Adding New Pets

Adding new pets to your shelter management system is a crucial first step in managing an animal's journey through your organization. This guide walks you through the process of creating detailed pet profiles.

Getting Started

1. Navigate to the Pets section from the main menu
2. Click the Add a Pet button in the top-right corner
3. This will take you to the pet creation form

Pet Creation Form

The form is divided into several sections that collect comprehensive information about the pet:

Basic Information

• Name: Enter the pet's name (required)
• Species: Select from the supported animals in your shelter (dog, cat, rabbit, etc.)
• Sex: Select male or female
• Age: You can specify the pet's age in several ways:
• Exact birthdate (if known)
• Years and months (for adult pets)
• Age category (puppy/kitten, young, adult, senior)
• Size: Choose from X-Small, Small, Medium, Large, X-Large
• Spayed/Neutered: Indicate whether the pet has been spayed or neutered
• Microchip ID: Enter the pet's microchip number if available

Physical Attributes

• Breed: Select one or more breeds or mixed breeds
• Color: Enter the pet's primary and secondary colors
• Health Status: Rate the pet's overall health (Poor, Good, Great, Unknown)

Pet Background

• Location Found: If the pet was found as a stray, enter details about where they were found
• Reason for Surrender: If the pet was surrendered, document the reason provided
• Special Needs: List any special requirements or conditions the pet has

Pet Behavior

• Temperaments: Select all temperaments that apply (such as Affectionate, Shy, Energetic, etc.)
• Good With: Indicate what the pet is compatible with (other dogs, cats, children, etc.)
• Not Good With: Note anything the pet doesn't get along with

Description

• Write a detailed description of the pet, including personality, habits, training level, and other relevant information
• This description may be visible to potential adopters, so make it engaging and informative

Photos

• Upload clear photos of the pet
• The first photo will be used as the profile picture
• You can add multiple photos to showcase different angles or aspects of the pet

Adoption Fee

• Set a custom adoption fee if needed
• If left blank, the system will calculate the fee based on your shelter's fee configuration

Pet Status

• Select the initial status for the pet (typically "Intake" for new arrivals)
• This can be changed later as the pet moves through your system

Bonded Pets

• If this pet should be adopted with others, you can mark them as "bonded"
• Select other pets in your system that this pet is bonded with

Saving the Pet Profile

1. Review all information for accuracy
2. Click the Save button at the bottom of the form
3. You'll be redirected to the new pet's profile page

Pet Visibility Settings

After creating a pet profile, you can control whether it appears in public searches:

1. On the pet's profile page, find the Visibility toggle (eye icon)
2. Toggle visibility on/off based on whether the pet is ready to be shown to potential adopters

Important Notes

• Required Fields: Name, Species, and Status are required; other fields are optional but recommended
• Pet Limit: Your subscription determines how many active (non-archived) pets you can have in the system
• Photo Best Practices: Clear, well-lit photos increase adoption chances
• Public Display: Pets need at least one photo to be displayed publicly

Quick Tips

• Copy Existing Profile: If you have multiple similar pets, create one profile first, then duplicate and modify it for efficiency
• Batch Upload: For adding many pets at once, consider using the batch import feature
• Draft Mode: You can save incomplete profiles and finish them later if needed