Cara
carashelters.ie
What it is
Cara is web-based animal shelter software for rescues, combining adoption applications, animal and medical records, and a public adoption portal. Shelters can track enquiries, move applications through stages, add notes, and approve or decline them. Animal records can include photos, medical notes, current status, foster details, and a timeline of care and applications. Cara can send adoption contracts digitally for legally binding signatures. It also provides shareable animal links for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, plus automated emails to applicants. Cara says it can import animal histories from Trackabeast and Animal Shelter Manager exports, as well as spreadsheet records while retaining unmapped columns. The Free plan supports up to five animals and includes application management, basic email notifications, and Cara branding on the portal. Pro costs $34.99 a month, billed monthly; subscriptions are billed in euro. It includes unlimited animals, e-sign contracts, advanced email workflows, a white-label portal, welfare incident reports, donation capture, and priority support. The service is intended for shelters and rescues worldwide, though Cara says most current users are Irish and some defaults lean toward Ireland.
Spec sheet
- What it does
- Cara is a SaaS platform for animal rescue and rehoming organisations, combining shelter records, applications, adoption workflows and a public portal.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Purpose
- Cara is animal shelter software for rescues, with adoptions, applications, animal and medical records, and a public adoption portal.Read 4 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Intended users
- Cara is for animal shelters and rescues worldwide, though the site says most current users are Irish and some defaults lean toward Ireland.Read 4 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Security
- Cara's DPA lists AES-256 encryption at rest, TLS 1.2 or higher in transit, organisation-level database row security, bcrypt password hashing, and API rate limiting.Read 4 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Privacy
- Cara says it does not use advertising cookies, tracking pixels, or third-party analytics cookies.Read 4 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Support
- The official site provides support contact through [email protected] and testimonials describe setup and ongoing assistance.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Headquarters
- The registered address is 9 Montpellier Terrace, The Crescent, Galway, Ireland.Read 15 Oct 2026 · solocheck.ie
- Animal histories
- Animal records can include photos, medical notes, current status, foster details, and a chronological timeline of care and applications.Read 4 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Animal records
- Animal profiles support photographs, medical notes, status, foster details and a chronological care history.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- API and extensibility
- The DPA mentions rate limiting on public-facing API endpoints, but the cited official pages do not describe a public API, SDK or self-hosted package.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Application management
- Applications are collected in one inbox and can be moved through home-check and approval stages.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Applications
- Shelters can track adoption enquiries, move applications through stages, add notes, and approve or decline them.Read 4 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Cancellation limitation
- Cancellation takes effect at the end of the billing period and the terms say current-period subscription fees are not refunded.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Company founding date
- SoloCheck records Cara Shelters Limited as incorporated on 15 September 2026.Read 15 Oct 2026 · solocheck.ie
- Company legal name
- The registered company is Cara Shelters Limited, company number 825953, with computer-programming activity.Read 15 Oct 2026 · solocheck.ie
- Contracts
- Cara can send adoption contracts digitally and collect legally binding signatures.Read 4 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Data imports
- Cara imports animal histories from Trackabeast, Animal Shelter Manager exports and spreadsheets, retaining unmapped columns.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Data portability
- Staff users can download their data in JSON from account settings, and terminated shelters can export data for 30 days.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Digital contracts
- The service generates adoption contracts and collects electronic signatures from adopters by email.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Donations
- Donor records and one-off donations are supported through Stripe processing.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Email notifications
- Applicants can receive automated messages as their application progresses.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Founder
- The about page names Ciaran O'Dowd as founder and Senan Ford as co-founder.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- GDPR roles
- Cara is controller for staff-account, billing and platform-log data, while shelters control adopter, donor, volunteer and foster data collected through their portals.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Geographic availability
- The maker says shelters can register from any country and select the currency shown for donations and adoption fees.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Hosting and storage
- Cara lists Supabase for database hosting and file storage in the EU, and Vercel for application hosting and serverless functions.Read 4 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Imports
- Cara says it imports animal history from Trackabeast and Animal Shelter Manager exports, and can bring across spreadsheet records while retaining unmapped columns.Read 4 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Infrastructure
