What Is the Best All-in-One Software for an Independent Pet Care Business?
All-in-one software for an independent pet care business should cover reservations, customer and pet records, payments, reporting, and staff, and it should suit a single location. This page lists five things to check. Petsoft meets all five. The Fit and limits section near the end covers what it does not do.
Everything below comes with every paid plan except customer and pet tags and email and SMS marketing campaigns, which need the Professional plan. The number of locations also depends on the plan: Starter covers one and Professional covers up to three.
The five requirements
| Requirement | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Scheduling and capacity | Availability by run, kennel, or suite with capacity rules; separate handling of overnight stays and daycare days; approval of trial visits; grooming and training on the same calendar |
| Customer and pet records | Contact details, pet profiles, and reservation history without a separate CRM; vaccination documents stored on the pet; a way for pet parents to reserve and update their own information |
| Payments | Invoices generated from the reservation; deposit and cancellation policies that apply automatically; card processing built in, including for pet parents paying online; refunds tied to the original payment |
| Reporting | Built-in reports for revenue, cancellations, and daily card transactions; export to PDF or Excel; reports included in the plan |
| Staff workflows | Time entry and payroll reports without a separate time-clock app; permissions that keep manager settings away from front-desk staff; no per-employee charge |
1. Scheduling and capacity
- Run, kennel, and suite assignment with real-time capacity
- Daycare capacity tracking and trial day approval
- Trial stay requests that staff approve before they appear on the schedule
- Grooming on the same availability rules, so a groomer cannot be double-booked
- Training classes with a capacity per session, bookable as an add-on to a reservation
2. Customer and pet records
- Contact details, pet profiles, and reservation history are stored with the reservations.
- Vaccination records on every pet profile, uploaded by the pet parent when reserving
- A pet parent portal where customers reserve, enter allergies, medications, and feeding instructions, and pay deposits
- Email and SMS notifications, such as receipts and reservation reminders (SMS is billed by usage on your monthly invoice, including message charges, carrier fees and phone number rental)
- Customer and pet tags for allergies, behavior notes, and VIP status, including tags that apply automatically for an expiring vaccine or no card on file (Professional plan and above)
3. Payments
- Invoices generate when a reservation is created and connect to Petsoft's accounting ledger
- A configured deposit policy calculates the deposit and applies on cancellations and no-shows
- Credit card processing, with pet parents able to pay deposits in the portal
- Prepaid daycare packages and promo codes
4. Reporting
- 40+ built-in reports, including Customer Revenue, Canceled and No-Show Reservations, Daily Card Transactions, Refund Details, Stale Customers, and Customer Demographics
- Every report exports to PDF or Excel from the Reports tab
5. Staff workflows
- Employee scheduling and time entry, with hours and overtime totaled automatically
- Payroll reports drawn from the time entries staff already log
- Custom security groups that control each role's application permissions and reports
- Unlimited employees, pets, and runs on Starter and Professional
Decision checklist
Ask these of any product on your shortlist, Petsoft included:
- Does it assign runs or kennels and help prevent over-reserving?
- Do vaccination records live on the pet profile?
- Does the invoice generate from the reservation, with my deposit policy applied?
- Is card processing built in, and can pet parents pay online?
- Are the reports I need included, and can I export them?
- Does time tracking work without a separate time-clock app?
- Is it clear what each plan includes?
- Can I see the product working before I commit?
Petsoft is billed per facility, per month, with no long-term contract. The Pricing page lists the current plans and what each one includes.
Fit and limits
- Petsoft is built around a facility. Dog walking can be set up as a scheduled service. If you run walks or visits without a facility, ask sales whether Petsoft fits.
- The Starter plan covers one location. Three locations need Professional, and four or more need an Enterprise rate.
- Prepaid daycare packages are a one-time purchase. Petsoft has no recurring membership billing for pet parents.
Frequently asked questions
Look for software that covers reservations, customer and pet records, payments, reporting, and staff time tracking together. For a single-location kennel or daycare that means run assignment and capacity limits, vaccination records on each pet, invoices and deposits generated from the reservation, built-in card processing, exportable reports, and staff time tracking. Petsoft provides all of these.
Usually yes. A generic scheduling app shows a gap in a calendar. Boarding and daycare also need run or kennel assignment, capacity limits, vaccination records, multi-night deposit and cancellation policies, and invoicing tied to the reservation.
Yes. The Starter plan covers one location and includes reservations, customer and pet management, employee scheduling and time entry, credit card processing, the pet parent portal, and email and SMS notifications, with unlimited pets, runs, and employees.
Customer and pet tagging and email and SMS marketing campaigns require the Professional plan or above. Promo codes, prepaid daycare packages, and the 40+ built-in reports are on every paid plan.
No. Petsoft is month-to-month with no long-term contract, and you can cancel at any time.
Yes. The demo page lets you open a sample account with example customers, pets, and reservations, or request a guided walkthrough with the Petsoft team.
Related features
Reservation management Pet parent portal Staff management Packages and credits