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Once you’ve found the right home for an animal, RescueConsole walks you through the adoption from approval to signed contract to receipt—all on the animal record. The same record also tracks foster placements, transport legs, and transfers to partner rescues, so the animal’s full placement history is always in one place.

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Recording an Adoption

Adoptions are recorded from the animal record, linked to an approved application.
1

Approve the application

From the application view, click Approve. The applicant is confirmed as the adopter and linked to the animal record.
2

Send and sign the adoption contract

RescueConsole requires a signed adoption contract before the adoption can be finalized. Open the contract template, confirm the pre-filled details (drawn from the animal and adopter records), and send it for signature. The adoption cannot be marked complete until the contract is signed.
3

Record the adoption fee and issue a receipt

Enter the adoption fee. You can take payment by card through your connected Stripe account, or record a cash or check payment manually. RescueConsole generates a receipt automatically with your organization’s legal name and tax status.
4

Finalize the adoption

Once the contract is signed and the fee is recorded, finalize the adoption. The animal’s status updates, it is removed from your in-care counts, and the adoption is recorded in the adopter’s person record.
The adoption contract requirement is by design. Every adoption in RescueConsole has a signed contract on file—no exceptions, no workarounds. This protects your organization, protects the animal, and gives you a complete paper trail for every placement. Contracts are written in plain language using your own text, filled automatically from the record, and stored permanently against both the animal and the adopter.

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Adoption Fees

Set your adoption fees in Settings by species and age group. Fees appear pre-filled when you record an adoption, though you can adjust them per adoption. You can also send an adoption fee payment link that gives the adopter the option to add a donation on top of the fee—and you choose who absorbs the processing fee.

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Reversing an Adoption

If an adoption is reversed—the animal is returned—you can record the reversal on the adoption record. Reversed adoptions are not billed as completed adoptions under RescueConsole’s pricing. The animal’s record is updated, its status returns to an in-care state, and the reversal is noted in the history.

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Managing Foster Placements

Foster placements are tracked on the animal record and linked to the foster’s person record.

Placement Details

Record the start date, the foster home, and any placement notes. The foster’s name appears on the animal record for easy reference.

Foster Capacity

Each foster’s person record tracks how many animals they currently have and their maximum capacity. RescueConsole surfaces this when you’re placing an animal so you don’t accidentally over-place a foster.

Foster History

Every foster placement—including past ones—is recorded on the animal’s history. Foster alumni show in the foster’s person record too.

End a Foster Placement

When an animal leaves a foster home (to be adopted, transferred, or returned to your facility), close the foster placement on the record. The dates are saved and the foster’s capacity is freed.

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Transports

Transport moves an animal through a series of legs, each with a driver or organization responsible for that segment of the journey. Record each leg of a transport with:
  • The pickup and drop-off locations
  • The date and time
  • The person or organization handling that leg
The full transport history is preserved on the animal record, so you know exactly how the animal traveled and who was responsible at each point.

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Transferring an Animal to a Partner Rescue

When you transfer an animal to another rescue organization, RescueConsole handles both sides of the record.
1

Initiate the transfer from the animal record

Open the animal record and start a transfer. Enter the receiving rescue’s email address—they do not need to already be in your system.
2

RescueConsole sends an invitation

The receiving rescue gets an email invitation. When they accept, the transfer is completed.
3

The animal's profile, medical records, photos, and documents transfer

Everything attached to the animal—medical history, photos, documents, intake notes—is copied to a new record in the receiving rescue’s account. They get a complete picture of the animal from day one.
4

Your record is marked as transferred out

Your record of the animal is updated to Transferred Out status. It stays in your system for your records, audits, and history—you’re not losing any data. The animal just no longer shows as in your care.
The receiving rescue gets a full copy of the animal’s record as a new entry in their system. Your record is preserved as transferred out. Neither organization loses the history—both have what they need going forward.

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Approve or Deny Applications

Before recording an adoption, every application goes through a review step.
Click Approve on the application. The applicant is linked to the animal as the prospective adopter and the adoption workflow begins. If the animal has other pending applications, they remain on file and can be approved if the primary adoption falls through.
Click Deny and select or enter the reason. The denial is recorded on the application and in the applicant’s person record. Denied applicants can be contacted through Communications if you want to suggest other animals or explain the decision.
Move the application to one of the pre-decision stages — such as hold for a better match or pending a third party — to flag that a decision is not yet ready. The application stays visible on the animal record and in your applications queue, and the stage is shown on the pipeline so your team knows where it stands.