Overview

The Walnut Dog Rescue website does two jobs. On the public website, families meet the dogs, filter them by size, age and who they get along with, read each dog's story, watch their videos and apply to adopt. Others sign up to foster or volunteer, reserve a place at an event, pledge a gift or sponsor a dog. In the shelter admin, your team reviews every application, places dogs in foster homes, logs volunteer hours, runs the events, records the gifts and keeps the website's pages and pictures up to date.

Everything lives on one server. There is no outside pet-listing service and no payment provider: gifts are pledges that you mark received when the check, cash or transfer arrives, and what you save in the admin is on the website at once.

How the pieces fit together

The shelter manager sets the site up once. What visitors send from the website arrives in the matching admin page; staff work it from there.

Who does what

These are examples. The shelter manager can give any person any mix of rights (12.3).

An adoption from first click to going home

An application moves from New to Adopted. Saving the first note marks it Reviewing; booking a home visit marks it Home visit.

1. Getting Started

1.1 Signing in

Click Staff sign in at the bottom of any page of the website, or go straight to /AdminLogin. Enter your user name and password and press Sign in.

The staff sign-in page.

• A wrong user name or password shows Wrong user name or password. After six wrong tries for the same user name within five minutes, sign-in pauses: Too many attempts. Please wait a few minutes.
• Your session lasts 8 hours and renews while you work. Press Sign out on a shared computer.
• If the shelter manager gives you a new password or switches your sign-in off, you are signed out everywhere.
• A person whose Can sign in box is off cannot sign in at all.

A wrong password shows a message under the fields.

1.2 The layout

Every admin page has the same frame: header, menu and the page itself.

• The numbers in the menu count what is new: applications, foster sign-ups, volunteer sign-ups and messages still marked New.
• Search boxes filter the list as you type. Most lists also have drop-downs (status, dog, reviewer, fund and so on).
• Dates: Today, 7 days, 30 days and All set a period quickly, or pick your own From and To dates.
• Every list shows 20 rows a page (Media shows 24). Use ← Previous and Next →.
• Windows (an application, a dog, an event) close with Cancel, Close, the × or Esc. If you changed something, the window asks before it closes.
• Short messages such as Note saved. appear at the bottom of the screen for a few seconds.

1.3 Confirmations

Anything that cannot be undone asks first. The question names the dog or the person, and the safe button is on the left.

Deleting a dog asks first. Keep it closes the question and changes nothing.

1.4 What you see depends on your rights

Each person has rights per area: None, View or Edit, and for four areas one extra right: Publish (Dogs), Decide (Applications), Export (Donations) and Delete (Media). The menu shows only the areas you may open. With View only, buttons that change things are missing and windows open read-only with Close instead of Save.

Settings and Users belong to the shelter manager only. A person without the Activity log right sees My activity in the menu instead: their own actions only.

1.5 On a phone or tablet

The admin works on any phone or tablet. On a narrow screen the menu folds behind the ☰ button at the top left, lists turn into cards with the column names beside each value, and the event calendar becomes an agenda list.

Dashboard, the menu and Applications on a phone.

2. Dashboard

The Dashboard opens after you sign in. It greets you by first name, shows today's date and sums up the shelter. Every panel depends on your rights: without Donations, for example, the gift tile and the Latest gifts panel are not shown.

The shelter manager's Dashboard.

2.1 The numbers at the top

Click a tile to open its page. Add a dog (if you may edit dogs) and View site sit above the tiles.

2.2 Newest applications and Coming up

• Newest applications shows the six most recent applications with the dog, how long ago they came in and the status. Click one to open it.
• Coming up lists the next four events with their time and how many guests are coming. All events opens the Events page.

2.3 Needs attention

Lower part of the Dashboard.

This panel lists only lines with something to do, each with its count. Click a line to open the matching list. When nothing is waiting it says All clear. Nothing needs attention right now.

2.4 Latest gifts

The six most recent gifts with the fund, the amount and whether they are received. A person without Donations sees Most viewed dogs here instead: the five dogs on the website with the most page views.

