To move your rescue off spreadsheets, gather your existing files, choose rescue software that imports them, map your columns to the new fields and check the preview before saving. With PawPlacer, you can do that yourself with the Data Uploader or have the PawPlacer team handle the whole migration for free.
Spreadsheets are how most rescues start, and they work for a while. Then there is one sheet for animals, another for fosters, a third for adopters and a fourth for vaccines. Formulas break, versions multiply, and only one person really knows which file is current.
This guide from the PawPlacer team walks through moving your rescue from spreadsheets to a real database, step by step.
At a Glance
- Destination: PawPlacer, free animal rescue software.
- Migration: free white-glove migration by the PawPlacer team, or self-serve with the Data Uploader.
- What imports: pets, adopters, fosters, volunteers, donors and surrenders.
- File types: CSV and Excel.
- Safety: column mapping and a full preview before anything is saved.
- Exports: full CSV exports at any time after the move.
Signs It Is Time to Leave Spreadsheets
- Multiple versions of the same file.
- Records that do not connect, like a pet and its foster.
- Medical due dates that depend on someone remembering.
- Applications copied in from email by hand.
- Reports rebuilt from scratch every month.
1. Gather Your Files
Collect every spreadsheet your rescue uses: animals, fosters, adopters, volunteers, donors and surrenders. Export any Google Sheets or other tools to CSV or Excel.
2. Decide Between Self-Serve and White-Glove
If your team has time and your files are tidy, the Data Uploader lets you import at your own pace. If not, the PawPlacer team offers white-glove migration at no cost.
3. Map Your Columns
PawPlacer's Data Uploader maps your spreadsheet columns to PawPlacer fields, with AI-assisted column mapping to speed up the matching. Columns like "Name," "DOB" and "Foster" do not need to match PawPlacer's labels exactly.
4. Review the Preview
Before anything is saved, the Data Uploader previews every row and flags issues, such as missing required fields. Fix the source file or adjust the mapping, then import.
5. Set Up Your Statuses and Team
Create custom statuses that match your workflow, such as intake, medical hold, available and adopted. Invite your team and assign one of six roles, with granular permissions and multi-factor authentication.
6. Turn On the Public Side
Connect Petfinder and Adopt-a-Pet syndication, embed website widgets for adoptable pets and forms, and share your public profile. Adoptable pets are shared with GetBuddy automatically.
7. Retire the Spreadsheets
Once records are in, new information goes into PawPlacer: medical care in the Medical Suite, placements in foster records and applications in the applicant inbox. Keep the old files as an archive.
8. Know You Can Always Get Your Data Out
PawPlacer provides full CSV exports of every supported record type at any time, and reports export to CSV or Excel. Your data stays yours.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to move off spreadsheets?
Nothing. PawPlacer is free, and so is white-glove migration.
What if our spreadsheets are messy?
The Data Uploader flags issues before saving, and the PawPlacer team can handle the migration for you.
Can we import vaccine records?
The Data Uploader imports pets, adopters, fosters, volunteers, donors and surrenders. Medication catalogs can be imported separately from CSV or Excel. For medical history, ask the PawPlacer team during white-glove migration.
Get Started With PawPlacer
PawPlacer is the free spreadsheet alternative for animal rescue, with connected records, medical reminders, applications and reports in one place.
Create your free PawPlacer account today, and let the PawPlacer team move your spreadsheets for you.