Hackapet: Digital Platform for Animal Shelters

Hackapet is an open-source technological platform that digitalizes critical processes for animal shelters. Born from observed needs in multiple animal protection organizations, the project addresses the gap where many shelters rely on paper, Excel spreadsheets, and WhatsApp for their daily operations.

Mission and Vision

Mission: Develop accessible and effective technological tools that allow animal shelters to optimize their operational management, increase their rescue capacity, and improve living conditions for animals under their care.

Core Values:

• Direct Social Impact: Every developed feature must have measurable impact on animal welfare
• Operational Transparency: Complete visibility of processes, expenses, and animal status
• Digital Accessibility: Intuitive interfaces designed for users with varying technological competence
• Community Collaboration: Sustainable participation of developers, designers, and volunteers

Platform Architecture

PetSync - Comprehensive Shelter Management

• Animal Management System: Complete registry including basic data, medical history, behavior, rescue conditions, and adoption tracking
• Integrated Event Calendar: Scheduling system for veterinary appointments, adopter visits, vaccination campaigns with automatic notifications
• Social Media Automation: Publication engine that generates automatic content when animals enter the shelter
• Financial Transparency System: Tool that calculates and presents expenses per animal automatically

PetMatch - Federated Pet Discovery

• Multi-shelter Search Platform: Find animals across different shelters
• Advanced Filtering: Search by breed, coat type, size, temperament
• Simplified Adoption Process: Streamlined workflow for potential adopters

AdopTrack - Post-Adoption Monitoring

• Progress Tracking: Monitor pet adaptation in new homes
• Behavioral Follow-up: Track animal behavior and adjustment
• New Owner Support: Resources and guidance for new pet parents

Technical Specifications

Platform Priorities: Mobile native first and desktop web, ensuring optimal experience on both native mobile applications and desktop browsers.

Architecture:

• Mobile: Native Android and iOS applications
• Web: React-based dashboard for administrative functions
• Backend: API-first development with robust data management
• Database: Comprehensive animal data storage with medical records, photos, and behavioral notes
• Integration: Social media APIs for automated posting, potential integration with official animal identification databases

Development Progress

Validated Requirements with SOS Peludetes: Through meetings with Felipe Gadea, Empar, Pili, Toñi, and Ignacio L. D., we documented specific requirements including chip reading integration, social media automation priority, comprehensive medical management, and financial transparency.

Current Status - In Development Phase:

• Prototyping core functionality with partner shelters
• Building foundational architecture and data models
• Actively developing iOS and Android applications
• Implementing web dashboard interfaces
• Testing workflows with real shelter operations

Development Community:

• Spanish team of contributors working collaboratively
• Open source development with transparent decision-making
• Monthly workshops and technical sessions for community engagement

Development Phases

Phase 1 (Months 1-2): Core Functionality

• Basic CRUD operations for animal management (starting with dogs)
• Event calendar for veterinary appointments and visits
• Initial social media automation prototype

Phase 2 (Months 2-4): Advanced Features

• Complete adoption workflow with post-adoption tracking
• Transparency dashboard with automatic expense calculation
• Enhanced social media automation with customizable templates

Phase 3 (Months 4-6): Optimization and Expansion

• Multi-species support (cats and other animals)
• Advanced features like rescue geolocation and donation integration
• Performance optimization for concurrent multi-shelter use

Sustainability

Community-Driven Development: Open source project sustained by volunteer contributions and community engagement.

Sustainability Model: Evaluation of complementary services like web development for shelters under the hackapet.org domain, creating a mutual support ecosystem.

Get Involved

Hackapet represents more than a technological project; it’s an initiative seeking measurable social impact through collaborative development of specific tools for a sector that has historically depended on limited resources.

Whether you’re a developer, designer, or passionate about animal welfare, there’s a place for you in our community.

Visit our GitHub organization to explore the codebase, read documentation, and join the mission to help shelters save more lives through technology.