3. Dogs

Every dog in your care, from intake to adoption. Only dogs marked Available, Adoption pending and In foster show on the website; Intake, Medical hold and Adopted dogs stay in the admin.

The Dogs list: photo, name and number, breed, size and weight, status, days in care, page views and saves.

3.1 Finding a dog

• Search by name, breed or dog number (D-113).
• Status starts at In our care (every dog not yet adopted). Pick one status, or Everything to include adopted dogs.
• Size and Sex narrow the list further.
• Sort: Newest intake, Waiting longest, Name A to Z, Most viewed or Youngest first.

Status set to Available.

3.2 Adding a dog

1. Press Add a dog (on this page or on the Dashboard).
2. Fill in Name, Breed, Sex, Born (about) and the Intake date. An estimated birth date is fine.
3. Add size, weight, color, energy and whether the dog is good with kids, dogs and cats (Yes, No or Ask us).
4. Press Add dog.

A new dog. New dogs start in Intake.

The server checks the form: Enter the dog's name., Enter the breed, for example “Labrador mix”., Check the birth date. An estimate is fine. (no future dates, no more than 25 years back) and Enter the intake date. The adoption fee can be 0 to 10,000; weight 0 to 300 lb.

3.3 Details, status and the website

Click Edit on a row to open the dog. The window has five tabs: Details, Story, Photos, Health and History.

Bear's Details tab.

• The four ticks (House-trained, Vaccinated, Spayed or neutered, Microchipped) show on the dog's page.
• Care notes (shown on the website) are for visitors, for example Ear drops twice a day. Keep private notes in the Health tab.
• Bonded with pairs two dogs who must go home together. Setting it on one dog sets it on the other too.
• Status, Featured on the home page and Urgent: needs a home soon need the Publish right. Without it the window says so and those fields stay as they are.
• A dog can go on the website (Available, Adoption pending or In foster) only with at least one photo; a video alone is not enough. Otherwise: Add at least one photo before the dog goes on the website.
• Choosing Adopted asks for Adopted by and Adopted on, and clears Featured and Urgent. Usually you let Applications do this for you (4.4).
• Open on the website opens the dog's public page in a new tab.

3.4 Story, personality and happy tail

• Story: up to 3,000 characters. Leave an empty line between paragraphs.
• Personality: up to six short lines, shown as tags on the dog's page.
• Happy tail: shown on the Happy tails page once the dog is adopted.

3.5 Photos and videos

The first photo is the cover on cards. Videos show with a Video mark and play in the gallery.

1. Open the Photos tab and press Add from Media.
2. The Media picker opens with pictures tagged with the dog's name first. Tap one or more photos or videos, or press Upload a photo to add a new photo from your computer or phone; it is saved in Media tagged dogs and the dog's name.
3. Use the arrows under each picture to change the order, and the remove button to take it off the dog. The picture stays in Media.
4. Press Save.

The Media picker. Videos show their length.

• A dog can have up to 12 photos and videos.
• The cover on cards is the first photo; a video in first place is skipped for the cover.
• Videos are uploaded in Media (11.3), then picked here.

3.6 Health and history

Health is for staff only: vaccines, vet visits, medication, surgery and notes. Press Add a health record, choose the date and kind, write a short note and save the dog.

History lists every status change with the date and the person, plus the dog's page views and saves. Status changes are added when you save.

3.7 Deleting a dog

Deleting needs the Publish right. The question explains: The dog disappears from the website and the admin. Applications, foster stays and donations keep their own records. This cannot be undone. For a dog who went home, choose Adopted instead so the happy tail stays.

4. Applications

Adoption applications from the website. Review, visit, then approve, decline or mark the dog adopted. New applications are counted in the menu.

Applications in progress: person, dog, home, when received, reviewer and status.

