Petfinder Integration

PawPlacer's Petfinder integration allows you to automatically synchronize your pet data to Petfinder.com, one of the largest pet adoption websites. This integration helps increase visibility for your adoptable pets by maintaining consistent information across both platforms while eliminating the need for duplicate data entry.

Overview

The Petfinder integration works by:

1. Converting your PawPlacer pet data to Petfinder's required format
2. Validating the data against Petfinder's requirements
3. Securely uploading the data via FTP to Petfinder's servers
4. Maintaining a history of synchronizations

Getting Started

Before using the Petfinder integration, you'll need to:

1. Have an active Petfinder account for your organization
2. Request FTP access from Petfinder specifically for PawPlacer integration
3. Configure your FTP credentials in PawPlacer

Requesting FTP Access

To set up the integration:

1. Navigate to Settings > Petfinder Integration
2. Click "Request Petfinder Access"
3. In the form that appears, enter your Petfinder ID
4. Choose whether to preserve existing listings
5. Click "Open Email Draft" to generate an email to Petfinder

The email will automatically include all necessary information Petfinder requires to grant FTP access. Petfinder typically processes these requests within 1-3 business days.

Note: The request must come from the primary contact listed on your Petfinder account. Existing API or website credentials will not work for this integration.

Configuring Integration Settings

After receiving FTP credentials from Petfinder:

1. Return to Settings > Petfinder Integration
2. Click "I already have credentials" (or navigate to the Settings tab)
3. Enter the username and password provided by Petfinder
4. Toggle "Enable Integration" to activate the connection
5. Click "Save Settings"

Understanding Data Synchronization

What Gets Synced

The Petfinder integration synchronizes pets with the following statuses:

• Available
• Adopted
• Fostered
• Lost
• Pending
• Hold

Important: Each sync uploads ALL pets with these statuses to Petfinder, replacing all previous data. Pets not included in the current upload will be removed from Petfinder, but will remain unaffected in PawPlacer.

Data Validation

Before syncing, PawPlacer validates your pet data against Petfinder's requirements. The system checks for:

• Required fields (name, primary breed, gender, size, age, type, status, coat length, primary color)
• Valid values for each field (matching Petfinder's accepted values)
• Compatible data types and formats

Any validation issues will be displayed before syncing, with two severity levels:

• Errors: Must be fixed before syncing (highlighted in red)
• Warnings: Recommended to fix but not required (highlighted in yellow)

Pet Data Mapping

PawPlacer automatically maps your pet data to Petfinder's required format. Key field mappings include:

Using the Sync Interface

Previewing Data

To preview and validate your pet data before synchronizing:

1. Navigate to Settings > Petfinder Integration
2. Select the "Sync Data" tab
3. Click "Load Data" to generate a preview
4. Review the pet list showing validation status

Fixing Validation Issues

When validation issues are detected:

1. Switch to the "With Issues" tab to focus on problematic records
2. For each issue:

• Click "Fix" next to the specific issue
• Make necessary corrections in the form that appears
• Click "Save" or "Save and Continue" to fix multiple issues

3. Alternatively, use "Fix All Issues" to sequentially address all issues for a pet

You can also fix issues directly from the "All Pets" tab by:

1. Locating pets with issues (highlighted in red or yellow)
2. Clicking "Manual Fix" to begin fixing all issues for that pet

Performing a Sync

Once your data passes validation:

1. Click "Sync to Petfinder" at the bottom of the screen
2. Wait for the upload to complete (typically 30-60 seconds)
3. A success message will appear when synchronization is complete

Note: Petfinder processes uploaded data approximately every 4 hours. Your changes may not be immediately visible on their website.

Viewing Sync History

The interface shows your last synchronization date and time at the bottom of the sync tab.

Images and Media

Photo Handling

• The first 6 photos from each pet's profile will be uploaded
• Each photo URL includes a timestamp to ensure Petfinder refreshes the image
• Photos must be publicly accessible URLs

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Required Fields

The following fields must be completed for each pet before synchronization:

• Pet name
• Primary breed (must match Petfinder's breed list)
• Gender (Male/Female)
• Size (X-Small, Small, Medium, Large, X-Large)
• Age category (Kitten/Puppy/Youngest, Young, Adult, Senior)
• Animal type (Cat, Dog, Rabbit)
• Status (Available, Hold, Adopted, Pending, Lost, Fostered)
• Coat length (Short, Medium, Long, Wire, Curly, Hairless)
• Primary color (must match Petfinder's color list)

Best Practices

• Sync regularly: Maintain consistency between PawPlacer and Petfinder
• Fix validation issues promptly: Keep your pet data aligned with Petfinder's requirements
• Use detailed descriptions: Well-written pet descriptions increase adoption chances
• Include multiple photos: Provide at least 3-6 high-quality images per pet
• Be accurate with compatibility flags: Correctly mark pets' compatibility with kids, dogs, and cats
• Refresh data before syncing: Click "Refresh Data" to ensure you're uploading the latest information

Limitations

• Only pets with supported statuses will be synchronized
• Custom fields in PawPlacer won't transfer to Petfinder
• Maximum of 6 photos per pet
• Supported species are limited to cats, dogs, and rabbits
• Breed and color values must match Petfinder's accepted lists