_What_should_I_expect?_Intro_v1

What Should I Expect?

How quickly will I hear back after I submit the sign-up form?

You should hear back from us within 24 business hours unless we have trouble getting in touch with your veterinarian.

How long does the entire Portal setup process take?

Depending on which accounts need to be setup, it can take up to 2 weeks. The most time consuming part of the process is requesting and receiving the Petfinder FTP account. If your organization already has a Petfinder FTP account, or you do not plan to update Petfinder through the Portal, the setup can be completed in the same day.

I already have accounts on the other sites -- will I now have two accounts?

No, when we setup your uploads, we will match-up your Portal account and your existing account on the other site.

Will you be asking me for any additional information to setup accounts with Petfinder or Adopt-a-Pet.com?

No. We do not need any additional information from you to setup the updates. Even if you already have accounts with them, you do not need to give us your existing account information.

When I make a change to my pet list, is there anything extra I need to do to update the other sites?

No, the other sites will be updated automatically after you make a change to your pet list (once everything is setup).

When you enable the updates, will my pets change on the other sites?

Yes. Effectively, all of the animals listed on the other sites before the Portal will be removed (deleted) and your pets from the Portal will be added. Assuming your Portal pet list is the same as the other sites, the public won't see difference in your pet list. However, since the animal ID numbers will change on the other sites, so any links to those animals will no longer work.

Will the contact shown on the animal's web page on Petfinder still be correct?

Petfinder does not give us the capability to upload contact information for the animal. We strongly recommend that you put contact information into each animal's description. This not only helps on the Petfinder pet list, but also the pet lists on the other sites.

Will my pets appear the same to the public after my updates are enabled?

The public will not be able to tell that your animals have been uploaded by the Portal instead of being added manually. However, there are a few things that may work a little differently than expected, including:

Petfinder does not allow us to upload contacts, so all animals will use the default contact information. You can optionally have contact information automatically added to the animals' descriptions. The animal pet list may appear to the public in a different order – you may need to update any links to your Petfinder pet list so that they appear sorted by name. Not all videos are uploaded to all of the adoption listing web sites. If you plan to use videos with the Portal please contact us for additional information.

Getting Started with the Pet Adoption Portal Table of Contents