4.1 Finding an application

• Search by name, email, phone or dog.
• Status starts at Open (in progress): New, Reviewing, Home visit and Approved. Pick one status or Everything.
• Dog shows the applications for one dog. Reviewer shows one person's work.
• The period buttons and From / To dates filter by the day received.
• Help me choose in the Dog column means the family did not pick a dog yet.

4.2 Opening an application

Click Open. The window shows the family's answers: dog, contact details, home, children, other pets, hours alone each day, experience and message.

A new application. Click the dog's name to open the dog.

4.3 Progress, home visits and reviewer

• Progress buttons: New, Reviewing, Home visit and Withdrawn. Withdrawn closes the application.
• Add a note and Save note record a call or a meeting. Saving a note on a New application moves it to Reviewing.
• Home visit: choose the date and time, then Save visit. The application moves to Home visit and a note records the booking. Clear the date and save to remove the visit.
• Reviewer: choose a person and press Assign. Only active people with Edit on Applications are listed. The first person to change an application becomes its reviewer if nobody was assigned.

A home visit booked. The notes show who did what.

4.4 Approving, declining and marking adopted

The Decision buttons need the Decide right. Each one asks first.

Declining asks first. Let the family know by phone or email; the note stays with the application.

An approved application. Mark adopted when the dog goes home.

• Adopted, Declined and Withdrawn applications are closed: progress and decision buttons are gone.
• Choose a dog that is still in our care first. appears when you mark adopted an application whose dog is already adopted, or that has no dog.
• Deleting an application also needs Decide.

5. Fosters

Foster homes who signed up on the website, and the dogs staying with them. The page has two views: Foster homes and Dogs in foster. New sign-ups are counted in the menu.

Foster homes: home, what they can take, who is fostering now, status and sign-up date.

5.1 Reviewing a foster home

• Filter by Status (starts at All but declined) and Takes: a size, Medical care or Puppies.
• Open a home to see their answers. The Status buttons are New, Approved, Paused and Declined.
• Save notes after the home check.

A new foster sign-up. Approve the home to place dogs there.

5.2 Placing a dog

1. Open an Approved home.
2. Under Place a dog here, choose the Dog, the Starts date and, if you know it, Planned until. Add a short note.
3. Press Place dog.

• An Available dog becomes In foster; the dog's history records the move.
• The server refuses: Approve this foster home first., Choose a dog that is in our care., a dog already in foster, a start more than 60 days away from today (Check the start date.) and The planned end must be after the start.

5.3 Dogs in foster and ending a stay

Dogs in foster now, with the start, planned end, days so far and note.

Show: In foster now, Past the planned date, Ended stays or Every stay. Open a stay to change the plan or end it.

• Save plan changes the planned end and the note.
• End stay asks first, then records the end date (today if the date is empty, in the future or before the start). A dog shown as In foster goes back to Available.
• Marking a dog adopted in Applications ends its stay automatically.
• A foster home with a current stay cannot be deleted: End the current stays first.

6. Volunteers

Sign-ups from the website with the jobs and times they offered. Log hours after each shift. New sign-ups are counted in the menu.

Totals at the top: active volunteers, new sign-ups, hours this month and this year.

6.1 Finding volunteers

• Status starts at Current (New, Approved and Active). Pick one status or Everyone.
• Helps with finds people for one job; Free finds people for a time of the week.
• An Under 18 tag marks volunteers who did not tick 18 or older.

6.2 Status and hours

An active volunteer with their hours.

1. Under Hours, choose the Date, enter Hours (for example 2.5) and What they did.
2. Press Log hours.

• Hours can be logged only for Approved or Active volunteers: Approve this volunteer first.
• From 0.25 to 12 hours, on a date within the past year and not in the future.
• The cross on an entry removes it after asking. The window shows the latest 30 entries.

6.3 Adding or editing a volunteer

For people who sign up by phone, at an event or at an orientation, press Add a volunteer. To correct someone's details, open them and press Edit details.

• Enter the name, an email or a phone number, and at least one job.
• New volunteers added here start as Approved unless you choose another status.
• Two volunteers cannot share an email: A volunteer with that email is already on the list.

