Pet Friend

Overview

Pet Friend is a shelter and rescue management service for organizations coordinating adoption and animal care alongside foster and volunteer work. It suits teams that want these functions in one system and can commit to a paid subscription. Its appeal is breadth across shelter workflows; its key constraint is that every plan carries a monthly data allowance.

Key features

A public adoption portal sits alongside intake and outcome tracking, giving teams tools for both presenting animals to prospective adopters and following shelter processes. Kennel management and medical records address day-to-day animal care, while foster and volunteer management cover the people supporting it. This combination makes Pet Friend a more compelling fit for organizations juggling several of these responsibilities than for one seeking only an adoption portal.

Pet Friend is available on Android, iOS, and the web, so teams can choose among mobile and browser access. The service was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.

Pricing

There is no free plan. A 14-day trial gives teams a short period to evaluate the service before paying. Monthly plans are billed monthly and can be cancelled anytime; annual plans are billed annually, with payment by card, check, or PO.

Rescue is the least expensive entry point, with 50 GB of monthly data usage. Shelter costs more and doubles that allowance to 100 GB, while storage stays at 10 GB. Shelter Plus costs twice as much as Shelter but has the same stated storage and data limits, so those quotas alone do not distinguish the two tiers. The annual options have the same storage and monthly data allowances as their corresponding monthly tiers; choose them if annual billing and payment by card, check, or PO suit the organization.

These quotas matter more than the plan names: teams should weigh the 10 GB storage cap and monthly data limit against their expected use. The plans provide no stated seat counts, so they cannot be compared on team size.

Platforms

Android, iOS, and web support offer a wider choice of access than web-only alternatives. Organizations that need a web-only tool may not benefit from the additional platform coverage.

Who it's for

Pet Friend is best suited to shelters and rescues that need adoption, intake tracking, animal-care records, kennel management, and foster and volunteer coordination together. The Rescue tier may fit teams with modest data needs; the higher data allowance on Shelter may suit heavier usage. Teams needing a free option, more storage, or a plan with clearly defined seats should compare alternatives before committing.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Adoption, care, intake, foster, and volunteer functions sit within one service, which suits organizations coordinating multiple parts of shelter work.
• Pros: Android, iOS, and web access accommodate teams using different kinds of devices.
• Cons: There is no free plan, so ongoing use requires a paid subscription after the 14-day trial.
• Cons: Every tier is capped at 10 GB storage, and Rescue has a 50 GB monthly data allowance.
• Cons: Shelter Plus costs more than Shelter without a difference in the stated storage or data limits.

Alternatives

For a broader category comparison, browse Animal Shelter Software.

Choose Cara if a free plan for up to five animals, a public adoption portal, application management, and basic email notifications matter more than Pet Friend's wider set of stated care and coordination functions. Its free portal carries Cara branding; its Pro plan costs $34.99 a month.

RescueRM is worth considering for a web-based team that wants to start free: its free plan supports up to two team members, with limits of one AI match and six assistant queries per 48 hours.

PawPlacer is a stronger fit for organizations prioritizing a free-forever plan with all features, full exports, and SDK/API access without contracts or usage limits.

Consider Pact if you want to compare another paid, web-based animal shelter software option.

ShelterBuddy is another paid option, with Android, iOS, and web platforms.

RescueBase may suit organizations looking for a freemium, web-based alternative with a free plan.

RescueGroups.org Data Management Service is a web-based alternative with a free plan.

Verdict

Choose Pet Friend if your shelter or rescue needs adoption and animal-care operations alongside foster and volunteer coordination, and its 10 GB storage cap and plan-specific data allowance fit your use. Its broad workflow coverage is the central reason to choose it. Look elsewhere if a free plan, higher stated storage, or a clear reason to pay for Shelter Plus is essential.