Distinguishing a cancellation from a dog already collected
Status board at pickup
When a dog leaves the building, the check-in board shows one of two states: In the building or Gone home. A cancellation leaves the slot in Expected until the day ends. If the owner texts that they will not arrive, record the cancellation in the dog’s notes with the time (e.g., "owner cancelled 09:12"). The dog never moves to In the building, so the headcount for the day stays accurate.
Owner arrival without prior notice
If the owner appears at the door and the dog is still marked Expected, tap the dog’s strip, confirm the dog is present, then set the status to In the building. Hand the dog over, then immediately change the status to Gone home. The timeline now reads: Expected → In the building → Gone home, with timestamps for each transition.
Worked example: Tuesday 14 May
Before action - Dog: Milo (Labrador, 3 yr) - Status: Expected (booked 07:30–18:00) - Notes: none
Owner texts at 09:05 – “Milo not coming today.” Desk action: Add note "owner cancelled 09:05" and keep the status as Expected.
After action - Status: Expected (cancellation noted) - Note: owner cancelled 09:05 - Headcount for Tuesday reduced by one.
Alternative path – Owner arrives at 16:40 without text. Desk action: Tap Milo → set In the building (16:40) → hand over → set Gone home (16:42).
Verification checklist
- Cancelled dogs never show In the building.
- Gone home timestamp is later than In the building timestamp.
- Day-end headcount matches the number of Gone home records.
Exception: Late cancellation after check-in
If a dog was already marked In the building and the owner later cancels the remainder of the day, keep the In the building timestamp, add a note "owner collected early 14:20", then set Gone home. The dog still counts toward the day’s occupancy. Record the actual collection time and the authorized handoff under your facility’s procedure.
Result: The board now cleanly separates a no-show from a completed pickup, and the daily headcount reflects only dogs that were physically present.
Related: Dog Daycare Manager features.