Guide · Free form
Emergency Vet Authorization Form for Pet Sitters (Free Template)
By Dave Waggins, 6-year home boarder, founder of Houndtrust
Published August 13, 2026 · ~7 min read
A dog gets sick while the owner is on a plane. The emergency clinic asks who can approve care and who will pay. That is the moment this form is for. It gives the sitter written permission to act within limits the owner chose before the trip.
My wife and I have boarded dogs from our home for six years. I want four answers on paper before a first stay: who to call, where to go, what I may approve, and how the bill will be handled. The free template below records all four.
Read this first.This is general information and a fill-in template, not legal or veterinary advice. Laws and clinic policies differ. Ask the pet's regular veterinarian what it will accept, and have a licensed attorney in your state review the form before you rely on it.
What the form needs to answer
Who decides?
The owner first, then a named backup if the owner cannot be reached.
Where does the pet go?
The regular veterinarian, an after-hours number, and a preferred emergency clinic.
What may the sitter approve?
Transport, examination, stabilization, diagnostics, medication, and treatment within written limits.
Who pays?
The owner's clinic payment plan and a clear agreement to reimburse charges the sitter pays.
The spend limit needs a backup instruction
A blank dollar line is not enough. The owner should say what the sitter may approve if nobody answers, then write what should happen when the veterinarian expects the bill to go over that amount. The form should also say how the clinic will be paid. Pet Sitters International recommends treatment permission and notes that many sitters ask clients to preapprove an amount or accept responsibility for veterinary costs. Its veterinary release guidance also warns that some clinics still require verbal permission.
Copy the emergency vet authorization form
Copy the text below or download the editable file. The download includes the full legal disclaimer, records permission, sitter contact section, and a reminder to confirm the clinic's policy before the booking.
EMERGENCY VETERINARY AUTHORIZATION FORM FOR PET CARE (TEMPLATE)
OWNER
Full name: _________________________________________________
Phone: _______________________ Email: ______________________
Travel dates or dates unavailable: __________________________
BACKUP DECISION-MAKER
Name: ______________________________________________________
Relationship to owner: _____________________________________
Phone: _______________________ Email: ______________________
PET
Name: ________________________ Species: ____________________
Breed: _______________________ Date of birth/age: __________
Microchip number, if any: ___________________________________
Known conditions, allergies, and medications: ______________
REGULAR VETERINARIAN
Clinic: _____________________________________________________
Veterinarian: _______________________________________________
Phone: _______________________ After-hours phone: __________
PREFERRED EMERGENCY CLINIC
Clinic: _____________________________________________________
Phone: _______________________ Address: _____________________
AUTHORIZATION
If my pet becomes ill or injured while in the care of
[Sitter or business name], I authorize the sitter to:
[ ] Transport my pet to the regular veterinarian named above.
[ ] Transport my pet to an emergency veterinary clinic when the regular
veterinarian is unavailable or the sitter reasonably believes the need
is urgent.
[ ] Approve examination, diagnostics, stabilization, medication, and
treatment up to a total of $____________ if neither I nor my backup
decision-maker can be reached after reasonable attempts.
If the expected cost will exceed that amount, my instructions are:
_____________________________________________________________
PAYMENT AND REIMBURSEMENT
I accept financial responsibility for veterinary care authorized under this
form and agree to reimburse the sitter for veterinary charges paid on my
behalf. My payment arrangement with the clinic is:
[ ] The clinic has my payment method or billing instructions on file.
[ ] The clinic should contact me or my backup for payment.
[ ] Other: __________________________________________________
The amount above is the maximum the sitter may approve without further
permission. It does not guarantee that a clinic will extend credit, accept
this form, or limit charges to that amount.
OWNER SIGNATURE
Owner signature: ____________________________________________
Printed name: _______________________________________________
Date: _______________________ Authorization expires: ________Before the owner leaves
- Fill every contact, clinic, permission, amount, and expiration field.
- Send the form to the regular veterinarian and ask whether it needs the clinic's own form too.
- Add the sitter as an authorized person on the clinic account when the clinic allows it.
- Confirm whether a payment method is on file and what the emergency clinic requires.
- Give the owner, sitter, backup contact, and clinic the same signed copy.
Keep this separate from the broader dog-sitting waiver and the business terms in the boarding contract. Each document answers a different question.
Common questions
What is an emergency vet authorization form?
It is the owner's written permission for a named pet sitter to transport a pet to a veterinarian and approve specified care when the owner cannot be reached. A useful form names the pet, sitter, regular veterinarian, emergency clinic, backup decision-maker, approved treatment, spending limit, payment plan, and authorization dates.
How much should the emergency vet spending limit be?
There is no universal amount. The owner should choose it after considering local emergency-clinic prices, the pet's health, available payment method, and what the clinic can do without further consent. Leave space for instructions if the expected bill exceeds the limit. The number is a ceiling on the sitter's permission, not a promise that the clinic will treat on credit or hold the bill to that amount.
Will every veterinarian accept a signed authorization form?
No. Clinic rules differ, and some veterinarians may still require direct verbal permission or their own form. Before the care dates, the owner should send the form to the regular clinic, add the sitter as an authorized person if the clinic allows it, and confirm the clinic's current treatment and payment rules.
Is a veterinary authorization the same as a pet-sitting waiver?
No. The vet authorization covers emergency transport, treatment permission, a spending limit, and payment responsibility. A pet-sitting waiver covers the broader risks and terms of care. Many sitters collect both before the first booking.
How often should the form be updated?
Review it before each booking and replace it whenever the pet's veterinarian, health, medication, emergency contact, payment arrangement, or owner's instructions change. Adding an expiration date prevents an old authorization from being treated as current forever.
Collect it before drop-off.
Houndtrust puts the emergency-vet authorization and e-signed waiver inside the same intake link as the booking. The signed copy stays with the client and pet record.
Start freeHoundtrust LLC provides this template for general information and convenience only. It is not legal or veterinary advice and comes with no guarantee that a clinic or court will accept it. Laws and clinic policies vary.