A familiar face kneels to greet a golden retriever in a red vest as paramedics wait by the ambulance
Emergency Dog Handler

Your service dog emergency contact, chosen before you need one

Your Emergency Dog Handler is the person responders call to pick up your dog when you can't. Their name goes on the back of your card, so you wake up knowing where your dog is.

Back of your card, sampleDog Handler Sam Miles, sibling(801) 555-0182
What happens next

The first thing you'll ask when you wake up is where your dog is

Four moments on the day you can't speak for yourself. Tap one to see it.

A woman reads the engraved card from a golden retriever's wallet while calling 911 for its handler A paramedic reaches for the red Medical Information wallet on a German Shepherd's vest at the ambulance A German Shepherd in a vest with the red wallet waits beside a paramedic while its handler is loaded into the ambulance A man kneels in a park at sunset beside a black Labrador service dog wearing the red wallet
01

You go down

A seizure, a POTS episode or a car accident takes you off your feet, and your dog stays right beside you. Responders read the front of your card and start caring for you.

That part comes first, and the card is built so it does.
Without a plan

What happens to a service dog without an emergency contact

Your dog can end up in a shelter kennel across town. Getting your dog back can mean proving ownership, showing ID and paying fees, right after you get out of a hospital bed.

A black Labrador service dog in an orange vest stands alone on the curb after a car accident while a firefighter approaches
3 days In San Antonio, strays may be held for 3 days or less, and owners need to prove ownership, show ID and pay impound and boarding fees.Source San Antonio Animal Care Services
Days 1 to 3 Shelter dogs' stress hormone levels peak in the first three days after they arrive.Source Frontiers in Veterinary Science
$25,000 A service dog commonly takes 1 to 2 years of training and can cost more than $25,000.Source Dogster
In the hospital

Worrying about your service dog in the hospital is stress you don't need

When you're lying in a hospital bed wondering where your dog is, your body is trying to heal at the same time. Some handlers start thinking about leaving early just to go get their dog.

16%of people in one survey knew someone who left the hospital against medical advice to care for a pet.Source Michigan Medicine
Stressis one of the most commonly reported seizure triggers.Source University of Cincinnati
A German Shepherd service dog lies beside an open ambulance with its tennis ball while EMTs work behind it
The plan

Wake up knowing your dog is with someone it knows

The back of your card names your Emergency Dog Handler with their relationship, name and number. Responders call that person, and your dog goes home with someone familiar.

A German Shepherd service dog lies alone on the concrete floor of an animal control kennel, head on its paws, looking out through the gate Without a plan
Animal control gets the callNo one on scene knows who should take your dog.
Your dog waits in a shelterAway from the person it works for.
The clock startsID, paperwork and fees to get your dog back.
You think about leaving earlyWorrying about your dog instead of healing.
A woman walks a golden retriever service dog down a tree lined street at sunset With an Emergency Dog Handler
Responders read your cardYour info on the front, your dog's plan on the back.
The person you chose gets the callTheir relationship, name and number are right there.
Your dog goes home with themFamiliar people, familiar routine.
You stay as long as you needYou know exactly where your dog is.
A yellow Labrador service dog in a mustard vest with the red wallet, ambulance lights glowing behind
"This is a lifesaving product!"
LLizVerified buyer · Service dog handler
Josh Allen holds his German Shepherd service dog, Rook, in the snow
Why it's on the card

Why NooknRook added an Emergency Dog Handler to the service dog emergency card

Rook is handler sensitive. If someone else holds his leash, he cries and pulls to get back to Josh.

After a day of exposure training at a Salt Lake City fire station, Josh pictured waking up in a hospital bed without knowing where Rook was. The Emergency Dog Handler line on the back of the card came from that day.

Read our story
An older woman with a cane steps onto her porch with her standard poodle service dog in golden light
How to choose

How to choose your service dog emergency contact

The best Emergency Dog Handler is the person your dog would happily walk away with. Check off each one as you think about who to ask.

Your checklist0 of 5
Before you need them

What to tell your Emergency Dog Handler before you need them

Ten minutes over coffee now saves a lot of guessing later. The free Emergency Dog Handler conversation guide walks you both through it.

  • Feeding schedule and food

    What your dog eats, how much and when.

  • Any medication your dog takes

    The dose, the timing and where it lives.

  • Your vet's name and number

    It's on the back of your card too, but a copy helps.

  • How to get into your home

    Or where your dog's supplies are kept.

  • Commands and rewards

    Your release word and the treat that works best.

  • That your dog is working

    Your dog shouldn't be handed off to strangers.

Back of the card with emergency contacts, the Emergency Dog Handler and service dog alerts

Sample card. Yours is engraved with your details.

On the card

Where your Emergency Dog Handler goes on your service dog emergency card

See every field on the card
A school nurse kneels to check the medical ID on a boy's black Labrador service dog in a hallway
For families

What it means to be someone's Emergency Dog Handler

If someone asked you to be on their card, you're the person who keeps their dog safe while they recover. It's a big compliment, and it usually comes with a fair amount of dog hair.

Get the conversation guide
Questions

Service dog emergency contact questions

If your question isn't here, send it to us and we'll answer it.

Still wondering?Send Josh a message
See all FAQs

An Emergency Dog Handler is the person you choose to take your service dog if you're hurt or taken to the hospital. Their name, relationship and number go on the back of your NooknRook card.
Keep reading

Set up the rest of your card

A paramedic holds a phone while checking the red wallet on a German Shepherd service dog's vest beside an ambulance

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