The Ultimate Guide to Pet Boarding Software: Choosing the Right Platform for Your Facility

The Ultimate Guide to Pet Boarding Software: Choosing the Right Platform for Your Facility

You know the sound. It’s the chaotic symphony of a thriving pet boarding business. The phone is ringing with a new booking inquiry, a customer is at the counter ready to check out, you’re trying to locate Fluffy’s paper vaccination record in a teetering pile of manila folders, and a staff member is shouting a question about which pen the new Great Dane is supposed to go into. You love the vibrant energy of your business, but the administrative chaos? Not so much.

For years, many facility owners have cobbled together a system of spreadsheets, wall calendars, and paper files. But in today’s booming pet care industry, that’s like trying to win a Grand Prix in a horse-drawn cart. A 2022 report from Animal Medicines Australia revealed that households Down Under spent an estimated AUD $33 billion on their pets. This surge in pet ownership and spending means more business, but it also means more competition and higher customer expectations. Pet parents now demand seamless online booking, instant communication, and the kind of professional polish that only dedicated technology can provide.

This is where specialized pet boarding software comes in. It’s not just a digital calendar; it’s a central nervous system for your entire operation, designed to handle the unique, complex, and often quirky demands of caring for people’s beloved animals. But a quick Google search reveals a dizzying array of options: Gingr, KennelBooker, PawLoyalty, PetExec… the list goes on and on. How do you cut through the noise and find the platform that will truly revolutionize your business?

This guide is your map. We will navigate the crowded landscape of pet boarding software, breaking down the essential features you need to look for, comparing the philosophies of different platforms, and giving you the knowledge to choose a system that doesn’t just manage your business, but helps it grow.

Part 1: The Foundation – Core Operational Features

Before you even think about financials or marketing, your software must be able to run the day-to-day operations of your facility with flawless efficiency. This is the foundation upon which everything else is built. If the core features are clunky, confusing, or lack flexibility, the rest of the bells and whistles are meaningless.

The Command Centre: The Scheduler & Calendar

Your scheduler is the heart of your business. It is the single screen that tells you who is in, who is coming, who is leaving, and how much space you have left. A poorly designed scheduler creates confusion, costs you time, and can lead to the cardinal sin of any boarding facility: the double booking.

So, what separates a basic calendar from a world-class command centre? A great scheduler uses clear colour-coding for booking statuses—for instance, blue for confirmed, green for checked-in, yellow for pending, and so on. You need multiple views: a monthly view for long-term capacity planning, and a weekly or daily view for managing the immediate flurry of check-ins and check-outs. One of the standout features here is Pet Manager’s handling of complex stays through Split Bookings, allowing a pet to move pens during their stay within a single, unified record.

Imagine playing “Pen Tetris” during the peak Christmas season. You’re trying to fit large dogs, small dogs, anxious cats, and bonded pairs into the right enclosures. With a basic system, it’s a stressful puzzle played with pen and paper. With a powerful, visual scheduler, it becomes a strategic game. You can see the whole board, effortlessly move the pieces with drag-and-drop functionality, and optimize your facility’s occupancy and harmony.

The Brains: Detailed Booking & Pet Management

Once you have the big picture on your scheduler, you need to be able to zoom in on the fine details. A booking is more than just a pet’s name and a date range. It’s a complete dossier of information that ensures the safety, health, and happiness of every animal in your care.

The system you choose should have specific, intelligent forms for each service you offer. Key capabilities to demand include handling multi-pet & multi-pen bookings, and managing shared or private accommodation. Crucially, you need the ability to capture detailed notes (dietary, medical, behavioural)  and set prominent alerts that staff can’t miss during check-in.

Think about the sheer amount of information you are responsible for. Vaccination records are a perfect example. A robust system will allow you to record vaccination details, track expiry dates, upload a PDF or image of the certificate, and automatically send reminders to clients about upcoming renewals.  This single feature can save you hundreds of hours of administrative time and significantly reduce your liability.

Part 2: The Money Makers – Financial & Pricing Management

You’re running a business, and while your passion is pets, your goal is also profitability. This is where many facilities leak revenue—through missed charges, inconsistent pricing, and time-consuming manual invoicing. Your software should be a fortress that protects your bottom line.

The Pricing Puzzle: Mastering Your Revenue

Boarding facility pricing is rarely straightforward. A powerful software solution should allow you to automate this complexity. Consider the variables you might use: seasonal rates (peak/off-peak), public holiday surcharges, discounts for long stays, multi-pet discounts, and charges based on breed or size. A top-tier system like Pet Manager features a powerful, rules-based automatic cost calculator. You set up your pricing rules once, and the system calculates it perfectly every time, eliminating manual errors and lost revenue. It can even handle additional charges like late checkout fees automatically.

Streamlining Invoicing, Payments, and Packages

Once the price is calculated, getting paid should be easy. Look for a system that can manage deposits , generate professional invoices, and even consolidate them for clarity. A fantastic tool for securing upfront revenue is selling prepaid packages. Pet Manager handles this with a token-based system, where tokens for services are only available after the package invoice is paid for, protecting your business.

This is all supercharged by integrations. A deep integration with accounting software like Xero is a massive time-saver. Integration with a payment gateway like Stripe for online payments is a modern necessity. For Australian businesses, Pet Manager’s integration with Tyro EFTPOS terminals is a unique and powerful advantage, pushing the invoice amount directly to the payment terminal on your counter.

Part 3: The Customer Connection – Portals, Communication & Reporting

The final piece of the puzzle is how your software helps you connect with your customers. A great system not only makes your life easier but also elevates the entire customer experience, turning one-time clients into loyal, lifelong fans.

The 24/7 Virtual Receptionist: The Customer Portal

Today’s pet owner expects 24/7 self-service. The gold standard is a portal that can be fully embedded directly into your existing website, so it looks and feels like your brand. From this portal, your customers should be empowered to register, update their details, upload vaccination records, sign terms and conditions digitally, and make bookings. This level of self-service dramatically reduces administrative workload and meets modern consumer expectations.

Keeping in Touch: Automated & Personalised Communication

Constant, clear communication is the bedrock of trust. Your software should automate this with customizable email and SMS templates for booking confirmations, reminders, and follow-ups. One of the most beloved features of the Pet Manager platform is the ability to send “Pet Postcards”. Imagine a nervous first-time customer receiving an email midway through their pet’s stay with a beautiful photo of their dog playing. This small gesture is incredibly powerful and generates immense goodwill.

Data-Driven Decisions: The Power of Reporting

You can’t manage what you don’t measure. A top-tier software solution provides a comprehensive suite of reports that transform your raw data into actionable business intelligence. You need operational reports like Dietary and Medical summaries for staff. For growth, you need to track Occupancy reports , financial reports, and customer reports, such as a “Lapsed Customers” report to find clients who haven’t booked in over a year and target them with a special offer.

Conclusion: Investing in Your Future

Choosing a software platform for your pet boarding facility is one of the most important business decisions you will make. It’s a significant investment, not just of money, but of your time and trust. The “best” software is the one that aligns with your specific needs, your business goals, and your vision for the customer experience. However, the ideal choice will always be built on three core pillars: powerful operations, smart financial management, and a seamless customer experience.

Stop letting outdated systems dictate your day. It’s time to invest in a platform that works as hard as you do. Discover how a truly integrated and intuitive system can transform your operations and delight your customers. Ready to see it in action?

Ready to stop wrestling with spreadsheets and give your business the powerful, intuitive core it deserves? See for yourself how Pet Manager can transform your operations. Start your FREE 30-day trial today and explore every feature with no commitment.