Pet Sitting Incident Report Form: What to Record After an Accident
Last updated: 03 October 2026
What you write down that day is what protects you three weeks later. Ours is free — you can download it before you buy anything.
What counts as an incident
More than you think. It isn’t only injuries. It’s also:
- A pet that got out, even briefly, even if you caught them.
- Damage — a scratched door, a soiled rug, a broken gate.
- A missed or refused dose of medication.
- A pet that behaved out of character.
- A visitor, a tradesperson, or anyone else who was in the property while you were responsible for it.
- Anything you had to call the owner about.
If you found yourself wondering whether it counts, write it down. The cost of writing down something that turned out to be nothing is a minute. The cost of not writing down something that turned out to matter is your word against theirs.
Same day, in writing
The rule is simple. Same day, in writing, before you go to bed. Not a voice note you’ll transcribe later, not a text message that scrolls away. A short written record.
The fields that matter
- Date and time — when it happened, not when you wrote it.
- What happened — facts only.
- Action taken — what you did in the moment.
- Vet contacted — yes or no, and what they said if yes.
- Client notified — the time you told them, and how.
- Client initials — so the record shows they saw it.
That last one is the difference between a note you wrote and a record you both agreed on.
Why "I’ll remember" fails
Because three weeks later nobody remembers the same thing. Memory is reconstructive — you’ll fill gaps with what makes sense to you, and so will they. A record written the same day doesn’t have gaps, and neither of you can accidentally rewrite it.
What not to write
- Opinions about the owner, the animal, or the situation.
- Blame, in either direction.
- Speculation about what might have happened or why.
- Anything you wouldn’t be comfortable having read out.
Facts, actions, times. That’s the whole document.
When it needs to go further than the log
If there’s an injury, a vet visit, a claim, or a formal complaint, the log is the beginning of the record, not the end of it. Keep the originals, keep messages, and tell your insurer early rather than late.
Write it even when nothing happened
The most useful entries in the long run are the quiet ones — the dog who wouldn’t eat on Thursday, the cat who hid for two days. Patterns only show up if something was recorded when it seemed unimportant.
If you don’t have a form yet
Ours is a single page with the columns above and a signature line, in A4 and US Letter. It’s free — download it, print it, and keep a few in the car.
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.