Searching for a KennelMaster Alternative? Why Pet Manager is on Your Radar

If you have been in the boarding kennel or cattery game for a while, there is a good chance you are familiar with KennelMaster by Copper Software. For years, it has been a stalwart in the industry – a trusty, reliable workhorse for countless facility owners. But let’s be honest: while the dogs in your care might need a leash, your business operations certainly shouldn’t be tied to one.

As technology evolves and pet parent expectations skyrocket, many business owners are realizing that their trusty old desktop software is starting to show its age. If you are starting to look for a KennelMaster alternative, you aren’t just looking for a change; you are looking for an upgrade. You want a system that not only manages your current workload but opens up entirely new possibilities for efficiency, remote management, and growth.

This is where Pet Manager enters the conversation. As a fully cloud-native platform, it is designed to modernize your workflow, delight your clients, and make your business significantly more profitable. Here is why making the switch is the smartest trick you can teach your business.

The Great Escape: Desktop vs. The Cloud

The most significant difference between a legacy system like KennelMaster and a modern alternative like Pet Manager is the underlying technology. It represents a generational shift in how you run your business.

KennelMaster is traditional desktop-based software. This means your entire business is installed on a specific Windows PC, usually sitting at your front desk. It’s robust, but it comes with severe limitations. Access is restricted to that one machine, remote work is nearly impossible, and updates require manual, tedious installations.

Pet Manager is 100% cloud-based. This fundamentally changes what is possible for your day-to-day operations:

• Ultimate Mobility: You can access your entire live database from any device with an internet connection. Need to check tomorrow’s arrivals while you are at the grocery store? No problem. Want to give your staff mobile access to feeding schedules right in the kennels? Done.

• Zero-Maintenance Updates: Say goodbye to manually installing software patches or paying for version upgrades. Pet Manager updates seamlessly in the background, ensuring you always have the absolute latest features and bank-level security without lifting a finger.

Feature Comparison: Modernizing Your Operations

When evaluating a KennelMaster alternative, it is crucial to look at how daily workflows are handled. Here is how a legacy desktop system compares to a modern cloud platform.

Financial Management That Actually Makes Sense (and Cents!)

KennelMaster handles basic billing and accounts, but Pet Manager takes it lightyears further with an amazing, top-tier financial management system designed to eliminate double-entry and “fat-finger” mistakes.

• Seamless Xero Integration: Pet Manager integrates directly with Xero. Your invoices, payments, and daily reconciliations sync beautifully, automating your bookkeeping and saving your accountant hours of tedious work.

• Modern Payment Gateways: You can accept secure online payments for bookings and deposits through Stripe. Payments are automatically recorded in the system the moment a client books.

• Tyro & Stripe EFTPOS Integration: For businesses using Tyro or Stripe Terminal, Pet Manager sends the exact payment amount directly to the physical terminal, eliminating the chance of staff accidentally typing in the wrong amount. This creates a beautifully seamless financial workflow from booking to reconciliation.

Client Communication: Winning Hearts (and Five-Star Reviews)

How you communicate with clients has a massive impact on their loyalty. While older systems might manage basic email generation, Pet Manager acts as your automated marketing assistant.

• Automated Reminders: Send customizable SMS and email confirmations, even re-book reminder for customers who have not been in a while. Slash your no-show rates effortlessly.

• The “Pet Postcard” Game-Changer: This feature is a crowd absolute favorite. With a few clicks, you can send owners a quick “Pet Postcard”—a photo of their furry friend having a blast in the yard, delivered straight to their email or phone. It is a tiny touch that creates a massive amount of goodwill and puts nervous pet parents at ease.

Managing the Pack: Multi-Service Flexibility

Many kennels are diversifying their services, adding doggy daycare, grooming salons, or training classes to their offerings. Legacy systems struggle to handle this cleanly.

Pet Manager is designed for this complex ecosystem from the ground up. It features separate, dedicated modules and schedulers for different service types. You can set specific staff rosters for grooming, manage five-week puppy school enrollments, and handle daycare packages with prepaid tokens—all without needing separate software or messy workarounds.

A Dose of Reality: The Disaster Recovery Difference

Imagine a severe winter storm or sudden flooding completely cutting off road access to your facility. We had a customer whose facility was on high ground but was entirely isolated by road closures.

Because they were using cloud-based software, they didn’t panic. They were able to contact every single client with a pet due to check-in through a bulk email, SMS the urgent ones, rearrange bookings, and manage the issues from the comfort of their home, using just a laptop and a mobile phone. With their old desktop system they would have had to call all the clients individually.

The Big Question: Is It Possible To Have A Stress-Free KennelMaster Data Migration

The number one reason business owners hesitate to leave their old software is the dread of data entry. The thought of manually retyping a decade’s worth of customer and pet profiles is enough to make anyone stick with a system they’ve outgrown.

Don’t panic – you do not have to start from scratch.

Pet Manager provides a highly streamlined data migration path specifically for businesses upgrading from KennelMaster. Our team can securely extract and import your critical historical data into your new cloud database, meaning you hit the ground running. We can migrate key data including:

• Client contact information and comprehensive account histories.

• Pet profiles, including breeds, birthdates, and weights.

• Vital medical, dietary, and behavioral notes.

Making the decision to switch software is never taken lightly. But if you feel like your current system is holding you back, it’s time to explore your options. A system like KennelMaster has been a reliable workhorse for many, but upgrading to a powerful KennelMaster alternative like Pet Manager isn’t just a replacement; it’s a strategic upgrade that makes your business more resilient, efficient, and profitable.

If you are currently using KennelMaster and looking for a modern alternative, let us show you the possibilities when using Pet Manager. Book A Demo or Start a Free Trial today!