Making your pets visible to potential adopters is a crucial step in finding them forever homes. PawPlacer gives you control over how and when pets appear to the public.
Understanding Public Visibility
Pets in your system can have two visibility states:
- Public: Visible on your public adoption gallery
- Private: Only visible within your organization
Requirements for Public Visibility
For a pet to be visible to the public, it must meet these conditions:
- Your organization must have public visibility enabled
- The pet must have the "Available" status
- The pet must have at least one photo or video
- The pet's individual visibility must be set to public
If any of these conditions are not met, the pet will only be visible internally.
Controlling Pet Visibility
Toggling Individual Pet Visibility
- Go to the pet's profile
- Look for the eye icon in the top-right section
- Click to toggle visibility:
- Eye icon: Pet is visible to the public
- Crossed-out eye icon: Pet is only visible internally
- The change takes effect immediately
Checking Visibility Status
You can quickly identify a pet's visibility status:
- Public pets show an active eye icon
- Private pets show a crossed-out eye icon
- The tooltip on hover will confirm the current status
Creating Effective Public Profiles
Profile Photos
Quality photos significantly increase adoption chances:
- Upload clear, well-lit photos
- Include both full-body and close-up shots
- Show the pet's personality through action shots
- Keep backgrounds clean and uncluttered
- At least one photo should clearly show the pet's face
Engaging Descriptions
Write compelling descriptions that help potential adopters connect with the pet:
- Start with personality traits and positive qualities
- Describe typical behaviors and what makes this pet special
- Mention any training the pet has received
- Be honest about special needs or behavior challenges
- End with what type of home would be ideal
Public Information
These fields from the pet's profile will be visible to the public:
- Name
- Photos and videos
- Sex
- Age
- Breed
- Size
- Coat length
- Color
- Description
- Temperaments
- Compatible With/Incompatible With information
- Adoption fee
- Special needs (if applicable)
- Spayed/neutered status
Private Information
These details remain internal and are never shown publicly:
- Medical records
- Intake information
- Location found/surrender reasons
- Staff notes
- Tasks
- Files and documents
- Exact birthdate (only age category is shown)
Generating Shareable Links
Create direct links to a pet's public profile:
- Go to the pet's profile
- Click the eye icon
- Select "Copy Link" from the tooltip
- The link is copied to your clipboard
- Share this link on social media, in emails, or text messages
QR Codes for Public Profiles
Generate QR codes that link directly to the pet's profile:
- On the pet's profile, click the QR Code button
- A QR code will be generated
- Download the QR code to use on:
- Kennel cards
- Event materials
- Flyers
- Business cards
Managing Bonded Pets
For pets that need to be adopted together:
- Mark them as bonded in their profile settings
- Their public profiles will show that they are bonded
- Visitors will see links to the bonded pets' profiles
- This ensures potential adopters know these pets must stay together
Updating Public Information
When you make changes to a pet's profile, keep in mind:
- Changes to visible fields are immediately reflected on the public profile
- Photo additions/deletions update in real-time
- Status changes affect visibility (only "Available" pets can be public)
- Adoption fee changes are immediately visible
Public Profile Best Practices
Information to Include
- Accurate age and size estimates
- Known history that affects behavior
- Training level and cues the pet responds to
- Energy level and exercise needs
- Whether the pet is good with children, other animals
- Any special needs or ongoing medical requirements
Information to Avoid
- Personal details about previous owners
- Sensitive medical information
- Exact location where stray was found
- Negative language that could stigmatize the pet
- Information that could compromise the organization's security
Promoting Pet Profiles
Use the shareable link to promote pet profiles on social media platforms. Copy the pet's public profile link and share it across your organization's social media channels.