Every claim on this site should be checkable. These are the organisations and services we lean on most, and the ones we recommend you keep to hand. We are not affiliated with any of them, and none of them pay to appear here.
Emergencies and poisoning
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center — staffed 24 hours a day for suspected poisonings in the United States. A consultation fee applies.
- Pet Poison Helpline — a second 24-hour option, also fee-based, covering the US and Canada.
- Your nearest emergency animal hospital — find it and save the number in your phone before you need it. Ten minutes of searching at 2 a.m. is ten minutes you will not want to lose.
Keep the packaging or a photograph of whatever was swallowed. The first question you will be asked is what, how much and when.
Finding and vetting a veterinarian
- American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) — owner-facing guidance on wellness care, vaccination and pet safety.
- American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) — accredits practices against voluntary standards, and publishes the widely used canine and feline vaccination and life-stage guidelines.
- Association of Avian Veterinarians — for birds, where a general practice is often not enough.
- Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians — for reptiles and amphibians.
- Your state veterinary medical association — regional directories and low-cost clinic listings.
Nutrition and product safety
- AAFCO — the body whose nutrient profiles underpin the “complete and balanced” wording on American pet food labels. Useful for learning to read a label properly.
- FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine — official pet food and treat recalls and safety alerts. This is the source we link to rather than paraphrase.
- WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee — practical tools for evaluating a pet food company, including the questions worth asking a manufacturer.
Species specialists
- House Rabbit Society — diet, housing, bonding and health information for pet rabbits, and the reason most modern advice puts hay first.
- Guinea pig rescue and welfare organisations — for cage-size standards, vitamin C guidance and pairing advice.
- International Cat Care — evidence-based feline behaviour and welfare material.
- Reef and freshwater aquarium societies — for water chemistry, cycling and stocking questions specific to your local water.
Adoption
- Petfinder and Adopt-a-Pet — searchable listings from thousands of shelters and rescues across the United States.
- Your local municipal shelter — often the least visible and the most in need of adopters.
- Breed-specific and species-specific rescues — the best route to an animal whose needs you already understand, and to honest advice about whether that species suits your household.
Before adopting, read the relevant guide first. The most common reason an adoption fails is a mismatch between what an animal needs every day and what the household can realistically give.
Our own material
The nine pet care guides are the core of the site. The blog answers single questions in depth, the FAQ covers the quick ones, and events and news tracks dates and recalls. How all of it is produced is described in our editorial policy.
Links to external organisations are provided for reference. We are not responsible for their content, and none of them have reviewed or endorsed Pet & Pet.