If you've lost pet vaccine records, the fastest fix is to ask the clinic that gave the vaccines for a copy: in Ontario, vets must keep each animal's medical record, including its vaccination history, for at least five years after the last entry. You don't need the original paper, the request doesn't have to be in writing, and the College of Veterinarians of Ontario (CVO) says a clinic mustn't hold records back over an unpaid bill.
So take a breath. The folder you can't find isn't the only copy.
Below: who to ask, what to say, where else copies tend to hide, and what happens if a record truly can't be found. We use Ontario's rules as the example; other provinces have their own college with similar standards.
Why your clinic still has your lost pet vaccine records
Your clinic still has them because Ontario law makes it keep them. Regulation 1093 lists what a companion animal's record must contain, and the animal's history, vaccinations included, is on that list. The same regulation says records must be kept for five years, and the CVO's medical records standard repeats it: five years after the last entry.
Rabies leaves an extra trail. Ontario's rabies regulation says every certificate must show the vaccine's name and serial number, the date given, the date the next shot is due, and the number on the rabies tag. All of that sits in the clinic's file.
In Ontario, your vet must keep your pet's record, vaccines included, for at least five years after the last entry. Losing your paper copy doesn't lose the record.
How to ask for a copy
Just call or email the clinic and say what you need. The CVO's guide to its medical records standard says a client can ask for copies of the parts they need or for the complete record, and the request doesn't need to be in writing, though email does give you a paper trail.
Be specific. Something like "a copy of Biscuit's vaccine history and her current rabies certificate" works, or ask for the full record if you're switching vets. Tell them where to send it: to you, to a new clinic, or both. And ask about a copy fee. The CVO allows a reasonable one, the clinic should tell you in advance, and paying isn't a condition of release.
If the copy's going to a new vet, the CVO expects a complete record to be transferred within two business days. Our guide on how to get your pet's vet records has a ready-to-send request, and who owns your pet's medical records explains the rules behind it.
Where else to look
Copies often turn up somewhere you already have access to, so it's worth five minutes of searching before you call:
| Where | What you might find |
|---|---|
| Your email | Invoices, visit summaries or certificates sent after appointments; search the clinic's name |
| Your phone's photos | A snapshot taken at the counter or for a kennel |
| Kennel, daycare or groomer | Many keep a copy of the rabies certificate on file |
| Shelter or rescue | Adoption paperwork often lists the vaccines given before adoption |
| Breeder | First puppy or kitten shots |
| Previous clinics | Every clinic that ever vaccinated your pet keeps its own record |
| Pet insurance | Records sent with past claims |
Don't forget the rabies tag on your pet's collar. Its number appears on the certificate, so the clinic named on the tag can pull up the matching record quickly.
If the clinic has closed or the vet retired
Records from a closed clinic don't just vanish. The CVO's guide says a practice that closes has to keep its records in storage, and Regulation 1093 lets a vet who stops practising keep records for two years after that point, if that comes before the five-year mark.
Try the clinic's old phone number and website first. Then ask nearby clinics who took over the files, or contact the CVO for guidance.
If no record can be found
If no record exists, your vet will plan as if your pet has no vaccine history. It happens, often with a stray or a pet adopted privately. For cats, the Cornell Feline Health Center says an adult with unknown vaccination status should be treated as unvaccinated and given the full kitten series of core vaccines.
Rabies is the one with a legal deadline in Ontario: dogs, cats and ferrets three months or older must be vaccinated and keep a current certificate, as our post on the rabies vaccine Ontario law explains. If proof is missing, ask your vet whether revaccinating now makes sense. And please don't guess at dates on a form for a kennel or the border. Ask the clinic for an official copy instead.
How to never lose them again
A few small habits do it. Ask for a copy of the record after every vaccine visit, not just the receipt, and photograph each certificate the day you get it. Keep the originals in one folder at home with the rabies certificate on top. Then keep a digital copy that doesn't depend on one clinic or one phone.
That last one is what the free PetGrid app is built for. Upload a photo or PDF and AI record reading suggests the vaccines, medicines and allergies it finds, and you confirm each one before it's saved. From there you can make a vaccine card for a kennel and get reminders before the next dose.
Questions people ask
How do I get a copy of my pet's vaccine records?
Ask the vet clinic that gave the vaccines, since it keeps the record. In Ontario the request doesn't have to be in writing, and the clinic can send a copy to you or straight to a new vet.
How long do vets keep vaccine records in Ontario?
At least five years after the last entry in the record. A vet who stops practising may keep them for two years after leaving practice if that comes sooner.
Can a vet refuse to give me records if I owe money?
No. The CVO says a clinic mustn't obstruct the release of records because of unpaid fees, and paying a copy fee isn't a condition of release.
I lost my pet's rabies certificate. What should I do?
Ask the clinic that gave the vaccine for a copy of the certificate. It holds the vaccine serial number, date, due date and tag number, so it can reissue the details from your pet's file.
What if my pet's vaccine history is completely unknown?
Your vet will plan as if your pet is unvaccinated. For cats, Cornell says an adult with unknown status should get the full kitten series of core vaccines.
The short version
Lost pet vaccine records are almost always recoverable. The clinic that gave the shots keeps the record for years, asking can be a phone call, and an unpaid bill can't block it. Check your email, photos, kennel and shelter paperwork too, and if nothing turns up, let your vet plan a fresh start.
Once you've got the copies, keep them in the free PetGrid app, so the next time someone asks, the answer's already on your phone.
Keep your pet's records, vaccines and visits in one safe place. The PetGrid app is free for pet owners, with or without a clinic.
Get the free PetGrid appSources
Every fact about another product or organisation comes from these pages, read on the date shown.
- Ontario, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 1093: General (Veterinarians Act) ()
- College of Veterinarians of Ontario, Professional Practice Standard: Medical Records ()
- College of Veterinarians of Ontario, Guide to the Professional Practice Standard: Medical Records ()
- Ontario, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 567: Rabies Immunization ()
- Cornell Feline Health Center, Feline Vaccines: Benefits and Risks ()