Pet Sitter Veterinary Authorization Form: What to Include
Last updated: 03 October 2026
You will almost never need this form — which is exactly why it's worth getting right before the day you do.
Why it has to be in writing
You will almost never need this form. That’s the point — you need it on the day you need your vet’s phone number and you’re standing in a parking lot with somebody else’s dog.
The reason it has to be written down is that in an emergency, you’re making decisions on behalf of an animal that isn’t yours, spending money that isn’t yours. A verbal “just do whatever’s needed” from three weeks ago is no help to a vet who has never met you.
The six things that actually matter
- The vet, in full. Not “my vet is somewhere on Main Street.” Write down the clinic name, address, phone number, and the name of the vet who knows the animal, if there is one. If you’re covering an area you don’t usually work in, ask for a second clinic.
- An alternate contact who is not the owner. This is the field most people leave blank and the one that saves the day. If the owner is on a flight, in a meeting, or asleep in another time zone, you need a name and a number for someone who can authorize treatment and pay for it.
- A spending limit. The number the vet actually needs. How much are you authorized to approve before you have to stop and get a decision from someone else? Without it, you’re either paralyzed or spending money you weren’t authorized to spend.
- Whether CPR and resuscitation are authorized. Owners have strong and differing views on this, especially for older animals. It’s an uncomfortable question at a meet-and-greet. It’s a far worse question to call and ask at eleven at night.
- The animal’s normal baseline. A vet who has never met the pet can’t tell what’s unusual. Write down how much they normally eat, their usual energy level, what medication they’re on and when it’s due, and any known conditions.
- Insurance details. If the animal is insured, the provider and policy number belong on the form. It changes what the vet does next.
The mistake almost everyone makes
They get the vet’s name and stop there.
A form that says “use my vet” answers the easy question. The hard ones — who decides, how much, and what the owner wants if the worst happens — go unanswered, and those are the ones that come up when you can’t reach anybody.
Where the money question goes wrong
Vets are practical people. When you show up with somebody else’s dog, the first thing they’ll want to know is who’s paying and how far they can go. If you can’t answer, treatment waits while somebody tries to reach the owner. If the owner is unreachable, that delay is the whole problem.
Writing a number down in advance removes the delay entirely.
What this form is not
It isn't legal advice, and it isn't a substitute for insurance. What a form can authorize, how it should be signed, and what happens afterward all vary by state. Have your paperwork checked by someone qualified in your own jurisdiction, and carry your own liability cover — the form and the policy do different jobs.
If you’d rather not write it from scratch
The veterinary authorization in our client pack is a single page with all six fields above, plus a signing block, in both A4 and US Letter. The incident report form is free if you just want to see how we write.
This is general information for pet sitters, not legal or tax advice. Requirements differ by state and city — check with your own state or local authority, and have any agreement reviewed by a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction.