How TailsPal's Pet Database Works 🧡 🐾

Why TailsPal maintains a pet database

A structured database lets us keep reliable records of animals, coordinate care, and accelerate adoptions. When information is organized, volunteers and adopters find what they need faster and staff can plan medical care and logistics more effectively.

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What information we collect and why

• Basic identification: name, species, estimated age, sex, coat/colour.
• Intake details: arrival date, source (found, surrendered), initial condition.
• Health records: vaccinations, treatments, noted conditions, vet comments.
• Media: multiple photos and short videos for the public profile and archive.
• Status tags: in shelter, foster, on trial adoption, adopted.

These fields support matching pets with suitable homes and managing ongoing care. Internal tags (e.g., "dog-friendly", "needs socialization") help volunteers filter candidates for early events and placements.

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Storage, access and privacy

Data is stored with role-based access. Sensitive medical notes are visible only to authorized staff and vets. Public profiles expose only the information necessary for adoption.

Best practices:

• Use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication for admin accounts.
• Avoid putting volunteers' personal contact details on public pages.

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Who does what in the system

• Administrators: manage structure, backups, permissions.
• Volunteers/content managers: create and maintain profiles, upload photos, communicate with adopters.
• Veterinarians: update health entries and treatment plans.

Clear responsibilities reduce duplicate work and keep records reliable.

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How to update a pet profile correctly

• Add new photos after major care milestones (grooming, recovery, improved behaviour).
• Change the status when a pet moves to foster or is adopted.
• Keep notes factual and concise; include dates for important events.

Pro tip: keep a short chronological log (date — action) so others can quickly understand a pet's recent history.

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Tips for better data and photos

• Photos: neutral background, eye-level, good lighting, several angles.
• Description: honest and concise — mention temperament and any special needs.
• Tags: use consistent tags like "children", "cats", or "street-rescue" to make searching easier.

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FAQs and simple fixes

Q: What if the age is unknown?
A: Provide an estimate and note how it was assessed (vet exam, behavior).

Q: How to handle duplicate profiles?
A: Contact an admin to merge records and preserve the history.

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How you can help

You can support by uploading a better photo, updating status fields, or sharing a pet's profile. Accurate, well-maintained data increases every animal's chance of finding a loving home.

Next steps

Volunteers: check the "New" list and update profiles missing photos or status. Supporters: share profiles on social media and consider fostering or adopting.