Immediate danger to life: call 999 or 112.
UK Ready is an independent information site. Current official instructions for your area take priority over this general guidance.
Sources checked 13 October 2026
Include pets in food, water, medication and evacuation planning. Keep carriers, leads, identification and your vet's contact details accessible. Choose an alternative safe arrangement if temporary accommodation cannot meet the animal's needs. Confirm assistance-animal and accessibility arrangements with the destination rather than assuming every rest centre operates identically.
During an instructed radiation shelter, bring pets who are already with you inside, keep them indoors and follow cleaning advice if they may be contaminated. Do not go out to search for a missing pet or put a person at risk. Do not use human medicines or improvised antidotes on an animal; call the vet for health concerns.
Keep pets away from floodwater, debris and fallen cables. Never leave them in a parked vehicle during hot weather. Animals which need powered heating, filtration or other equipment need a species-specific outage plan agreed with an appropriate expert or vet.
Neighbour support: Agree in advance who would welcome a check-in and how they prefer to be contacted. Practical help may include relaying an official message, obtaining supplies, lending a charged power bank or alerting care services. Ask before sharing personal details and only involve trusted people.
An in-person welfare check is appropriate only when safe and allowed. Do not breach a sheltering instruction, flood hazard or police cordon to check a neighbour. If you believe someone faces an immediate threat to life, call 999 and explain their location and needs.
Use established voluntary groups or council arrangements where available. Check whether an advertised community hub is actually operating and what it can provide. Do not publish unverified shelter addresses or collect a public list of vulnerable households.
For someone living alone: Arrange a contact and backup contact, agree what happens if a call is missed, and discuss access for a trusted helper. A social-media group is useful only while its members can connect; keep a paper alternative.