# Pet Boarding Intake Form Template: What to Ask

> A free intake form template for pet boarding, daycare, grooming, training and sitting: what to ask at booking, what to ask before check-in, and why.

By Sahil Verman, founder of petboard · Published 2026-10-18 · Source: https://www.petboard.in/blog/pet-boarding-intake-form-template

## In short

Split your form into two parts. **At booking**, ask only what you need to say yes: the parent's name and mobile number, the pet's name, kind and breed, the service and the dates. **Before check-in**, ask the care details: food, medicines, allergies, behaviour, vaccination dates and card, vet, and a local emergency contact. Add a tick box for consent. The tables below are a template you can copy, split by service.

If you want this form ready to share, petboard makes one for you when you sign up. It is in the last section.

## Why split the form into two parts?

A parent who is only asking "do you have space on the 14th?" does not want to type their dog's meal times. A parent who has a confirmed place is happy to. So the long questions go after you say yes.

We did not find a reliable study that says how many questions make a parent give up, so we do not quote a number. The safe choice is to make the first step short, so a new parent can reply in a minute, and to ask the rest once they have a place.

The two parts:

1. **The enquiry (at booking).** 5 to 8 questions. It tells you if you can take the pet.
2. **The full form (before check-in).** All care details. Your staff use it on the day.

## What should every intake form ask?

These fields apply to every service. Copy them first.

| Field | Why you need it | When to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Parent's full name | To know who is booking | At booking |
| Parent's mobile number | To confirm, send updates and bills | At booking |
| Pet's name, kind (dog or cat) and breed | To check if you can take this pet | At booking |
| Service and dates | To check space | At booking |
| Address and pincode | For pick-up, drop or a home visit | Before check-in |
| Pet's age or date of birth, weight, gender | For handling and group play | Before check-in |
| Spayed or neutered | For group play and some boarding rules | Before check-in |
| Behaviour with dogs, people and children | To keep staff and other pets safe | Before check-in |
| Has the pet ever bitten? | To plan handling | Before check-in |
| Vaccination dates and a photo of the card | Your vaccine rule | Before check-in |
| Medicines, allergies, health history | So staff give the right care | Before check-in |
| Vet name and phone | For a health problem during the stay | Before check-in |
| Local emergency contact (name and phone) | If you cannot reach the parent | Before check-in |
| Consent tick box | Agreement to your terms and to data use | Before check-in |

**Vaccination fields.** Ask for dates, not "yes or no". This template asks for the rabies date, the core combination vaccine date (often written DHPPiL for dogs), and a photo of the card. Decide your own rule with your vet. This guide is not veterinary advice.

## What extra should boarding ask?

Boarding holds the pet overnight, so you need the daily routine.

| Field | Why you need it | When to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Meal times, food brand and amount | So the pet eats as at home | Before check-in |
| Who provides the food | So you know what to stock | Before check-in |
| Toilet routine and signals | Fewer accidents in the room | Before check-in |
| Tick and flea treatment date | To protect other boarders | Before check-in |
| Fears (thunder, crackers, being alone) | To choose the right room | Before check-in |
| Check-in and check-out time | To plan staff on duty | At booking |

![A pet care card on a phone for Coco the beagle: feeding times, a chicken allergy, two medicines, vaccination dates, walk times and behaviour notes](https://www.petboard.in/blog/screens/pet-care-card.webp)
*From petboard's demo account: the boarding answers turned into a care card that your staff read on the day.*

## What extra should daycare ask?

Daycare is in groups during the day. Focus on play.

| Field | Why you need it | When to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Days of the week the dog will come | To plan your daily limit | At booking |
| Half day or full day | Price and space | At booking |
| Play style (gentle, rough, shy) | To choose the right group | Before check-in |
| Lunch or snack during the day | So staff feed it at the right time | Before check-in |
| Kennel cough vaccine date | Some daycares ask for it for group play | Before check-in |

## What extra should grooming ask?

A groom is short, but handling is close.

| Field | Why you need it | When to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Coat type and last groom date | To plan time and price | At booking |
| Areas the pet does not like touched | Safer handling | Before the visit |
| Skin problems or allergies to shampoo | To choose products | Before the visit |
| Consent for a short clip if the coat is matted | No argument after the groom | Before the visit |

## What extra should training ask?

| Field | Why you need it | When to ask |
|---|---|---|
| What you want trained | To plan the programme | At booking |
| Earlier training | To start at the right level | Before the first session |
| Triggers (dogs, bikes, strangers) and at what distance | To plan safe sessions | Before the first session |

## What extra should pet sitting ask?

The sitter works in the parent's home.

| Field | Why you need it | When to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Home address and how to get in | So the sitter can enter | At booking |
| Visit times | To plan the sitter's route | At booking |
| Where food, leash and medicines are kept | So the sitter finds them | Before the first visit |
| Building rules and a neighbour's number | Backup if something goes wrong | Before the first visit |

## How do I ask for consent on the form?

Put two things just above the submit button:

1. **A short notice.** What you collect, why, and how the parent can ask you to correct or delete it.
2. **A tick box** the parent must tick themselves. Do not tick it for them.

