FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The Backup Plan was created to help ensure your pets have care if you become ill, injured, or delayed. Your Backup Plan can include all pets in your household enrolled with AKC Reunite.
AKC Reunite will use the information that you provide in your customized Backup Plan to alert your Emergency Contact(s) by phone, text and email that your pet needs care and provide your pet care instructions. AKC Reunite is not responsible if your Emergency Contact(s) do not follow your Backup Plan directives.
If you are unable to care for your pet and you, or someone else on your behalf, contacts AKC Reunite, we will notify your Emergency Contact(s) that your pet needs attention and share your pet’s care instructions. You will also receive a notification when we confirm your Emergency Contact(s) will care for your pet.
You can add the Backup Plan to your pet’s enrollment by logging into your Online Records System Account, or by clicking here. You will need your pet’s ID number to add the Plan to its enrollment.
- Comprehensive Backup Plan profile for you to complete online that includes your Emergency Contacts and your pet’s care instructions.
- Your Backup Plan is good for five years from the date of purchase for all pets in your household that are enrolled with AKC Reunite.
- Includes Help My Pet Emergency ID Card featuring a picture of your pet, plus three bonus key FOBs. Additional Help My Pet Emergency ID Cards are available for your other pets at a discounted rate.
The Help My Pet Emergency ID Card is connected to your Backup Plan that you personalize with your Emergency Contact(s) and your pet’s needs including feeding schedule, medications, and potty routine. When AKC Reunite is contacted, we will alert your Emergency Contact(s) that your pet needs attention along with your pet care instructions. We will also alert you when your Backup Plan has been activated and also confirm when we have successfully reached at least one of your Emergency Contact(s) and provided them with your pet’s care instructions.
- Your pet must be enrolled in AKC Reunite’s 24/7 recovery service. To receive your Help My Pet Emergency ID Card, at a minimum, you must upload your pet’s picture and designate at least one Emergency Contact.
- Your Emergency Contact(s) will be notified that they are a part of your Backup Plan network when they are added to your pet’s profile.
Emergency Contact(s) are required. You can also add information about each pet’s temperament and behavior, diet, veterinarian, pet sitter, and even where your pet’s treats are inside your home. Detailed information will help ensure your Emergency Contact knows what to do for your pet’s optimal care.
The personalized Help My Pet Emergency ID Card and/or key FOB attached to your key ring will alert First Responders to contact AKC Reunite if you are ill, injured, or delayed. By contacting AKC Reunite, we will alert your Backup Plan’s Emergency Contact(s), notifying them that your pet needs attention and provide them with your pet’s care instructions.
The Plan is valid for five years from date of purchase. The Plan’s expiration date is printed on the Help My Pet Emergency ID Card and key ring FOBs.
First, make sure your pet is enrolled with AKC Reunite Pet Recovery Service. Then you can simply log in to your pet’s Online Records System Account and add the additional protection service to your pet’s AKC Reunite enrollment. Or, you can call 800-421-5284 to order the Plan.
Click link to enroll and you can add your BP during enrollment
- The Backup Plan is $17.99 for all pets in your household that are enrolled with AKC Reunite and is good for five years from date of purchase. Activation of the plan includes one Help My Pet Emergency ID Card with three bonus key FOBs to attach to your key ring. Additional Help My Pet Emergency ID Cards with three bonus key FOBS to attach to your key ring can be purchased for $9.99.
- If your pet is not enrolled with AKC Reunite and you are interested in Backup Plan protection, you must first enroll each pet with AKC Reunite’s Pet Recovery Service. You can enroll online for $19.50 at www.akcreunite.org or over the phone for $24.95 by calling 800-252-7894. We enroll all brands of pet microchips. If your pet does not have a microchip, we can assign your pet a unique ID number and send you a collar ID tag featuring the pet’s ID number and our recovery service phone number.
Once you purchase your Backup Plan, you will receive an email with a link to activate your Plan. This link will take you to an Online Records System Account (ORS) login. If you do not have an ORS Account, you will be directed to create one so you can sign in. Once logged into your ORS Account, you will enter your Backup Plan ID # to unlock all of the Plan’s features.
Your Online Record System (ORS) is your secure portal to update your pet’s information, upload its picture, and create and access your Backup Plan network and petcare instructions. For your security, you need to create a password-protected ORS Account. Then you can add your pet to your ORS account with its (microchip or AKC Registration) ID number and Enrollment Key. Once added you can securely update your pet’s records and Backup Plan online at any time.
