First Steps Checklist: 7 Things to Do This Week
A short, practical checklist to help you gather the essential information needed to begin your PawsinTrust™ Family Animal continuity of care planning documents in about an hour.
Related PawsinTrust™ Document
Comprehensive Family Animal Care Plan Located in: Essential Care Plan · Life Transitions Plan · Legacy Care Plan
The Comprehensive Family Animal Care Plan is the foundational PawsinTrust™ document for organizing your Family Animal's daily care, medical information, routine, emergency contacts, caregiver instructions, and important preferences in one place.
This checklist helps you gather the key information you will need to complete that PawsinTrust™ document.
Why This Checklist Matters
You do not need to complete your full PawsinTrust™ document in one sitting to make meaningful progress.
In less than an hour, you can gather the essential information needed to begin protecting your Family Animal if you are suddenly unavailable because of an emergency, hospitalization, relocation, incapacity, or unexpected life event.
The goal is not perfection. The goal is to begin.
Each item below helps you collect the details that will make your PawsinTrust™ document clearer, more useful, and easier for a future caregiver to follow.
Your Goal This Week
- Complete as many of the seven steps as possible.
- Even completing the first three steps creates a strong foundation for Family Animal continuity of care planning.
- Estimated Time: 30 to 60 minutes
- Difficulty Level: Easy
- Recommended PawsinTrust™ Document: Comprehensive Family Animal Care Plan
Before You Start
You do not need to gather every detail perfectly today. Much of the information you need may already exist in places you use every day, including:
- Veterinary records and patient portals
- Phone contacts and saved emails
- Calendar entries for medication or wellness visits
- Household files, folders, and saved paperwork
Gather what you can today, and return later to fill in anything else. Progress is more important than perfection — every detail you capture brings your Family Animal closer to dependable continuity of care.
1. Gather Your Family Animal's Basic Information
Collect the information needed to identify and care for your Family Animal quickly.
Gather:
- Name
- Species
- Breed or mix
- Age or estimated age
- Color and markings
- Microchip number, if available
- License or registration number, if applicable
- Recent photo
- Any special identifying details
Why it matters: Clear identifying information helps prevent confusion, especially in an emergency or if multiple Family Animals are included in your PawsinTrust™ document.
2. Gather Your Veterinarian's Contact Information
Collect your primary veterinarian's name, clinic name, phone number, address, and after-hours instructions.
Also gather:
- Emergency veterinary hospital
- Specialist contacts, if any
- Pharmacy information
- Insurance provider information, if applicable
Why it matters: A caregiver should be able to locate medical help quickly from your PawsinTrust™ document without searching through scattered emails, apps, or paperwork during a stressful moment.
3. Gather Medications, Allergies, and Medical Conditions
Collect a simple health snapshot for your Family Animal.
Gather:
- Current medications
- Dosage instructions
- Medication schedule
- Known allergies
- Chronic conditions
- Recent surgeries or treatments
- Mobility, vision, hearing, anxiety, or behavioral concerns
- Vaccination history
- Date of most recent wellness examination
- Current preventive medications (heartworm, flea and tick, parasite control)
- Special dietary requirements (prescription diets, restrictions, supplements)
- Recent laboratory testing or diagnostics (bloodwork, imaging, urinalysis)
- Existing medical records or summaries from your veterinarian
Note: The information you gather here will also help you complete the Veterinary Information & Medical Record Summary — a PawsinTrust™ document that consolidates your Family Animal's medical history into one shareable record.
Why it matters: Even a loving caregiver can make a mistake if they do not know what medications, foods, treatments, or environments may be unsafe.
4. Gather One Day of Care Instructions
Think through what a normal day looks like for your Family Animal so it can be included in your PawsinTrust™ document.
Gather details about:
- Feeding times
- Food brand and amount
- Walk, exercise, or litter routine
- Sleep routine
- Favorite comfort items
- Behavioral notes
- Triggers, fears, or things to avoid
- Any special handling instructions
Why it matters: Routine helps Family Animals feel safer during stressful transitions. Clear daily care information in your PawsinTrust™ document can help another person provide familiar, consistent care.
5. Choose One Emergency Caregiver
Identify one trusted person who could step in temporarily if you were unavailable.