- The privacy policy names Supabase for EU database and file storage and Vercel for application hosting and serverless functions.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Licence
- The terms reserve intellectual-property rights in the software, documentation and branding and prohibit reverse engineering, indicating a proprietary service.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Limit: Capterra evidence
- Capterra lists no user reviews, shows pricing as 'Get Price' and says a free trial is not available.Read 15 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
- Limit: liability
- The terms provide the platform as-is, disclaim data-loss liability and cap aggregate liability at fees paid in the prior 12 months.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Limit: Software Advice evidence
- Software Advice lists one custom-quote plan, no reviews, and pricing available only on request.Read 15 Oct 2026 · softwareadvice.com
- Payments
- Cara names Stripe as a sub-processor for subscription payments, donation checkouts, and adoption fees; it says it does not see raw card data.Read 4 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- People management
- Adopters, donors and volunteers can be stored together with notes and organisation roles.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Public adoption portal
- Each shelter can publish a branded adoption page where visitors browse animals and apply without creating an account.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Public directory
- Cara operates a multi-shelter directory where adopters filter animals by species and Irish county.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Rating on Capterra
- 0.0 out of 5 from 0 reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
- Rating on Software Advice
- No rating published from 0 reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · softwareadvice.com
- Retention
- Staff data is retained during subscription plus 12 months, activity logs for 24 months, and financial records for seven years.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Security controls
- The DPA states AES-256 encryption at rest, TLS 1.2 or higher in transit, organisation-level row security, bcrypt passwords and rate limiting.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Sharing and notifications
- Cara provides shareable animal links for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, and automated emails to applicants.Read 4 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Social sharing
- Animal listings provide shareable links designed for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Stripe integration
- Stripe is used for subscriptions, donation checkouts and adoption-fee payments; Cara says it does not receive raw card data.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Trial discrepancy
- The homepage advertises a 30-day trial, while the terms page states a 14-day free trial, so the published trial length is inconsistent.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
- Welfare reporting
- Shelters can record welfare incidents with dated histories intended for regulatory use.Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
Plans and prices
Free Free Up to 5 animals · Public adoption portal · Application management · Basic email notifications · Cara branding on portal Read 4 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
Cara €34.99 a month monthly per shelter organisation Unlimited animals · all features · public adoption page · applications · e-signed contracts · email notifications · foster homes · TNR · welfare reports · donation records · year-end reports · imports Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
Pro $34.99 a month Monthly; subscriptions billed in euro Unlimited animals · E-sign contracts · Advanced email workflows · White label portal · Welfare incident reports · Donation capture · Priority support Read 4 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
Cara €315 a year yearly All features · unlimited animals · public adoption page · applications · e-signed contracts · email notifications · foster homes · TNR · welfare reports · donation records · year-end reports · imports Read 15 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
Pro $315 a year Yearly; subscriptions billed in euro The pricing FAQ says both plans include every feature; the plan list shows unlimited animals, e-sign contracts, advanced email workflows, white label portal, welfare incident reports, donation capture, and priority support for Pro. Read 4 Oct 2026 · carashelters.ie
Strong points and limits
Strong points
- Tracks adoption applications through review stages.
- Animal records include medical notes and care timelines.
- Digital contracts collect legally binding signatures.
- Imports spreadsheet records while retaining unmapped columns.
- Free plan includes a public adoption portal.
Limits
- Free plan supports up to five animals.
- Pro costs $34.99 a month.
- Subscriptions are billed in euro.
- Only web is listed as a platform.
Who it suits
Cara is intended for animal shelters and rescues managing adoptions, animal records, and applicant communications. It may suit organizations seeking an online adoption portal, with the note that some defaults lean toward Ireland.
Cara in depth
Read the full write-up
Cara is web-based shelter software for teams that want adoption administration and animal histories in one system. It is best suited to rescues that value a public portal and can work with defaults that lean toward Ireland. Its free plan offers a useful trial of the core workflow, but the five-animal ceiling makes Pro the practical option for a growing shelter.
Overview
Cara brings adoption enquiries, applicant decisions and animal care records together. Teams can move applications through stages, add notes, and approve or decline applicants, while each animal’s record can hold photos, medical notes, status and foster details alongside a timeline of care and applications. That joined-up history is useful when adoption decisions depend on more than a public listing.
