To run an adoption event with rescue software, create the event with its schedule and capacity, promote it with a flyer and your public profile, schedule volunteers, and finalize adoptions on the spot with digital checkout. PawPlacer handles every step for free.
Adoption events can place more animals in an afternoon than a typical week, but they take real coordination. Someone books the space, makes flyers, staffs shifts, brings paperwork and processes adoptions in a busy room. When paper contracts and a cash box are involved, records get messy fast.
This guide from the PawPlacer team walks through planning and running an adoption event in PawPlacer.
At a Glance
- Events: schedule, type, status, capacity, location and public visibility.
- Promotion: flyers from templates, printable or shareable as PDF.
- Staffing: one-time volunteer shifts beside recurring schedules.
- Adoptions: QR checkout with contracts, fees, donations and receipts.
- Cost: $0, with no per-adoption fees.
1. Create the Event
Open events and add a new one. Give it a name and description, set the start and end dates and times, and choose a type, such as adoption, fundraiser or volunteer. Set the status, add a location or a saved place, and set maximum attendees if space is limited.
2. Make It Public
Turn on show on public pages to list the event on your PawPlacer public profile. Private events stay internal for team planning.
3. Design a Flyer
PawPlacer's flyer designer builds flyers from templates, including grids of adoptable pets. Print on US letter pages or export as PDF for email and social media. Active flyers appear in your public flyers section for visitors to download.
4. Schedule Volunteers
Add one-time shifts for setup, handling, greeting and teardown, with notes and duties. The schedule calendar shows coverage, and completed shifts count toward volunteer hours.
5. Prepare the Animals
Update statuses for the pets attending, make sure profiles have photos and bios, and check medical records. Printable kennel cards with QR codes can go on crates so visitors and staff can pull up each pet's details.
6. Take Applications On Site
Visitors can apply through your public profile on their own phones. Applications land in the applicant inbox, where staff review and approve them during the event.
7. Finalize Adoptions With QR Checkout
When an adopter is approved, staff start the adoption and PawPlacer shows a QR code. The adopter signs the contract, sees the fee, can add an optional donation and pays on their phone. For cash or check, staff complete the adoption in person and record the payment method.
8. Follow Up After the Event
Follow-up plans schedule check-ins with new adopters, and confirmation emails go out automatically. The outcomes dashboard shows how many animals went home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we limit event attendance?
Yes. Set maximum attendees on the event, or leave it blank for no limit.
Does PawPlacer charge for fee-waived event adoptions?
No. PawPlacer charges nothing per adoption, and you can set a $0 fee or a waiver.
Can adopters pay by card at the event?
Yes. Card payments run through Stripe or Square during QR checkout, and processors charge their own standard fees.
Get Started With PawPlacer
PawPlacer gives rescues free tools to plan, promote and run adoption events, from flyers and volunteer shifts to adoptions finalized on adopters' phones.
Create your free PawPlacer account today.