Striving to be a prepared and organized pet parent? Then make sure you've got the following contacts added to your phone.

1. Your Pet

Create a contact card for each pet. We're an Apple family, so this process allows us to add their birthday to our calendar, and we can add information like their microchip number.

2. Your Pet Peoples

Anyone who helps us with our pups gets a contact card. Don't just add the quickie phone number. Take the time to add the address, email, and fax number, if the business has one. You never know when that information could come in handy or when you might need it quickly.

Veterinarian
Emergency Veterinarian
Pharmacy/Online Pharmacy Customer Service Number
Groomer
Trainer
Pet Sitter
Dog Walker
Dog Park Parents/Play Date Peoples
Doggie Day Care

3. Poison Control

The Poison Help Line: 1-800-222-1222
This federally mandated program funds poison centers in all 50 United States, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, Guam, & American Samoa, and the Federated States of Micronesia. When you call the toll-free number you are connected to a local poison center staffed 24/7 by nurses, pharmacists, and doctors. If you need to take you pet to the emergency vet, they'll tell you.

I've only called the Poison Help Line once for a pet emergency. My friend's Lab/Rottweiler ate one of those fly control plastic bags. We had another of the same bags, so after giving them the product information and answering several questions about the dog, we were assured that Sammy would be fine.
ASPCA Poison Control: 1-888-426-4435
Another option for pet parents. You may be charged $65 for the consultation. I've never called this poison control center, but I keep their phone number handy just in case.

4. Your Microchip Service Provider

When you registered your pet's microchip, you provided them with your contact information and probably alternate contact information for other people you trust with your pet. As soon as your pet goes missing, call your microchip provider and report your missing pet. Also double check that all of that contact information is still up-to-date.

5. Your Local Animal Control

In the past two years, I've made a few phone calls to our local Animal Control. One dog wandering around our HOA was clearly undernourished. Another little guy had the cone of shame dragging behind him. A third dog just seemed lost. None of these dogs would come to me, even when I brought water out. In the desert southwest of Tucson, those dogs may not survive the night, so I called Animal Control for all three. Luckily, for the dog who seemed lost, his mom came driving by a few minutes later. She stopped to ask if I had seen a dog matching his description, so I was thrilled to tell her where he was located. Then I called Animal Control back to cancel their service.