Foster management software: what to look for, and when a spreadsheet is enough
Updated · 8 min read · By the Second Tail team
Pick the tool your fosters will actually use. For a handful of homes, a shared spreadsheet and a group chat are enough. Once several people coordinate, or fosters need their own view of their animal, look for software that gives fosters a simple phone app, keeps each animal's history in one record, shows which homes are open, and is priced in a way that does not punish you for taking in a litter.
The four ways rescues run foster programs
| Approach | Works well for | Where it breaks |
|---|---|---|
| Spreadsheet and group chat | Small programs with one coordinator. Free and familiar. | Several editors, photos and medical history in other places, requests that scroll away, no view for fosters. |
| General tools (task boards, team chat apps, shared drives) | Rescues with a volunteer who likes building systems. | Nothing is built for animals or homes, so the structure depends on whoever set it up, and leaves with them. |
| Shelter management software | Rescues and shelters with a facility, intake volume and reporting needs. | Fosters are often records rather than users, so updates still come back by text and get typed in by staff. |
| Foster-focused software | Foster-based rescues where most animals live in homes. | May not cover facility operations like kennels or intake queues, so some rescues pair it with shelter software. |
What actually matters when you compare
1. Will fosters use it?
This decides everything else. A system full of features fails if fosters keep texting instead. Ask to see the foster's side on a phone, not the admin dashboard. If posting an update takes more than a minute, expect updates to keep arriving in the group chat.
2. Can you see which homes are open?
When an urgent intake comes in, you need to know in seconds which homes have space and what each can take. Check that home status is a first-class thing, not a note field.
3. Does each animal have one complete record?
Updates, photos, weight, medications, vaccines, vet visits and documents should live with the animal, and follow it from home to home and into adoption.
4. How is it priced?
Per animal pricing gets expensive in kitten and puppy season. Per user pricing can make you hesitate to invite fosters. Look for pricing that matches the work: a home with one animal and a home with a litter take about the same coordinating.
5. Can you bring your data in, and take it out?
Ask how animals get into the system (import, integration or typing) and whether you can export everything if you leave. Your animals' histories belong to the rescue.
6. Who answers when something breaks?
Small rescues cannot wait a week for a support ticket. Ask who replies and how fast.
Questions to ask in a demo
- Can you show me what a foster sees when they open it on their phone?
- How does a foster post an update with a photo, and how long does it take?
- Where do supply requests and reimbursements go, and how are they marked done?
- How do I see which foster homes are open right now?
- How do medication schedules and vaccine reminders work?
- What does it cost when we have twice as many animals as today?
- Can we run it with a few real fosters before we commit?
When a spreadsheet is still enough
If one person coordinates, you have a handful of homes and fosters are happy texting, a well-kept spreadsheet is a fine system. Keep one tab for animals and one for homes, add a status column for each home, and write every animal's care sheet down rather than explaining it at pickup. The signs you have outgrown it are covered in our guide on how to coordinate foster homes.
Where Second Tail fits
Second Tail is foster coordination software built by a foster parent. Fosters get a free app for updates with photos, supply requests, appointments and messages. The rescue team gets one dashboard that shows what needs attention first, a full history for every animal, health schedules, and a free adoption page where adopters apply and pay online.
It is not kennel or shelter intake software, and it does not do vet billing. Rescues already on Shelterluv can keep it and connect it with their own API key, so animals come over with their photos and new intakes show up every day.
Pricing is per active foster home, not per animal, and fosters never pay. Starter is $39 a month (up to 25 foster homes at a time) and Growth is $89 a month (up to 100 foster homes at a time), with a 30 day free trial. Details are on the pricing page.
Common questions
What is foster management software?
Foster management software is a tool an animal rescue uses to run its foster program: tracking which animal is in which home, collecting updates and photos from fosters, handling supply requests and reimbursements, scheduling vet visits and keeping each animal's history in one place until adoption.
What is the difference between shelter software and foster management software?
Shelter management software is built around a building: intake, kennels, medical records and adoptions, with fosters usually stored as records staff update. Foster management software is built around the foster home, so fosters themselves log in to post updates, ask for supplies and message the rescue. Some rescues use both.
What is the best free way to manage fosters?
For a small program, a shared spreadsheet for homes and animals plus a group chat for announcements works, and many rescues start there. Keep one row per animal, one per home, and a status column for each home. Move to dedicated software when several people edit the sheet or fosters need their own view.
What should a rescue ask before choosing foster software?
Will our fosters actually use it on their phones? How is it priced (per animal, per foster home or per user)? Can we bring in animals from our current system? Can we export our data if we leave? Who answers when something breaks? And can we try it with a few real fosters before committing?
Does Second Tail replace Shelterluv?
It does not have to. Second Tail focuses on the foster side. Rescues on Shelterluv can connect it with their own API key so animals come over with their photos and new intakes appear daily, and keep using Shelterluv for the rest.