...

Overview

The HTTP API receives and responds with data in JSON format via an HTTP POST.  Most programming languages have built-in JSON encoding and decoding functions.

...

Here are the major components of the RescueGroups.org HTTP API:

• HTTP API "login" action - the process of providing an account number, user name and password to access private methods of the API
• Token and token hash - authentication information passed with each private API call (provided from the login method)
• API key - provided by RescueGroups.org, used to access public API methods
• HTTP API object information and code examples - a distinct record type in the RescueGroups.org database (e.g., animals, contacts, adoptions)
• Definitions - specifies the actions, modules/permissions and fields that are available in the specified object using the provided authentication or API key
• Overview of common HTTP API object actions - methods/functions you can call to complete a task (e.g., search, add, edit)
• Modules - a component of a RescueGroups.org service that is required in order to access an object or action (e.g., animals, contacts, etc)
• Permissions - a component of a RescueGroups.org security role that is required in order to access an object or action (e.g., volunteer, animal add, etc)
• HTTP API field properties and data types - the individual properties of an object that can be searched and modified (e.g., animalName, contactEmail)
• Using search filters with the HTTP API - passed by the client application to the API, restricts the results to only those that meet the specified criteria
• Controlling results - set the result limit, start record, sort/order for the results

...

Before you can request non-public information you will need to authenticate.  Authentication is done with the login action, and then the token and token hash values you receive must be sent with each request that requires authentication.

See the login page for more information on the login request and response.

...

With PHP you could decode the JSON response using the json_decode() function.