7. Events

Open houses, adoption days, classes and fundraisers. Published events show on the website; set places to take reservations.

7.1 List, Week and Month

The List view: date, title, kind, place, places taken and status.

• List filters by Show (Coming up, Past events, Drafts, Every event) and Kind.
• Week and Month are calendars. Use the arrows to move and Today to come back. Each kind has its own color; drafts have a dashed edge.
• Click an event on the calendar to open it. Click an empty part of a day to add an event on that date.
• On a phone the month shows a dot per event, with the month's events listed below.

The Month view.

The Week view.

The month on a phone: a dot per event, the month's events listed below.

7.2 Adding an event

1. Press Add an event, or click a day in Week or Month.
2. Enter the Title, Kind, Date, Starts and Ends. The place starts with the shelter's address.
3. Places: how many people can reserve. 0 means drop in, with no reservations.
4. Tick Show on the website when it is ready. Unticked, it is a draft.
5. Press Add event.

A new event opened from the calendar, with the date already set.

The server checks: Enter a title., Choose the kind of event., Check the date., Check the times. The event must end after it starts., Enter where the event takes place. and Places must be a whole number from 0 to 2000.

7.3 The picture

On the Picture tab press Choose from Media to pick a photo, or Remove picture. Wide pictures work best; the website shows them at 2 to 1.

7.4 Guests and check-in

Reservations, places taken and how many checked in.

• Each reservation shows the name, when they reserved, the email and phone and how many places.
• Tick Arrived as guests come in.
• The cross cancels a reservation after asking; their places become free again.
• Deleting an event with reservations warns you to let the guests know first.

8. Donations

Pledges from the website and gifts recorded by staff. The website takes no card payments: a donor pledges an amount and a way to pay, and you mark the pledge received when the check, cash or transfer arrives.

Totals at the top: received this month and this year, open pledges and monthly donors.

8.1 Finding gifts

• Search by name, email, gift number (DN-5003) or dedication.
• Filter by Status (Pledged, Received, Cancelled), Fund, Method and How often (one time or monthly), and by the day pledged.
• A Private tag means the donor asked to keep their name out of thank-you lists.

8.2 Marking a pledge received

1. Open the gift.
2. Under Payment, set Received on (today by default).
3. Press Mark received.

A pledge waiting for a bank transfer.

• The received date can be up to a year back; a date in the future or older than a year is saved as today.
• Cancel pledge asks first and marks the gift Cancelled. A received gift has Set back to pledged instead.
• Each change adds a note, so the history of the gift stays visible.

8.3 Recording a gift

For gifts that come in by mail, at the shelter or at events, press Record a gift. Website pledges appear on their own.

• Enter the donor's name, the amount ($1 to $1,000,000), how often, how it was paid and the day it was received.
• Choose the fund. Sponsor a dog asks which dog: Choose the dog this gift sponsors.
• Email, phone, in honor or memory of and a note are optional. Tick Keep name private in thank-you lists if asked.
• A recorded gift is saved as Received, with the note Recorded by staff.

8.4 Export

Export CSV downloads the gifts in the list, as filtered, for your bookkeeping. Exporting and deleting gifts need the Export right.

9. Messages

Questions about dogs (from Ask about … on a dog's page) and messages from the Contact page. Reply by email, then mark them replied or closed. New messages are counted in the menu.

Open messages: from, what it is about, the message, when and status.

• Status starts at Open (everything not closed). Kind: Question about a dog, Message, or Both.

9.1 Answering a message

1. Open the message.
2. Press Reply by email. Your email program opens with the address and a subject filled in.
3. After sending, press Mark replied, or Mark closed when nothing more is needed. A closed message can be reopened.
4. Save a note to tell your team what you answered.

10. Pages

Here you change the words and pictures of the website's main pages, right in place. Each page is a column of blocks: a page top, text, cards, steps, questions, pictures and so on. You can change any text, swap pictures, move, hide, add and remove blocks.

