--- title: "Kennel Card Template for Shelters and Rescues (Printable)" description: "A free printable kennel card template for shelters and rescues: ID, intake details, handling notes, and who updated it. Fill it in on this page. Nothing is uploaded." canonical: https://www.whiskermatch.com/tools/kennel-card-template markdown_url: https://www.whiskermatch.com/tools/kennel-card-template.md generated_from: "canonical page server-rendered HTML; the HTML page is authoritative" last_modified: 2026-10-09 last_updated: 2026-10-09 publisher: "Veldarium Technology Systems LLC" --- 1. [Home](https://www.whiskermatch.com/) 2. [Free tools](https://www.whiskermatch.com/tools) 3. Kennel card template Free template for shelters and rescues # Kennel card template A kennel card is the quick read on the door: who the animal is, what staff have observed, and who last updated it. Fill in the fields, print the card, and keep the full record in your system. - Free - No account - Stays in your browser - Printable ## Fill it in here Everything you type stays in this browser. Nothing is uploaded or sent to WhiskerMatch. The preview below is what prints. Animal Name Animal ID Species Sex, as observed Age or estimate Color and markings Intake Intake date Source Hold ends, if a hold applies Microchip scan result Notes Handling notes, as observed by staff Feeding notes Needs veterinary or behavior review? Who is handling it Update Status Updated by (initials) Updated on Preview of the printed page ## Kennel card ID - **Species** - **Sex** - **Age** - **Intake** - **Source** - **Hold ends** - **Microchip** - **Status** - **Color and markings** - **Handling notes (observed)** - **Feeding** - **Review needed / who** Updated by on Made with free tools at whiskermatch.com. A personal record, not medical or legal advice. ## What a kennel card is for The card gives anyone walking past, staff and volunteers alike, the few facts they need right now. It does not replace the animal's record, which holds everything else. ## What to put on it - The name or ID and species, so the card can be matched to the record. - Intake date and source, and the end of any hold, if one applies where you work. - Handling and feeding notes written as observations, not conclusions. - A line that says whether someone is reviewing a medical or behavior question, and who. - Initials and a date for the last update. ## What to leave off - Diagnoses and guesses about health or behavior. - Names, phone numbers, or addresses of owners, finders, or adopters, since the card may be visible to the public. - Anything that belongs only in the record. ## Keep the card and the record in step - Agree who may change a card and how, such as initials and date on every change. - When the card and the record disagree, treat the record as correct and fix the card the same day. - If you use color-coded flags, write down what each color means and where that list is posted. - Retire the card when the animal leaves, and file or shred it by your own policy. ## Common questions - **Is this a medical record?** No. It carries staff observations and the status of the animal. Medical information belongs in the record, written by the people qualified to assess it. - **Can I use this for animals in foster care?** Yes. A foster can print a card for the door of the room or crate. See the foster handoff checklist for what else to pass along. - **Do you store the card?** No. It is created in your browser. If you press Save in this browser, a copy stays on this device only. ## Keep going - [Shelter intake record template](https://www.whiskermatch.com/resources/shelter-intake-record-template) - [Foster handoff checklist](https://www.whiskermatch.com/resources/foster-handoff-checklist) - [All shelter workflow resources](https://www.whiskermatch.com/resources) - [WhiskerMatch for shelters and rescues](https://www.whiskermatch.com/shelters) - [All free printable tools](https://www.whiskermatch.com/tools) Early access, founder-led ## Keep this with the animal record. WhiskerMatch is one record per animal that intake, foster, adoption review, and public profiles share. It starts with one workflow, beside the tools you already use, and a person at your organization makes every decision. $20/month per organization, no seat limits. This is a founder-led early access invitation with no deadline. Writing to ask a question costs nothing and commits you to nothing. [Bring one workflow](https://www.whiskermatch.com/contact#bring-one-workflow) [See pricing](https://www.whiskermatch.com/pricing) Want to look first? [Walk through the guided demo](https://www.whiskermatch.com/demo). --- About WhiskerMatch: WhiskerMatch is workflow software for animal shelters and rescues that keeps one reviewed record per animal across intake, foster care, adoption review and public profiles, with people making every placement and publishing decision. ## Sitemap See the full [WhiskerMatch sitemap](https://www.whiskermatch.com/sitemap.md) for every public page, or [llms.txt](https://www.whiskermatch.com/llms.txt) for a short summary.