Gather:
- Full name
- Phone number
- Email address
- Relationship to you
- Whether they have a key or access instructions
- Whether they know they have been chosen
Important note: Ask this person directly before naming them in your PawsinTrust™ document.
Consider Discussing
A caregiver designation is most reliable when it is paired with an actual conversation. Take a few minutes to talk through:
- Where supplies are kept — food, medications, leashes, carriers, and the emergency go-bag
- How they would access your home — keys, lockbox codes, building entry, or trusted neighbors
- Whether they are comfortable transporting your Family Animal — to the veterinarian, a boarding facility, or their own home
- Whether they understand your Family Animal's routine and needs — feeding, medication timing, behavior triggers, comfort preferences
- Whether they are willing and available to help during an emergency — including overnight or multi-day situations
These conversations turn a name on a page into real, prepared emergency caregiver planning.
Why it matters: A named emergency caregiver gives others a clear first person to contact instead of guessing who should help.
6. Identify One Backup Caregiver
Choose at least one backup person in case your first-choice caregiver is unavailable.
Gather:
- Full name
- Phone number
- Email address
- Relationship to you
- Any limitations on what they can provide
- Whether they can provide short-term, temporary, or longer-term help
Why it matters: Emergencies do not always happen at convenient times. A backup caregiver helps prevent gaps in care.
7. Gather Where Important Supplies and Records Are Kept
Collect the location details a caregiver would need to find essential items quickly.
Gather information about where to find:
- Food
- Medication
- Leash, harness, carrier, crate, or travel supplies
- Veterinary records
- Insurance information, if applicable
- Emergency go-bag
- Comfort items
- Cleaning or waste supplies
- Keys, access codes, or entry instructions, if appropriate
- Any other important care-related records
Why it matters: A PawsinTrust™ document is most helpful when it tells a caregiver not only what your Family Animal needs, but where to find the items needed to provide that care.
Quick Win
If you only complete one task today, gather your veterinarian's contact information, your emergency caregiver's contact information, and your Family Animal's current medical information in one easily accessible place.
That simple step alone can significantly reduce confusion during an emergency.
Your Next Step
After completing this checklist, you will have gathered much of the information needed to begin your Comprehensive Family Animal Care Plan.
The information collected here serves as the foundation for documenting your Family Animal's routine, medical needs, emergency contacts, caregiver instructions, preferences, and continuity of care wishes.
This information can then be transferred into your PawsinTrust™ planning documents.
Available In:
- Essential Care Plan
- Life Transitions Plan ($199)
- Legacy Care Plan
Related Resources
Continue learning with these educational guides and planning documents:
- Why Planning Ahead Is One of the Greatest Acts of Love — the foundational guide to Family Animal continuity of care planning.
- Building an Emergency Go Bag for Your Family Animal — what to pack so your Family Animal is ready to travel safely on short notice.
- Emergency Family Animal Care Planning Authorization — a printable authorization a trusted person can carry when you cannot be reached.
- Veterinary Information & Medical Record Summary — organize medical history, vaccinations, medications, and veterinary contacts in one place.
- Successor Family Animal Guardian Designation — name a long-term guardian who can step in when life changes.
A Gentle Reminder
You do not need to complete everything perfectly today.
One prepared PawsinTrust™ document can make a meaningful difference. One trusted caregiver can prevent confusion. One hour of gathering information can help protect the Family Animal who depends on you every day.
PawsinTrust™
Plan Ahead. Protect Their Future. Because They're Family.™
Bring this guidance into your Family Animal Plan.
The documents below help turn this educational resource into concrete, organized continuity-of-care planning for your Family Animal.
Family Animal Comprehensive Care Plan
Serves as the foundational planning document for recording daily care, medical details, caregiver contacts, and emergency instructions.
Open this documentEmergency Family Animal Care Planning Authorization
Helps identify who may step in and assist with emergency care decisions if the Family Animal Parent is unavailable.
Open this documentSuccessor Family Animal Guardian Designation & Acceptance
Helps name the person or people who may provide future care if the Family Animal Parent can no longer do so.
Open this document
Plan Ahead. Protect Their Future. Because They're Family.™
PawsinTrust™ provides educational planning resources and document-preparation guidance. It is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Attorney review is encouraged for wills, trusts, incapacity planning, and estate administration documents.