The Home page in the editor.

1 the pages, 2 the toolbar, 3 the handle to drag a block, 4 text you click to change, 5 the block buttons, 6 the picture buttons, 7 new blocks.

10.1 The pages you can edit

The tabs are Home, How to adopt, Foster, Volunteer, Events, Donate, Happy tails and Contact. The dog list and each dog's page are built from Dogs and are not edited here.

Some blocks are filled from your data, for example Featured dogs, Coming events, the Adoption application or the Donation form. You can move them, hide them and change their titles, but not remove them. Several hide themselves on the website when there is nothing to show, such as Dogs who need a home soon when no dog is marked Urgent.

10.2 Changing text

1. Click the text on the page and type. A dashed line shows what you are editing.
2. In longer texts a small bar appears: B (bold), I (italic), Link, List and Clear. For a link, select some words first.
3. Buttons have two boxes: the label and where it goes. Use a page name such as Dogs, an anchor such as #apply, or a full https:// address.
4. Press Save page. Until then the toolbar shows Unsaved changes.

The text bar under a paragraph.

• Write {name} or {town} to show the shelter's name or town from Settings. They change by themselves if Settings change.
• Pasted text is cleaned: only bold, italic, lists, line breaks and safe links are kept.
• A wrong button link is refused when you save: Check the link of the button “…”. Use a page name like Dogs, #apply or a full https:// address.
• View page opens the page on the website. With unsaved changes it reminds you: Save first to see your changes on the website.
• Switching to another page tab with unsaved changes asks first.

A changed title. The toolbar says Unsaved changes until you press Save page.

10.3 Pictures and videos

Blocks with a picture show Change and Remove on it. Change opens the Media picker: tap a photo or video to use it, or upload a new photo. The page top, Picture and text and Picture or video blocks can show a video. In the page top it plays silently in a loop behind the title; in the other two visitors press play.

Choosing a picture for the page top.

10.4 Moving, hiding and removing blocks

• Move: drag the handle at the top left of a block, or use the up and down arrows.
• Hide keeps the block in the editor but takes it off the website. The button then reads Show.
• Remove (the bin) asks first: It disappears from the page when you save. Use Hide to keep it for later.
• Blocks with several items (cards, steps, checklists, questions) have their own add, move and remove buttons for each item, up to 12 items.

10.5 Adding a block

At the bottom of each page, Add a block lists the kinds you can add. The new block appears at the end of the page; move it where you want and save. A page holds up to 40 blocks.

10.6 Saving and versions

Save page puts the page live at once: Home saved. It is live on the website.

The last five saved versions are kept. Press Versions to see them with the date, the person and the number of blocks.

The live version and the earlier ones.

Restore asks first and puts that version live right away. The version you replace stays in the list, so you can switch back.

11. Media

One library for every photo and video on the website. Dogs, Events and Pages pick from here.

The library: chips for All, Photos and Videos with counts, then search, tag and used filters.

11.1 Finding a picture

• Search looks in the name, the tags and the description.
• Tag shows one tag. Used: Used on the website, or Not used yet.
• Videos show a play mark and their length. The page shows 24 items at a time.

11.2 Uploading a photo

1. Open Upload a photo.
2. Choose a JPG, PNG or WebP photo under 30 MB. It is resized to 1600 px before it is sent.
3. Give it a Name, a Description for screen readers (what the picture shows) and Tags, separated by commas.
4. Press Upload photo.

11.3 Uploading a video

1. Open Upload a video.
2. Choose an MP4 or WebM video up to 60 MB. A video over 20 MB asks first: large videos load slowly for visitors on phones.
3. Give it a name and tags, then press Upload video. It is sent in 1 MB parts with a progress bar.

• The cover picture is taken from the first second of the video by your browser.
• Short, silent clips under 20 MB work best.

11.4 Details, where it is used and deleting

Click a picture to open it. You can change the name, description and tags, and see the size, who added it and Used on: every dog, event and page that shows it.

