How to hand off an uncollected dog at the daycare shift change
Carry forward the dog's actual status, the last verified contact and the name of the person taking responsibility for the next step. A pickup estimate is not a checkout.
The 5:30 desk change
In this fictional handoff, Juniper is still in the building. The owner called at 5:10 and expects to arrive at 5:45. The outgoing worker leaves: “Juniper present; usual pickup contact called at 5:10; ETA 5:45; blue lead on hook 4; evening desk to confirm collection.” The incoming worker checks that Juniper is physically accounted for and knows which contact procedure to use if plans change.
Keep sensitive owner details in the authorized desk record, not on a board visible to other customers. If someone else comes to collect the dog, follow the facility's approved pickup procedure rather than relying on a caller knowing the dog's name. If the owner changes the arrangement, record who confirmed the change.
Close the loop on the actual handoff
At collection, record the real checkout time and the authorized handoff under your facility's procedure. A booking or expected departure should not remove the dog from the in-building count. Before the outgoing worker leaves, compare the roster with the dogs still present; one unanswered question then is easier to resolve than an unexplained empty run at closing.