An adoption involves more paperwork than most adopters ever see. There's an application to review, a meeting to schedule, a contract to sign, a fee to collect, and a record to keep in case the pet ever comes back. Animal adoption software keeps those steps connected, so your team can see where each adopter stands.
This guide walks through each stage of an adoption, what software should do at that stage, and how PawPlacer handles it.
Step 1: Receive the application
Your application is often the first real contact with an adopter. Keep it as short as you can while still getting what you need to start a conversation. Long forms with strict requirements can turn away good homes before you've spoken with them.
Check that you can change the questions yourself. Dog rescues often ask about fencing and landlords, while cat rescues may focus on indoor or outdoor plans. Your software should also let people apply from a phone, since many will find a pet that way.
In PawPlacer, you can build application forms with your own sections and questions, then share them through a public link or a widget on your website. Each new submission goes to your Inbox.
Step 2: Review and respond
Replying quickly matters here, since adopters are often talking to several organizations at once. It helps when every application is in one queue and anyone on the team can see whether it's been answered.
PawPlacer's Inbox groups applications and emails by person. Your team reads one conversation, replies by email from that screen, and approves or rejects the application with a message you can edit first. Team notes stay internal, so counselors can discuss an application without the applicant seeing it.
Try to keep your notes factual and respectful. They may be read later by a coworker, and they should explain the decision clearly.
Step 3: Connect the adopter with pets
People often apply for one pet and end up adopting another. Your software should let you track every pet someone's interested in, and show you all the people interested in a given pet. That way, if the first choice gets adopted, you can suggest another one.
On a PawPlacer adopter profile, you can add pets of interest with notes. Bonded companions are included in the selection, so a bonded pair doesn't get split by accident.
Step 4: Schedule the meet-and-greet
Meetings are easy to lose track of when they're arranged by text. You'll want the date, the location, who's attending, and which pets are involved, plus a record of how it went.
PawPlacer lets you schedule meet-and-greets as in-person, virtual, or phone meetings from the adopter's profile. Once a meeting is marked complete, you can add an outcome. Meetings also appear on the calendar, so your team can see what's coming up.
Step 5: Sign the adoption contract
Look for a contract process that records exactly what the adopter agreed to and when. If your wording changes next year, you should still be able to see the version this adopter signed.
In PawPlacer, the adoption contract is one of four types you can edit under Settings. During QR checkout, the adopter reviews the terms and gives a drawn or typed signature. The signed agreement is saved to their profile before payment begins, so you keep it even if checkout gets interrupted. Your organization remains responsible for the wording, so have an attorney review it for your state.
Step 6: Collect the fee
Fees get complicated quickly. Puppies may cost more than seniors, some pets are sponsored, and adopting a pair might involve a discount. If staff have to work this out each time, mistakes are likely.
PawPlacer calculates adoption fees from rules you set by species and age, with adjustments for health, sex, and size. You can override the fee for an individual pet, including setting it to zero. The adopter can pay through Stripe or Square, or through methods such as PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, or Zelle if you've configured them. They can also add an optional donation.
PawPlacer doesn't take a percentage of adoption fees. Your payment processor charges its usual fees, so ask any software vendor whether they add their own on top.
Step 7: Finalize the adoption
At an event or in your lobby, the adopter should be able to finish on their own phone. PawPlacer shows a QR code that opens the contract and payment on the adopter's device, while the staff screen waits and opens the receipt once it's complete. You can also email the contract link or record an adoption that was handled in person.
Finalizing should update everything at once. In PawPlacer, completing an adoption creates a receipt, changes the pet's status to Adopted, ends any active foster placement, and moves the pet onto the adopter's list of adopted pets. If the pet is listed on Petfinder or Adopt-a-Pet, the next sync updates those listings based on your settings.
Step 8: Follow up
The work continues after the pet goes home. You may need to confirm a spay or neuter appointment, transfer the microchip, or check in after two weeks. Each of these needs an owner and a date, or it's likely to be forgotten.
Each adoption receipt in PawPlacer has a follow-up plan, along with the payment ledger, documents, and notes.
Step 9: Handle returns
Some adoptions don't work out, and a clear process makes it easier for the adopter to bring the pet back. Your records should capture the reason without erasing the adoption, because that history will help you find the pet's next home.
In PawPlacer, you process a return from the adoption receipt or the pet's profile. You'll enter a required reason, and the pet goes back to your available status. The original contract, payment, and notes stay on the receipt, so the pet's full history is there when you look for the next home.
Frequently asked questions
Can adopters apply for more than one pet?
Yes. In PawPlacer, an adopter can have several pets of interest and can adopt more than one in the same session. Each pet's fee is calculated separately and added to the total.
Do we need online payments to use adoption software?
No. You can record cash or check adoptions in person. Online payment is useful for events and remote adoptions, but it's optional.
How do adoption records work with Petfinder?
It depends on the platform. PawPlacer publishes eligible pets to Petfinder and Adopt-a-Pet from your existing pet records, based on status and visibility rules, either on a schedule or when you start a sync.