• Deleting needs the Delete right on Media and asks first.
• A picture in use cannot be deleted: the window says In use, so it cannot be deleted. Take it off the dog, event or page first.
• Uploading and changing details need Edit on Media.

12. Users & Rights

Only the shelter manager sees this page. It lists everyone who can sign in, with their job title, user name and what they manage.

12.1 Adding a user

1. Press Add a user.
2. Enter the Full name, a User name (3 characters or more, unique), the Job title and a Password of 8 characters or more.
3. Choose what this person manages (12.3), or tick Shelter manager (every right).
4. Press Save. Give them their user name and password in person.

Up to 60 users. Each person changes their own password in My account.

12.2 Changing or switching off a user

Tom Becker, foster coordinator: Edit on Dogs, Fosters and Messages, View on Applications.

• Changes apply on the person's next click.
• A New password or unticking Can sign in signs the person out everywhere.
• Untick Can sign in for someone who leaves; their name stays on notes and in the Activity log.
• You cannot remove your own shelter manager rights or switch yourself off.

12.3 Rights by area

Each area has None, View or Edit. Four areas add one extra right, which only counts together with Edit.

Settings and Users are for shelter managers only and are not in the grid.

13. Activity log & My account

13.1 Activity log

Everything staff and the website do, including actions the server refused. Website actions such as an event reservation show Website as the person.

Today's activity. Refused actions are shown in red.

• Filter by Person, Search (action or item), Outcome and dates.
• The log keeps the latest 5,000 entries.
• People without the Activity log right see My activity: their own entries only.

13.2 My account

Everyone can change their own name and password here. The right side lists what you can do.

1. To change your password, enter your Current password and a New password of 8 characters or more.
2. Press Save.

• A wrong current password shows Your current password isn't right.
• After a password change you stay signed in here; your other devices are signed out.

14. Settings

Only the shelter manager changes settings. Press Save settings (bottom right) when done.

14.1 Shelter

• Name, Town and Tagline appear across the website; Name and Town also fill {name} and {town} on Pages.
• Address, Phone and Email show in the footer and on the Contact page.
• Nonprofit line shows in the footer and on the Donate page.
• Accent colour and Website theme (Light or Dark) set the look of the website.

14.2 Adoption fees

Fees for puppies (under 1 year), adults (1 to 7 years) and seniors (8 years and over), and what every adoption includes. These show on the How to adopt page. Each dog also has its own fee, set in Dogs.

14.3 Donations

• Suggested amounts: the quick amounts on the Donate page and in the donation band, separated by commas (5 to 100,000 each).
• How to send a pledged gift: shown to donors after they pledge and on the Donate page.
• Wish list: one item per line, shown on the Donate page.

14.4 Visiting hours and time zone

• Tick the days you are open and set the hours. Visiting hours show on every page and on the Contact page.
• Time zone sets “today” for the whole site. The label shows the time there now.
• 24-hour clock shows times like 14:00 instead of 2:00 PM.

15. The Public Website

What families, helpers and donors see, and where their requests land in the admin. The menu reads Adopt a dog, How to adopt, Foster, Volunteer, Events, Happy tails, Contact and Donate. The top line shows whether you are open today and until when, from Settings.

Every form on the website arrives on its own admin page.

15.1 Home

The page top with a quick dog finder (size, age, good with) and live counts, then the blocks you set in Pages: how to help, featured dogs, dogs who need a home soon, coming events, the latest happy tails and a donation band.

Featured dogs and dogs who need a home soon come from the Featured and Urgent ticks in Dogs.

15.2 Meeting the dogs

• Visitors filter by name or breed, size, age, sex, good with kids, dogs or cats, and energy, and sort the list. Show adoption pending includes dogs with an approved application.
• Cards show the cover photo, a Video mark when the dog has a video, and badges such as In foster, Bonded pair or Adoption pending.
• The heart saves a dog in the visitor's own browser, so they can come back to their shortlist.

