Vaccination configuration and compliance

Petsoft does not force a one-size-fits-all list of vaccines on you. You decide exactly which shots are required for your business and how strictly the system should enforce them. A daycare in Texas might require bordetella. A groomer in Vermont might not. You set the rules.

Setting up required vaccines

Go to Organization > Settings > Vaccines. You will see a list of common vaccines like rabies, distemper, and bordetella. Toggle Required on for the ones your facility demands.

You can also add custom vaccines. Maybe your vet recommends leptospirosis for dogs that hike, or maybe you require canine influenza because of a local outbreak. Click Add Vaccine, name it, and mark it as required.

Each vaccine can be required for all services, or only for specific ones. If bordetella is only necessary for daycare and boarding but not grooming, set it that way. The system will not block a grooming appointment for a missing bordetella record.

Service-specific requirements

Not every vaccine applies to every service. A cat getting a nail trim does not need the same shots as a dog staying for two weeks of boarding.

For each vaccine, you choose which services require it:

Vaccine	Boarding	Daycare	Grooming
Rabies	Required	Required	Required
Distemper/Parvo	Required	Required	Not required
Bordetella	Required	Required	Not required
Canine Influenza	Required	Not required	Not required

This table is just an example. Your actual requirements depend on your state laws, insurance policy, and personal comfort level.

The warning window

The warning window controls when Petsoft starts nagging about an upcoming expiration. If you set it to thirty days, the system flags a vaccine that expires in three weeks. If you set it to seven days, it waits until the last minute.

We recommend thirty days for most facilities. That gives customers time to schedule a vet appointment without feeling rushed. If you set it too short, customers will call you in a panic the day before their stay.

The warning window affects:

• Automated reminder emails to customers
• Red and yellow flags on your dashboard
• Portal notifications the customer sees when they log in

Grace periods

A grace period gives customers a few extra days after expiration to get their pet updated. If you set a three-day grace, a vaccine that expired yesterday will still allow booking today. It will show as expired, but the system will not block the reservation.

Use grace periods carefully. They are useful for good customers who are responsible but slightly disorganized. They are not useful for customers who ignore reminders for months. If you find yourself extending grace periods repeatedly for the same person, consider removing their grace period in their profile.

Strict compliance

By default, Petsoft warns about missing vaccines but does not block bookings unless the vaccine is expired. Strict compliance changes that. With strict compliance turned on, a pet with no record at all for a required vaccine cannot book any service.

This is the safest setting. It guarantees that every pet in your facility has at least some documentation on file. The downside is that new customers might get frustrated if they try to book before uploading records.

Most facilities use strict compliance for boarding and daycare, but leave it off for grooming. A groomer can ask for records at drop-off. A boarder needs them confirmed before the pet stays overnight.

Handling document uploads

When a customer uploads a vaccine document, it goes into your verification queue. You will see a notification on the dashboard.

To verify a document:

1. Click the notification to open the verification screen
2. Look at the photo or PDF the customer uploaded
3. Check that the vaccine name matches what they selected
4. Check that the expiration date on the document matches what they typed
5. Check that the document is legible and not blurry
6. Click Verify if everything looks correct, or Reject if something is wrong

If you reject a document, the customer gets a notification explaining that their record was not accepted. They can upload a new document and try again.

tip

Some customers upload photos of their vet's business card or a receipt instead of the actual certificate. Reject these and ask for the certificate. A receipt proves they paid for a vaccine, but it does not prove the pet received it.

Expired records and booking blocks

When a vaccine expires, the pet's status changes to Expired. The portal shows a red banner. Automated emails go out. The dashboard shows a flag.

If the pet has an existing reservation that starts after the expiration date, your staff see a warning. The reservation is not automatically canceled. You decide whether to honor it, ask for updated records, or cancel with a refund.

Customers cannot create new reservations for a pet with an expired required vaccine. They must upload current records and wait for you to verify them.

Custom vaccines for special cases

Some facilities track vaccines that are not on the standard list. Lyme disease, rattlesnake vaccine, or regional diseases specific to your area. Add these as custom vaccines and require them if needed.

Custom vaccines work exactly like built-in ones. They show up in the portal, trigger reminders, and block bookings if expired. The only difference is that you named them.

Annual reviews

Vaccine requirements change. Laws get updated. Your insurance policy might add new requirements. Your vet might recommend new shots based on local disease patterns.

Review your vaccine settings once a year. Make sure the required list still matches your current policies. Remove vaccines you no longer care about. Add new ones if your vet recommends them. Update your warning window if customers consistently complain about timing.

A five-minute annual review prevents a lot of headaches during busy season.