You have unlimited access to your online Backup Plan profile and can make as many updates or changes to your profile as you would like — all at no additional cost to you!
Your Backup Plan pet care profile(s) will be shared with your Emergency Contact(s) when AKC Reunite is contacted by you or someone else that notifies us that you are ill, injured, or delayed.
- You will be contacted immediately after purchase of your Plan to set up your Backup Plan profile, including the designation of your Emergency Contact(s) and providing your pet’s information for your Help My Pet Emergency ID Card.
- We will contact you if your Emergency Contact(s) asks to be removed from your Backup Plan.
- We will also contact you when your Plan has been activated and when we have confirmation that your Emergency Contact(s) received your pet’s care instructions.
- We will also notify you when your Backup Plan is about to expire. The Plan is active for five years from date of purchase.
The number of Emergency Contacts you can designate is unlimited.
Your Emergency Contacts are tied to your comprehensive Backup Plan, not individual pets.
When you add an Emergency Contact to your Backup Plan, we will notify them by email that they have been designated by you, to assist with your pet’s care when you are unable to do so.
When your Backup Plan is activated, your Emergency Contact(s) will be notified to care for your pet(s) in your absence. Your Emergency Contact(s) will receive your complete Backup Plan profile information so they know how to tend to your pet(s) if you are unable to.
If your contact notifies us and asks to be removed from your profile, we will do so. If your Plan has no remaining Emergency Contacts, we will also alert you to add at least one Emergency Contact ASAP. The Plan will not work and AKC Reunite cannot assist if you do not have any Emergency Contacts listed in your Pet Care Profile!
When AKC Reunite is contacted, we will activate your Plan by notifying your Emergency Contact(s) on file — by phone and email — that your pet needs care along with the instructions you provided in your Plan profile. We will also share the information we know about why the Plan has been activated.
We will reach out to each Emergency Contact until we receive confirmation that your pet’s care instructions have been received.
Great news! We offer discounted rates for additional pet wallet cards and key FOBS to attach to your key ring that can be ordered through your Online Records System Account.
When you sign up for the Backup Plan, you will receive an email confirmation to complete your pet’s care profile and assign your Emergency Contact(s). When your Plan is completed online and your Emergency Contact(s) are assigned, your Card will be ready for production. Your Card and Key FOBs will be produced within five business days and we will send you a shipping confirmation email so you know to be on the lookout for your Help My Pet Emergency ID Card and key FOBs.
Your Help My Pet Emergency ID Card and key FOBS to attach to your key ring and Backup Plan protection will expire 5 years after the date of purchase.
The Backup Plan covers all pets in your household that are enrolled with AKC Reunite. When you activate your Backup Plan, one Help My Pet Emergency ID Card is included. If you would like to purchase additional cards for your other pets, you may do so for $9.99 each.
$9.99 for each additional Help My Pet Emergency ID Card. Three bonus key FOBS to attach to your key ring are included. You can order additional Cards from your pet’s Online Records System Account or by calling 800-421-5284.
- Photos must be in GIF, JPEG, or PNG format and the maximum file size is 4MB.
- Only upload pet photos — no human photos, please. Inappropriate photos may be removed by AKC Reunite in our sole discretion.
Your pet’s photo on the Help My Pet Emergency ID Card will be approximately the size of a postage stamp. We recommend a headshot of your pet, similar to what would be featured in a driver’s license.
Click the cloud icon 
to upload your pet’s picture. Once you select a photo file, the image file will be uploaded immediately.
Once you submit your image, you agree to the contrast, clarity, cropping, and color of the image for your Help My Pet Emergency ID Card.
- ROTATE COUNTER-CLOCKWISE
- ROTATE CLOCKWISE
- ZOOM IN
- ZOOM OUT
- RESET IMAGE
- MOVE IMAGE LEFT
- MOVE IMAGE RIGHT
- MOVE IMAGE UP
- MOVE IMAGE DOWN
AKC Reunite will reach out to the Emergency Contact(s) designated in the pet owner’s Backup Plan to let them know their pets need attention and provide them with each pet’s care instructions. We will also alert the pet owner that their Backup Plan has been activated and send them an email and text confirmation when we have successfully reached their Emergency Contact(s) and when at least one Emergency Contact confirms receipt of the pet care profile(s).
Call the AKC Reunite 24/7 phone number found on the card or key FOB attached to a key ring. We will ask for the Plan ID number printed on the Card or key FOB to initiate the pet owner’s emergency care plan for their pet(s).
Send us a message and we will get back to you within 24 hours. For immediate assistance, please call our toll-free number at 800-252-7894.
