Why is Shelterluv making these changes?

Shelterluv was founded on the belief that it is possible to keep animals first and also build the easy-to-use, modern software the animal welfare industry lacked. Thanks to the first Program-Related Investment ever made by Maddie’s Fund, Shelterluv went from a bold idea to reality. 

Once Maddie’s Fund made that investment, it was then Shelterluv’s job to:

• Build a great product and the team to support it
• Keep putting animals first in all decisions 
• Keep pricing affordable for customers
• Keep improving the product over time 

Shelter software fees contribute to operating expenses but do not cover them. Fees also do not provide the funds to develop and build new features. Product and service vendor partners are key to bridge this funding gap, allowing us to continue to improve the product and keep Shelterluv affordable to you. Shelterluv has never increased prices, even though standard subscription-based software prices increase 7%-11% annually. 

In 2019, Shelterluv began to explore vendor partnerships, starting with those vendors requested by customers. Since then we have tested many checkout offers, from food to pet supplies to telehealth to insurance. The results for insurance are astonishing:

• Pets insured at checkout are 40% less likely to be returned
• This is the most impactful tool that we know of to reduce return rates. 
• Insured pets see their vets more often and follow vets’ recommendations more often – they receive 2x the veterinary care of an uninsured pet. 

For vendor partnerships to succeed, we need our entire customer base to participate and most adopters need to be shown the offer in mobile checkout. Allowing an adopter to make their own choice about whether or not to purchase a checkout offer is key. Shelterluv does not sell, rent, or otherwise share adopter data. Adopters must opt-in; if they do not, they are not contacted again. This opt-in strategy is a key differentiator between Shelterluv and many existing vendors.  

Why is Shelterluv making these changes?

We've introduced a new Shelterpay Dashboard to provide your team with easy access to the most important Shelterpay numbers for the past 30 days.

• Shelterpay mobile checkout rate
• Donation total and breakdown by source
• Chewy coupons requested by adopters
• MetLife Pet Insurance policies purchased by adopters
• Adopterluv account activations

Navigate to Shelterpay Dashboard in your gear menu to access this report anytime. (Please note: Access is limited to users with the Configure my shelter & its Users permission.)

For your convenience, you will also receive this report via email each month.

If you need help increasing your mobile checkout rate, email us at help@shelterluv.com to schedule a checkout consult. We are here to help you succeed, and we promise to work with each of you.

My organization is not using Shelterpay. What should I do?

Email help@shelterluv.com. Our team can explain how to get started with mobile checkout. 

How can I influence the adopter? Isn’t how they pay for their adoption their decision? 

Most Shelterluv customers have been achieving these thresholds prior to the change in terms. We also know that shelters, like restaurants and other small businesses, have a great deal of influence on how their customers pay via their messaging and operational workflows. You are not alone in finding the answer for your organization. The Shelterluv team is here to help by sharing best practices from other shelters/rescues and printable resources for your team and adopters. We are here to help you succeed! Email help@shelterluv.com.

Do I have to send you a list of all the businesses our organization works with?

Your email says you want to help us, but these Terms & Conditions have a big penalty that we can’t afford. How can we trust Shelterluv is doing the right thing for its customers?

We are in this together. We want customers to partner with Shelterluv because it’s the right decision for your animals, your team, and your shelter. Our goal is to create systems that provide this. We’re not asking you to trust us because we’re nice people. We’re asking you to partner with Shelterluv based on our record of decisions. For example:

1. Shelterluv has never stopped investing in product improvement, even though we are still bridging the funding gap. Custom Applications, a fully-fledged Custom Kennel Card Builder, a more advanced iframe, and community services tracking have all been launched during this time.
2. Shelterluv has recently made an infrastructure investment that allows for mobile access, improved reporting, and even more donation features. This is the largest single investment Shelterluv has made since building Field & Community Services in 2019. 
3. Shelterluv terms have always included a standard software billing clause that states Shelterluv can shut off account access for any customer due to non-payment. Payment challenges happen for various customers every month. We don’t close these Shelterluv accounts, we work with the customer. Shelterluv is not looking for ways to make our customers’ work more difficult, which shutting off Shelterluv would do.

Does this apply to organizations outside of the United States or organizations that cannot use Shelterpay due to municipal/legal constraints?

No, these changes apply to organizations within the 50 United States. Municipal organizations that cannot use Shelterpay due to documented city/county code restrictions are also omitted.

Does this affect the standard Shelterluv pricing?

Shelterluv’s standard pricing hasn’t changed and is still $2 per adoption. Most customers get Shelterluv free thanks to checkout donations! If you’re a customer and have a question, please email us at help@shelterluv.com