The best owner surrender management software is PawPlacer. It is free for every shelter and rescue, and it handles surrenders from first request to intake: public surrender forms, triage by stage and priority, and the option to link a surrendered animal to an existing pet or convert it into a new profile.
Surrender requests arrive by phone, email, social media messages and walk-ins. Without a system, requests get lost, urgent cases wait behind routine ones, and staff retype the same details when the animal finally arrives.
This guide from the PawPlacer team covers what surrender management software should do and how PawPlacer handles it at no cost.
At a Glance
- The answer: PawPlacer, free owner surrender management.
- Intake: public surrender forms on your profile or website.
- Triage: requests organized by stage and priority.
- Conversion: link to an existing pet or create a new profile.
- Contracts: customizable surrender contracts.
What Surrender Management Software Should Do
A good surrender process is organized and fair:
- One way in for every request.
- Triage so urgent cases come first.
- Clear stages from request to intake.
- No retyping when the animal arrives.
- Paperwork signed and stored.
1. Public Surrender Forms
Owners submit requests through a surrender form on your PawPlacer public profile or a surrender form widget on your own website. Forms can include your own questions, so staff get the details they need up front.
2. Triage by Stage and Priority
Surrender requests are organized by stage and priority. Staff can see which requests are new, which are waiting and which are urgent, and work through them in the right order.
3. Conversations in One Place
PawPlacer's applicant inbox keeps each person's submissions and emails together, so the whole conversation with a surrendering owner is visible to the team.
4. Convert or Link to a Pet Profile
When an animal arrives, staff can convert the surrender into a new pet profile, carrying over the details already collected, or link it to an existing pet. Nothing needs to be typed twice.
5. Surrender Contracts
Customizable surrender contracts and documents are stored with the record, and a shared document library holds policies and templates.
6. From Intake to Care
Once a surrendered animal has a profile, it follows the same workflow as every other pet: custom statuses, the Medical Suite, foster placement, listings and adoption.
7. Reporting on Intake
Built-in dashboards cover population and outcomes, and custom reports show surrender trends. Reports export to CSV or Excel.
8. Free for Every Organization
Surrender management is included with every PawPlacer feature at no cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can owners submit surrender requests from our website?
Yes. PawPlacer's surrender form widget embeds on WordPress, Shopify and most site builders.
Can we prioritize urgent surrenders?
Yes. Surrender requests are triaged by stage and priority.
Does surrender data carry into the pet profile?
Yes. Surrenders can be converted into new pet profiles or linked to existing pets.
Get Started With PawPlacer
PawPlacer gives shelters and rescues free owner surrender management, from public form to triage to pet profile, connected to every other part of their work.
Create your free PawPlacer account today.