Dog Boarding Emergency Action Plan — Every Facility Needs These Protocols Written Down

You have 15 dogs in your care. A fire alarm goes off. Your most experienced staff member is on break. Do your remaining staff know exactly what to do? If the answer is "mostly" or "I think so," you don't have an emergency plan — you have good intentions.

Fire Evacuation Protocol

• Designated evacuation routes posted in every room (grooming area, boarding hallway, daycare yard, break room)
• Each staff member responsible for a specific zone during evacuation
• Evacuation meeting point: a specific location outside the facility, away from the building
• Leashes accessible in every room — staff should be able to clip a dog in under 5 seconds
• Head count protocol: each staff member accounts for every dog in their zone before leaving
• Owner emergency contact list accessible offline (not just in your software — print it)

Run a drill twice a year. Drills expose gaps that planning on paper doesn't. If a staff member has never actually walked the evacuation route, they will hesitate when it counts.

Medical Emergency Protocol

Dog in distress: Call the nearest emergency veterinary clinic immediately. Have the number posted at every workstation. Do not attempt advanced first aid beyond basic triage (controlling visible bleeding, keeping the animal calm and still). Transport if the owner cannot be reached within 10 minutes.

Staff injury: Serious bite: clean the wound, apply pressure, call 911 for deep bites. Document the incident within 24 hours for workers' comp purposes. Any bite that breaks skin requires medical evaluation.

Lost Pet Protocol

A dog that escapes your facility is a crisis — for the dog, the owner, and your business. Prevention: double-gate systems at all entry/exit points, staff entry/exit protocols, leash on before carrier or kennel door opens. If a pet does escape: one staff member stays at the last known location, one sweeps the immediate perimeter, one calls the owner, one calls animal control. Do not delay any of these steps.

Write It Down and Post It

Your emergency plan should be printed, laminated, and posted in your break room, grooming area, and by every exit. New staff should review it on their first day. A plan that exists only in your memory doesn't exist for your staff.