What to Include in an Animal Intake Form (Template for Rescues)

The intake form is the foundation of every animal's record at your rescue. A good one takes five minutes to fill out and gives your team everything they need to match, place, and adopt the animal. A bad one leaves gaps that cost weeks of follow-up calls and guesswork.

Here's what a complete intake form should capture — organized by section — and why each field matters.

Section 1: Intake type and source

Start with the basics: where did this animal come from?

• Intake type — owner surrender, stray, transfer, confiscation, wildlife/feral
• Intake date
• Intake location — the address or area where a stray was found; the shelter it was transferred from
• Surrendering party — name, phone, email, address (for owner surrenders)
• Reason for surrender — moving, allergies, behavioral issues, financial hardship, too many animals, other

The surrender reason is easy to skip and hard to recover. It gives your team context when the animal shows up scared, or when a behavioral issue that wasn't on the form surfaces in the foster home.

Section 2: Animal identification

• Species and breed (or best guess for mixed breeds)
• Name (what the previous owner called them — changes later are fine, but continuity helps during transition)
• Age — exact if known, estimated if not
• Sex — intact or altered
• Weight
• Color and markings — detailed enough to identify the animal if lost
• Microchip number — and which registry it's enrolled in
• License or tag number if applicable

If you have a camera on intake, attach a photo here. It takes 30 seconds and prevents the wrong animal going to the wrong foster.

Section 3: Medical history

This section saves lives. Incomplete medical history is the most common source of preventable health incidents in rescue.

• Vaccination history — which vaccines, dates, due dates
• Last vet visit — date and clinic name
• Known conditions — chronic illness, allergies, previous injuries
• Current medications — name, dosage, frequency, what it's for
• Spay/neuter status — if altered, approximate date
• Heartworm/FIV/FeLV status — test date and result
• Parasite prevention — flea, tick, heartworm — what product, last dose
• Dental history — relevant for older animals placed with medical fosters

If the surrendering owner doesn't know the vaccination history, note that explicitly. "Unknown" is more useful than a blank.

Section 4: Behavioral profile

This is the section most rescues underinvest in. A behavioral profile takes an extra five minutes at intake and prevents a bad foster match, a bite incident, or a return.

• Energy level — low, medium, high
• Good with dogs? — yes, no, unknown, needs slow intro
• Good with cats? — same options
• Good with children? — same, plus approximate age range if relevant
• Leash manners — does the animal walk on leash? Pull? Reactive?
• House trained? — fully, partially, unknown
• Crate trained? — yes, no, unknown
• Separation anxiety — any known history
• Known triggers or fears — loud noises, hats, men, other dogs, car rides
• Bite history — any known incidents, context, severity
• Previous training — any obedience, agility, service work

Ask the surrendering party directly: "Is there anything about this animal I should tell the next person who takes care of them?" You'll be surprised what comes out.

Section 5: Care requirements

• Diet — food type, brand if known, portion size, frequency
• Exercise needs
• Grooming needs — coat type, last groomed, any known sensitivities
• Enrichment notes — toys they love, activities that calm them
• Veterinary preferences — does the owner have a preferred vet you should call for records?

Section 6: Legal acknowledgments (owner surrenders)

For owner surrenders, your intake form should include:

• Transfer of ownership — a clear statement that the animal is being surrendered to your organization
• Attestation that the surrendering party owns the animal (or has legal authority to surrender it)
• Medical release authorizing your rescue to provide veterinary care
• No-return clause if applicable — some rescues include a statement that the animal will not be returned to the original owner

Have legal review this section. A single signed intake form with the right language prevents disputes later.

Free template

Here's a minimal working version you can adapt:

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Animal Intake Record

• Intake date:
• Intake type: [ ] Owner surrender [ ] Stray [ ] Transfer [ ] Other
• Animal name:
• Species / Breed:
• Age: Estimated / Known
• Sex: [ ] Male intact [ ] Male altered [ ] Female intact [ ] Female altered
• Weight:
• Color / markings:
• Microchip #:

Medical

• Vaccines current: [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Unknown — Last date:
• Known conditions:
• Current medications:
• HW/FIV/FeLV status:

Behavioral

• Good with dogs: [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Unknown
• Good with cats: [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Unknown
• Good with kids: [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Unknown
• Bite history: [ ] None [ ] Yes — describe:
• Known fears or triggers:

Surrender info (if applicable)

• Owner name / contact:
• Reason for surrender:

Staff notes:

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A note on digital intake

Paper forms get lost. Data typed into one system doesn't transfer to another. If you're running more than a handful of animals at a time, a dedicated intake workflow — where the form, the photo, and the animal's record all live in one place — reduces coordinator overhead dramatically and means anyone on your team can pull up an animal's full history in seconds.

The intake form is where every animal's story starts. The more completely you capture it, the better the outcome on the other end.