This follows the main points of India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Section 5(1) says a request for consent must come with a notice telling the person "the personal data and the purpose for which the same is proposed to be processed". Section 6(1) says consent must be "free, specific, informed, unconditional and unambiguous with a clear affirmative action". Section 6(4) says the person can withdraw consent "at any time" ([the Act as published in the Gazette](https://www.trai.gov.in/sites/default/files/2024-09/DPDT_11082024.pdf), checked 18 October 2026).

Parliament passed this Act in 2023. Most of its duties, including these consent rules, start in May 2027. Following them now is good practice. This is a summary, not legal advice.

Ask only what you need. The Act says consent should be limited to the data "necessary" for the purpose. A pet hotel does not need a parent's ID card number to feed a dog.

## How do I send the form in India?

If you send your link on WhatsApp:

- **Send it from your own business number.** Parents trust a number they already know.
- **Keep the first message short.** For example: "Hi! This is Paws Corner. Please fill in your name and phone here. You can add your pet and your dates too." (Paws Corner is a made-up name.)
- **Send the full form only after you confirm a place.** Say which date you need it by, for example 2 days before check-in.
- **Ask for a photo of the vaccination card**, not a typed list. A photo is easier to check.

## Use this form in petboard

petboard makes an intake form for you from the services you pick when you sign up. You do not need to build it.

**What it asks by default.** For boarding, the form has these sections: client details, pet details, feeding, toileting, behaviour, vaccination dates, vaccination certificate, tick and flea, medical, and emergency contact (local guardian). Daycare and pet sitting get almost the same set (daycare has no toileting section). Grooming leaves out feeding and toileting. Training leaves out feeding, toileting and tick and flea, and adds training goals. Client details, pet details and the emergency contact are Required. The other sections are asked, but optional, until you change them.

![A filled boarding intake form on a phone: the parent's name and a hidden phone number, Coco the beagle's details, feeding, a chicken allergy, vaccination dates, medicines, behaviour notes and stay dates](https://www.petboard.in/blog/screens/boarding-intake-form.webp)
*From petboard's demo account: a filled boarding intake form as you receive it.*

**What you can change.** In Settings, open **Intake form**. For each service you can:

- turn a section **On** or **Off**;
- set a section to **Required** or **Optional**;
- add your own questions under **Household Questions** or **Per-Pet Questions**, as short text, long text, a dropdown, a checkbox or a number, and tick **Required**.

Your own terms and consent form text go in Settings, under **Compliance & Data**. They show on the form above the tick box.

**Three links, for the two parts.** In petboard, the **Share with clients** card gives you:

- the **Enquiry link**, which asks only for name and phone (the rest is optional);
- the **Short intake form**: the client sends their name, dates and pet first, you check space, then you send the full form;
- the full **Intake form**, with a QR code for your front desk.

Tap **Send on WhatsApp**. WhatsApp opens on your phone with the message ready, and you press send. petboard does not send messages for you.

**What the parent sees.** Before sending, a new client ticks 2 boxes: one for your care terms, and one that lets petboard store their data for you. A short privacy notice names your business as the Data Fiduciary. If the parent leaves the form to take a call, their answers stay on that phone for up to 12 hours. A returning client types their phone number and can mark a section "No change" instead of typing it again.

### Start now

1. [Sign up for petboard](https://www.petboard.in/signup). Your first booking is free, and you need no card. Plans start at Rs 199 a month after that.
2. Open Settings, then **Intake form**, and match the sections to the template above.
3. Send your enquiry link to your next new client on WhatsApp.

See what petboard does for your service: [boarding](https://www.petboard.in/for/boarders), [daycare](https://www.petboard.in/for/daycare), [grooming](https://www.petboard.in/for/grooming), [training](https://www.petboard.in/for/trainers) or [pet sitting](https://www.petboard.in/for/sitters).

## Frequently asked questions

### How long can an intake form be before parents give up?

We did not find a reliable study on this for pet businesses, so we do not quote a number. A safer plan is to ask very little at booking (name, phone, pet, dates) and send the full care form only after you confirm a place. Then the parent fills in the long form when they already have a booking to protect.

### What must I ask at booking, and what can wait until check-in?

At booking, ask only what you need to say yes or no: the parent's name and mobile number, the pet's name, kind and breed, the service and the dates. Ask food, medicines, behaviour, vaccination dates, vet and emergency contact before check-in, on the full form.

### Which vaccinations should my intake form ask for?

This template asks for the rabies vaccine date and the core combination vaccine date (often written DHPPiL for dogs), plus a photo of the vaccination card. Some also ask about kennel cough, deworming and tick treatment. Ask your vet which ones you should require for your service. This guide is not veterinary advice.

### Do I need the parent's consent on the form?

It is good practice. India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 says consent must be 'free, specific, informed, unconditional and unambiguous with a clear affirmative action'. A tick box the parent must tick, next to a short notice of what you collect and why, is the usual way to do this. Parliament passed this Act in 2023. Most of its duties, including these consent rules, start in May 2027. Following them now is good practice.

### Can I change the petboard intake form?

Yes. In Settings, open Intake form. Turn any section On or Off, set it to Required or Optional, and add your own questions for the household or for each pet. You can also add your own terms and consent form text.

### Does petboard send the form on WhatsApp for me?

No. petboard opens WhatsApp on your phone with the message and the link ready. You press send, from your own number.