet and street dogs, and their care-givers, and for Residents' Welfare Associations and Apartment Owners Associations (26 Feb 2015; scanned PDF) · Animal Welfare Board of India · seen 5 Oct 2026
Guidelines with respect to pet and street dogs, community animal feeders, RWAs and AOAs, and public institutions (signed 13 Dec 2024 to 20 Mar 2025) · Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Veterinary Health Department · seen 5 Oct 2026
Emergency care for your pet · ASPCA · seen 5 Oct 2026
What to do in a dog or cat emergency (pet owner version, reviewed Dec 2025) · Merck Veterinary Manual · seen 5 Oct 2026
Evaluation and initial treatment of dog and cat emergencies (pet owner version, reviewed Dec 2025) · Merck Veterinary Manual · seen 5 Oct 2026
Introduction to emergencies (pet owner version) · Merck Veterinary Manual · seen 5 Oct 2026
Food hazards (pet owner version) · Merck Veterinary Manual · seen 5 Oct 2026
Vomiting in dogs · PDSA · seen 5 Oct 2026
What to do if your cat or dog can't pee · PDSA · seen 5 Oct 2026
Keep pets safe before the temperature gets too hot · Humane World for Animals · seen 5 Oct 2026
Dogs die on hot walks · RSPCA · seen 5 Oct 2026
A survey of canine tick-borne diseases in India (Abd Rani et al., Parasites & Vectors, 2011) · University of Queensland and Bombay Veterinary College (peer-reviewed paper, PubMed Central) · seen 5 Oct 2026
Ticks on dogs · PDSA · seen 5 Oct 2026
Keeping dogs, cats and other small pets safe during fireworks · RSPCA · seen 5 Oct 2026
Fireworks: how to keep animals safe · Humane World for Animals · seen 5 Oct 2026
Finding a lost pet · ASPCA · seen 5 Oct 2026
Should you be weighing your pet's food? (16 Aug 2021) · Petfoodology, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University · seen 5 Oct 2026
Poisoning from human over-the-counter drugs (pet owner version) · Merck Veterinary Manual · seen 5 Oct 2026