The public adoption portal gives shelters a way to present animals, with shareable links for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Automated emails can handle routine applicant updates. Cara also supports importing histories from Trackabeast and Animal Shelter Manager exports, plus spreadsheet records with unmapped columns retained; that may ease a move without requiring every legacy field to fit a new template.
Key features
Adoption workflow and contracts
Application stages, notes and approve-or-decline outcomes provide a clear path from enquiry to decision. Pro adds digital adoption contracts with legally binding signatures, making the paid plan the relevant choice for shelters that want to formalise placements within the same workflow.
Care records and outreach
Chronological histories combine welfare details with application activity. This can help staff follow an animal’s progress, while shareable links extend listings to social channels and automatic emails reduce manual follow-up. Advanced email workflows are reserved for Pro; the free tier includes only basic notifications.
Payments, privacy and security
Cara names Stripe as a sub-processor for subscriptions, donations and adoption fees, and says it does not see raw card data. It lists EU database and file storage through Supabase, with application hosting and serverless functions on Vercel. Its stated safeguards include AES-256 encryption at rest, TLS 1.2 or higher in transit, organisation-level database row security, bcrypt password hashing and API rate limiting. Cara says it does not use advertising cookies, tracking pixels or third-party analytics cookies.
Pricing
Cara has a free plan and a free trial; the paid plan has custom pricing on request beyond the stated monthly price.
PlanPriceWhat it includesFreefreeUp to 5 animals, public adoption portal, application management, basic email notifications and Cara branding on the portal.Pro$34.99 a month, billed Monthly; subscriptions billed in euroUnlimited animals, e-sign contracts, advanced email workflows, white-label portal, welfare incident reports, donation capture and priority support.Free is a sensible fit for a small rescue evaluating the application and portal workflow, but the five-animal cap is restrictive for an active shelter. Pro removes that ceiling and adds the tools for contracts, incident reporting and donations; it is the clear step up for organisations managing more animals or wanting a branded portal. The free trial can help assess the paid workflow before committing.
Platforms
Cara runs on the web. That suits teams working from browser-based systems, but organisations choosing primarily on mobile apps should compare alternatives that offer Android or iOS.
Who it's for
Cara targets animal shelters and rescues worldwide, with most current users in Ireland and some defaults oriented toward Ireland. It is a stronger fit for teams comfortable with that regional tilt than for organisations that need defaults tailored elsewhere. Shelters importing from Trackabeast, Animal Shelter Manager or spreadsheets may also value its migration options.
Pros and cons
Pros: Application stages, care timelines and animal details share one system, keeping adoption progress and welfare context together.
Pros: Import support for two named shelter systems and spreadsheets can preserve unmapped columns during migration.
Pros: Pro combines unlimited animals with contracts, donation capture and welfare incident reports.
Cons: The free plan stops at five animals, so it is a limited long-term fit for shelters with larger populations.
Cons: Pro costs $34.99 a month and subscriptions are billed in euro, a consideration for teams budgeting in another currency.
Cons: Cara is web-only, and some defaults lean toward Ireland despite its worldwide audience.
Alternatives
Choose Pet Friend if Android or iOS access matters, or if its 10 GB storage and 50 GB monthly data usage in the Rescue plan suit your needs; its Rescue plan is $25 a month and Shelter is $50 a month, both billed monthly and cancellable anytime. Consider PawPlacer if a free web product with all features, full exports and SDK/API access, and no contracts or usage limits is the priority.
ShelterBuddy, Pact, RescueGroups.org Data Management Service and RescueBase are further options to compare.
Browse the Animal Shelter Software directory for more choices.
Verdict
Cara is a strong choice for a shelter that wants applications, care histories and a public adoption portal connected, especially if its import options fit the organisation’s records. The free plan is best for a small rescue or an evaluation, while Pro is the practical tier for unlimited animals and contracts. Look elsewhere if the five-animal cap is too small, Ireland-leaning defaults are a poor fit, or native mobile apps are essential.
Verdict
Cara combines adoption workflows, animal records, and a public portal, with digital contracts and import options. Check the free animal cap and the Ireland-leaning defaults against your shelter’s needs.
Where Specifiction places it
- Animal Shelter Software#1 of 99.1