While there is little standardization in where animal services lives within a local government structure (or if it even lies within local government as is the case with outsourcing to the nonprofit sector), most animal control agencies are responsible for a wide array of tasks concerning the welfare and adoption of animals in the community.

A large number of responsibilities makes efficiency difficult in animal services organizations.

Thankfully, the increasing availability of software services helps animal services organizations to automate and streamline many of these tasks, helping to save time and ultimately money.

Two Types of Animal Services Software

Like the variety of responsibilities that make up animal control management, there is also a lot of variety when it comes to animal services software – and when one agency is responsible for a wide variety of services, it can be difficult to find a product that adequately serves area of responsibility – and therefore to know which features to focus on when software shopping.

Within the world of animal services, there are two main types of software services: animal shelter management software and animal control management software. While the two have similar names, their prime functionality tends to focus on different aspects of animal services. In this post we’ll explore some of the differences between the two types of software and look closely at which one best suits different organizations.

Animal Shelter Management Software

Animal shelter software is geared more towards organizations whose primary activities focus on animal welfare, adoption and rescue. As such, sheltering software tends to focus more on tasks related to administration, care and intake of animals. Some of the top functionality of animal shelter management software includes:

• Adoption Management: Helps in tracking and managing the adoption process, including adoption applications, approvals, and records.

• Animal Records: Maintains comprehensive records of animals within the shelter, including medical history, vaccinations, and behavior assessments.

• Donor, Volunteer and Foster Management: Manages donor information and volunteer scheduling for those contributing to the shelter's activities. Keep track of foster parents’ capabilities, preferences and availability.
  

Animal Control Software

Animal control software is tailored more for activities related to enforcing animal-related laws and ordinances. The most common animal control software functionality includes:

• Field Operations: Cloud-based software supports field officers in managing and documenting their activities related to animal control, including responding to complaints, capturing stray animals, and handling wildlife issues.

• License and Registration: Manages licensing and registration of pets, ensuring that owners comply with local regulations.

• Citations and Enforcement: Tracks violations of animal-related laws and facilitates the enforcement process, including issuing citations and managing court cases.

• Public Education: Provides tools for public outreach and education on responsible pet ownership and animal control regulations.

Do I Need Animal Shelter Management Software or Animal Control Software?

The type of software you need will depend on the primary activities of your agency.

• If your organization focuses mainly on animal care and adoptions, animal shelter management software may be the best choice for you.

• If your organization focuses mainly on ordinance enforcement and humane investigations, animal control software may be the best choice for you.

If you aren’t entirely sure which focus dominates your day-to-day activities, consider tracking the time you spend on individual activities in a given work cycle (weekly, biweekly, monthly) and organizing by “buckets” of activity to provide yourself a better understanding of where your time is going. (Pro Tip: Identifying your biggest “time sinks” can also help you identify areas where new processes could help create efficiencies.)

Often organizations that provide animal services divide their time between sheltering and humane investigations. This was the case for Lollypop Farm, a nonprofit organization that serves as the humane society for Rochester, NY. Previously the organization had operated on one singular system, but when the sheltering side moved to a new software, the investigative side felt their needs weren’t being met – and made the choice to obtain their own solution from Comcate, ain animal control-specific software with case management features that allowed them to better track their humane investigations. If your organization is in a similar situation, check out Lollypop Farm’s story for more information.

Comcate for Animal Control Software

At Comcate, we offer software specifically designed for animal control activities. Whether you are investigating a violation, documenting a new case or scheduling a follow-up inspection, Comcate’s animal control software allows officers to do more with the resources they already have. As a cloud-based solution, our animal control software is optimized for mobile devices, allowing officers to conduct mobile inspections, upload photos and even generate notices all from the field – cutting back on unnecessary trips to the office.

Interested in learning more? Fill out the form below and one of our consultants will be in touch to schedule an intro to Comcate and walk you through a demo of our animal control software.

Schedule a Meeting with Comcate Today!

Learn how Comcate can help make government delivery simple, and offer a modern digital experience to help you increase transparency, efficiency, and performance across your departments. If you have any questions about implementing our software, please fill out the form below or call us directly at (415) 632-1248.

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