Petcademy for Rescues & Shelters
Happier pets, lasting homes
Text-based training and behavior support that keeps families together.
Trusted by rescues and shelters across the US, Canada, and Australia
Save staff time
Families get expert support, so your team can focus on the animals in your care.
Improve adoption outcomes
Happier, more confident pet parents make placements that last.
Prevent surrenders
Help families work through challenges and keep more pets in their homes.
Support fosters
Expert guidance eases stress, so fosters stay in your network longer.
Results that matter
-
Up to 50%
fewer post-adoption returns, reported by partners
-
175 hours
of staff time saved for every 1,000 adoptions
-
400,000+
pet parents supported
-
4.8/5
average rating from pet parents
Results vary by organization. Return reductions are as reported to Petcademy by partner shelters and rescues.
Book a demoThe challenge for shelters and rescues
Running a shelter or rescue means balancing limited resources with high demand. Staff and volunteers want to help every pet and every family succeed, but:
-
Pets get returned
Placements fail when new families don't have the tools to succeed.
-
Fosters burn out
Foster parents who feel unsupported drop out of your program.
-
Families give up pets they love
Too many surrenders happen because families lack accessible guidance.
How Petcademy helps
Petcademy is built to meet shelters and rescues where they are, helping you improve outcomes while reducing staff strain.
What every family gets
Adopters, fosters, and families considering surrender get:
- 30 days of Petcademy membership
- Expert help by text and email, every reply sent by a certified, positive reinforcement trainer
- Online lessons for dogs and cats, tailored by care type
- Automated check-ins that keep them engaged and supported
-
How it helps adopters
Personalized lessons and certified trainer support help adopters navigate common challenges, build confidence, and give their new pet a great start.
-
How it helps fosters
Foster-specific lessons and quick help from certified trainers when challenges come up keep fosters confident and active.
-
How it helps families considering surrender
Trainer support and follow-up help families work through the challenge and decide next steps together: keep, rehome, or surrender.
What you get with Petcademy
Everything your adopters, fosters, and team need, in one platform.
Text message support
Pet parents text your dedicated Petcademy number.
Training and behavior tips
Every reply comes from a certified, positive reinforcement trainer.
Answers to common questions
Microchips, vet visits, lost pets, and more, your way.
Quick responses
Within 12 hours on weekdays, 24 on weekends.
Proven engagement
More than 60% of pet parents engage.
Document distribution
Adopters get the documents they need, automatically.
Adoption packet
Ready in every adopter's Pet Parent Hub. We can help you create one.
Medical records
Shared with pet parents, with compatible shelter software.
Offers and coupons
Discounts from your preferred groomers, trainers, vets, and more.
Data and insights
Feedback and trends that help you grow your impact.
Experience surveys
Adopter and foster feedback, as raw and summary data.
Behavior trends
Patterns across every conversation, to shape your programs.
Automatic monthly reports
Key insights highlighted, so you see what matters.
Online learning
Every pet parent gets Petcademy's learning hub.
Fundamental knowledge
Tips to help a new pet settle in at home.
Courses for every care type
Tailored for dogs, cats, fosters, and adopters.
Engaging content
Animated videos and interactive quizzes.
Receive donations
Simple ways for pet parents to support your mission.
Extended Petcademy memberships
Your organization receives 20% of revenue from annual membership extensions.
Shop at the Petcademy store
50% of profits support the group the shopper chooses.
Pay-it-forward donations
Happy adopters are invited to donate to you.
See our post-adoption support in action
A two-minute look at how we help reduce returns and save staff time.
What partners are saying
-
“We have seen a decrease in returns because our adopters are able to reach out and solve simple behavior issues.”
Stephanie LewisDirector of Animal Programs, Humane Society Naples -
“Petcademy's information is presented in a user-friendly dashboard. We can quickly see common themes to help us improve our practices and predict issues… An absolutely brilliant service.”
Fra AtyeoOperations Manager, Bendigo Animal Relief Centre -
“Petcademy allows small organizations like mine to have their own ‘behavior team’ to assist adopters and communities.”
Cole WakefieldExecutive Director, Good Shepherd Humane Society -
“Petcademy saves our rescue tons of time having professionals answer training and behavior questions!”
