Adoptions

The Adoption Process

Adoptions can be completed in two ways:

• Use PawPlacer Checkout creates a checkout session and QR code so the adopter can review terms, choose an optional donation, and complete payment on their own device. Staff can also continue the checkout from the current device.
• Complete In Person records an adoption directly from the adopter profile. Use this when your team has already handled the agreement and payment outside the PawPlacer checkout flow.

Adopter Profile Setup

Before you can process an adoption, you need to have an adopter profile set up:

Creating or Finding an Adopter

• For new adopters: Navigate to Adopters, Add Adopter to create a new profile
• For existing adopters: Go to the Adopters page and search for the person

Assigning Prospective Pets

1. Open the adopter's profile
2. Open the Pets tab and click Add Pet
3. Select the pets they're interested in adopting
4. These pets will be available for adoption when you start the process

Initiate Adoption

The adoption process starts directly from the adopter's profile:

1. Navigate to the adopter's profile page
2. Look for the Adopt button in the header (only visible when prospective pets are assigned)
3. Click the button to start the adoption process
4. Choose between:
   • Use PawPlacer Checkout: Generate a QR code and checkout link for the adopter
   • Complete In Person: Enter the adoption date, payment method, adoption fee, and optional donation yourself

Terms Agreement

In the PawPlacer Checkout path, the adopter must review and agree to your organization's terms and conditions before moving to donation and payment. These terms outline:

• Adoption responsibilities
• Pet care requirements
• Return policies
• Other important legal information

The adopter must explicitly check a box to confirm their agreement before moving forward. The direct Complete In Person path skips the checkout screens, so use it only when your organization has already handled the agreement outside the checkout flow.

Optional Donation

After agreeing to the terms in PawPlacer Checkout, adopters have the opportunity to make an additional donation to your organization. This step is optional but provides valuable support for your organization. In the Complete In Person path, staff can enter an optional donation amount directly in the completion dialog.

PawPlacer lets you:

• Offer preset donation amounts with descriptions
• Allow custom donation amounts
• Skip donations entirely if preferred

Payment Processing

The final checkout step is processing payment for the adoption fee and any donations. PawPlacer supports multiple payment methods including cash, credit/debit cards via Stripe, digital wallets (PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, Zelle), and supported crypto wallets.

When Stripe is selected in PawPlacer Checkout, the adopter is redirected to a secure Stripe Checkout page and the adoption completes automatically once payment succeeds. For other checkout methods, a QR code or payment link is shown, and the adopter or staff member confirms payment was completed.

The payment summary automatically calculates the adoption fee, donation amount, Stripe processing fee (if applicable), and total due.

For Complete In Person, staff select the payment method and can edit the adoption fee and donation amount before saving the completed record.

Completing the Adoption

Once checkout payment is confirmed, or once staff saves the Complete In Person dialog:

What Happens

• Pet status changes to "Adopted"
• Pet moves from the adopter's prospective list to adopted pets
• An adoption record is created with all details
• If the pet was being fostered, the foster assignment is completed

Available After Adoption

• Confirmation email to the adopter when email templates are enabled and the adopter has an email address
• Printable adoption receipt
• Downloadable text receipt summary
• Payment ledger, follow-up tracking, documents, and team notes on the adoption record

Getting Started

To process an adoption:

1. Go to Adopters in your PawPlacer dashboard
2. Find or create the adopter profile
3. Add prospective pets to their profile
4. Click the Adopt button and choose either PawPlacer Checkout or Complete In Person

Related Documentation

For more detailed information on specific aspects of the adoption process:

• Processing Adoptions: Step-by-step guide for the adoption workflow
• Adoption Fees During Checkout: How fees are calculated and displayed
• Processing Donations: The optional donation step
• Payment and Completion: How adopters pay and what happens after
• Stripe Connect: Setting up credit card payments via Stripe
• Managing Adoption Records: Working with completed adoptions
• Processing Returns: Handling adoption returns