15.3 A dog's page

• A gallery of photos and videos; click to open full size, with arrows between them.
• The facts, the fee, a Needs a home soon note for urgent dogs, and the buttons Apply to adopt, Ask about and Sponsor.
• The story, personality, who the dog is good with, and health and care.

The Ask about form sends a question to Messages: “Thanks, …. Our adoption team will answer within two days.”

15.4 How to adopt, Foster and Volunteer

How to adopt shows your steps and fees, then the application form. Families can pick a dog or leave it to you.

Foster sign-up: “Our foster coordinator will call you within a few days to book a short home visit.”

Volunteer sign-up with jobs and free times: “Our volunteer coordinator will email you about the next orientation.”

15.5 Events

• Every coming published event, then the last three past ones.
• Events with places show Reserve a place. A visitor reserves 1 to 6 places. Reserving again with the same email changes their reservation instead of adding a second one.
• When the places run out the event shows Fully booked. Drop-in events (0 places) take no reservations.

15.6 Donate and Sponsor

• Visitors choose one time or monthly, an amount (your suggested amounts or their own), the fund, an optional dedication, their contact details and how they will send the gift.
• After pledging they see Thank you, the amount, their pledge number (for example DN-5014) and how to send the gift, from Settings.
• Sponsor on a dog's page opens the Donate page set to sponsor that dog.

15.7 Happy tails and Contact

Happy tails shows adoption counts and every adopted dog with a happy tail, newest first.

Contact shows the address, phone, visiting hours from Settings and the message form.

15.8 On a phone

Home, the dog list and a dog's page on a phone.

16. Installation & Setup

For the person who puts the site on your server and the shelter manager who signs in first.

16.1 The first sign-in

A new site fills in the starting shelter-manager account and shows a hint with the starting staff accounts.

1. Open /AdminLogin. On a new site the fields are filled in and a hint lists the starting accounts.
2. Press Sign in.
3. Open My account, type your name, the current password and a new password of 8 characters or more, and press Save.

From then on the sign-in page is empty and the hint is gone:

Locked out? Another shelter manager can give you a new password in Users. If nobody can sign in, stop the site, restore data/staff.json from a backup, and start it again. If staff.json is missing altogether, the site creates the starting shelter-manager account again.

16.2 Your own shelter

1. Settings: name, town, tagline, address, phone, email, nonprofit line, accent colour, fees, suggested gift amounts, how to send a pledge, wish list, visiting hours and time zone.
2. Pages: rewrite the text of each page and swap the pictures for your own.
3. Media: upload your photos and videos. Sample pictures that nothing uses can be deleted.
4. Dogs: add your dogs; delete the sample dogs.
5. Applications, Fosters, Volunteers, Events, Donations, Messages: delete the sample records.
6. Users: add your team with their own rights.

Sample dates move to the day the site first runs, so ages, days in care and coming events look right. This happens once.

16.3 Folder permissions

The site writes to three folders. On IIS, give the application pool identity (for example IIS AppPool\DogShelter) Modify rights on them.

Videos are sent in 1 MB parts, about 1.4 MB per request once encoded. Make sure your server accepts requests of at least 2 MB.

16.4 HTTPS, privacy and backups

• Use HTTPS. Sign-in tokens travel with every request.
• Check private files. Open https://your-site/data/staff.json and https://your-site/appConfig/application.cfg in a browser: both must answer 404. If not, block those folders in the server settings.
• Back up data/ and images/uploads/ every day. Together they are the whole shelter.
• Applications hold families' addresses and phone numbers. Delete closed applications and old messages you no longer need, following your organization's rules.

16.5 Redeploying

Turn off Remove additional files at destination so temp/ and images/uploads/ are not deleted. Staff stay signed in as long as temp/ survives.

17. Reference

17.1 Statuses

Dog statuses are in 3.3, volunteers in 6.2 and gifts in 8.2.

17.2 Limits at a glance

18. Quick Answers