Holly RogeRescue Director, Wisconsin Adopt a Golden Retriever -
“Petcademy takes behavior questions off our plate and frees up more time for us to work on other things AND it helps the pup & foster/adopter work together”
Lindsey BunchRescue Operations, Friends of Dogs Rescue -
“Petcademy reduces staff time in critical areas of customer care.”
Emily RozeskeExecutive Director, Driftless Humane Society -
“Petcademy saves so much extra time and work and give adopters peace of mind and makes them feel like we care, even after the dog is adopted.”
Mandy LewisFounder and President, Albert's Dog Lounge -
“Petcademy provides an extra level of support to the fosters and adopters and allows them to get quick advice on issues they may be having.”
Chasity GarretAnimal Enrichment Manager, Humane Educational Society -
“Partnering with Petcademy has been such a smart decision for our company, the support they give our adopters is amazing. I could not imagine us not having your services.”
April SanfordDirector of Medical Services, Pet Haven Center -
“Petcademy takes extra tasks away from our volunteers and provides fast and accurate information to fosters.”
Katie RodriqueDirector of Operations, Twin Cities Pet Rescue -
“Great added adoption benefit to offer when we don’t have a dedicated trainer to recommend.”
Laura WardFoster Coordinator, A Path 4 Paws -
“Saves us time for a very low cost.”
Melissa Myers HeiseyExecutive Director, Angel's Retreat
Get set up in one day
We plug directly into your shelter management system and get you up and running the same day.
User-friendly dashboard
Simple setup with no complicated training required. Your team gets instant access to your dedicated dashboard.
Seamless integration
Petcademy integrates with the shelter software you already use:
- Animal Shelter Manager
- AnimalsFirst
- Chameleon
- Pawlytics
- PetPoint
- Petstablished
- ShelterBuddy
- Shelterluv
- See all integrations
Using something else? Custom integrations can be explored on request.
Worried about budget? Petcademy pays for itself
Starting at under $2 per pet parent, just a few successful diversions can cover the program cost. Shelters and rescues typically see a 3.5X ROI in time savings alone.
Example: a rescue that completed 600 adoptions last year
pays $1,200 a year.
That covers support for its adopters, fosters, and families considering surrender.
Under $2
per pet parent
3.5X
ROI in time savings
Frequently asked questions
Adopters can text a certified trainer as soon as a question comes up, so small challenges can be worked through before they become a return. Lessons and check-ins keep families on track through the first weeks at home. Partner shelters and rescues report up to 50% fewer post-adoption returns, though results vary by organization.
Petcademy exclusively practices fear-free, positive reinforcement training for dogs and cats, with no aversive methods or tools, ever. All Petcademy trainers hold certifications such as SFTD-CTP, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, FFCP, or KPA-CTP.
Petcademy costs $2.00 per adoption, based on your organization's adoption volume from the previous year, and is billed monthly or annually. For example, if your organization completed 600 adoptions last year, your annual membership would cost $1,200. That one fee also covers your fosters and families considering surrender, so it works out to less than $2 per pet parent. All prices are in US dollars.
Yes. Petcademy integrates with Animal Shelter Manager, AnimalsFirst, Chameleon, Pawlytics, PetPoint, Petstablished, ShelterBuddy, and Shelterluv, and custom integrations can be explored on request. With compatible software, adopters also receive their pet's medical records automatically. See every integration.
No. Adopters, fosters, and families can message our trainers via text, email, or directly through the Pet Parent Hub. Lessons are web-based, so there's nothing to download. All they need is a smartphone and an internet connection. See the membership your adopters receive.
If our trainers identify a safety or welfare concern, Petcademy's Head of Behavior will contact your organization directly to coordinate next steps. Everyday training and behavior questions are handled by our certified, positive reinforcement trainers, keeping them off your team's plate.
Yes. As part of your surrender prevention work, families get the same certified trainer support, lessons, and check-ins as adopters, plus help deciding next steps: keep, rehome, or surrender. In Petcademy's work with pets about to be surrendered, pet parents considering giving up their pet were 2.1x more likely to reach a positive outcome.
During onboarding, we collect all your organization-specific information to make sure the experience is fully customized. Your organization has complete control over what is shared with pet parents, except for training and behavior guidance, which is handled by our certified trainers.
Set your animals up for success with Petcademy
Reduce returns, support fosters, and keep more pets in their homes with expert help that works alongside your team.
