Shelterluv gives you the ability to create adoption, foster, owner surrender, and custom applications to fit your needs.

Click your username > Configuration > Applications > Application Builder to get started.

What user permissions do I need to build my applications?

• Configure my shelter and its users

What do I need to configure before I build my applications?

• How to Configure Your Animal Population

Note
Configuration is only accessible through a desktop or laptop. You cannot access the Configuration section on a mobile device.

Overview

This article will focus on building your applications. You can find more details about your application email templates here - How to Configure Your Application Email Templates

Once you expand the Application Builder section and click the Application Type dropdown menu, you will see applications for each of your configured species. Before you start building your applications, make sure you have your animal population configured first so you have each species-specific application available to you.

Build an Application

In this article, we will use the dog adoption application as our example, but each system-default application is built in the exact same way. Custom applications work a little bit differently when you first set them up. You can find those details at the bottom of this article.

• Application link and auto-emailing applications

  When you choose an application to build from the Application Type dropdown menu, you will see a link and an auto email toggle at the top.

  This link is what you'll share anywhere you want people to be able to apply. This is typically done on your website, embedded in a button, included in an email footer, or shared on social media.

  If you want to receive an emailed copy when an application is submitted, turn on the Auto email submitted applications toggle and add your email address. You can add as many email addresses here as you need.

  

• Default Questions

  The default questions are built into each application for you, so you don't need to create them yourself. These questions cannot be edited or removed. In order for Shelterluv to automatically create person and animal records from applications, certain information is needed, which is why these default questions are locked.

  

• Custom questions

  There is no limit to the number of custom questions you can add. Clicking the Add Question button will allow you to add the question title, help text, question type, and mark the question as required or optional.

  There are six question types available:

  1. Text - Use this when the answer should be a few words to one sentence. I.e. - "What is your occupation?"
  2. Paragraph Text - Use this when the answer should be more than one sentence. I.e. - "Please describe your daily schedule"
  3. Dropdown (select one) - Use this when you have predefined options for the applicant to choose, but they can only choose one. I.e. - "How did you learn about the dog you want to adopt?"
  4. Checkboxes (select multiple) - Use this when you have predefined options for the applicant to choose from, and they can choose as many options as they need. I.e. - "Why are you considering a pet?"
  5. Date - Use this when the answer should be a date. I.e. - "What is your date of birth?"
  6. Number (1-999) - Use this when the answer should be a number. I.e. - "Applicant's Age:"

  

• Rearrange, edit, or delete custom questions

  Click on the underlined question to edit it. Use the trashcan on the right to either delete one of the answers or the entire question.

  Use the double lines on the left to rearrange the questions.

  

• Application disclaimers

  At the very bottom of the application builder, you can configure your application disclaimer. Please keep in mind that the disclaimer applies to all species. Your applicants will see the disclaimer at the end of the application and will need to apply a digital signature to it.

  

Custom Applications

You can create custom applications in one of the following four categories:

1. Community Cat Program
2. Community Services
3. Volunteer
4. Other

After you choose the appropriate category, you will have the option to include or exclude animal information. For example, if you are making a custom application for volunteers, you likely won't need to include animal information in your application.

Once you add the new application type, you can build it in the exact same way as your system-default applications.

Application Example

Below is an example of what an application will look like to your applicants:

• Default Questions

  When the applicant first opens the application, they will fill out the default questions.

  

• Custom questions and disclaimer

  On the next page, they will answer all of your custom questions, read the disclaimer, and apply their digital signature, and that's it!

  

Applications for Specific Animals

If you would like to provide an adoption application link for a specific animal to potential adopters, you can customize the generic link to be specific to that individual animal. This can be helpful when posting an animal on another platform, such as a social media site, where you might highlight one animal in a post.

To do this, take your generic application link and insert an animal's ID. The base URL is new.shelterluv.com/matchme/adopt/ so you would add the animal ID after adopt/.

For example, say if you wanted to provide an individual application link for an animal named Dot (TEST-A-3181), you would use the link: new.shelterluv.com/matchme/adopt/TEST-A-3181