Keeping sensitive pet parent information off the lobby board

What the lobby board may show

Keep the visible board to the dog's call name, the group they are playing in, and a short status such as "in play," "resting," or "waiting for pickup." The owner's phone number, email, street, payment notes, and any veterinary detail stay in the dog's record, not on a screen or whiteboard that faces the waiting area.

Strip notes versus public notes

A feeding or behavior note belongs on the dog's strip because staff need it during the day. A note such as "owner is going through a custody dispute, do not release to the other parent" is not a care instruction. Mark it as private or staff-only, and write the public part separately: "pickup only with the named adult on file." If no separate field exists, put the private fact in a locked staff log and leave the board blank for that item.

One intake conversation, illustrated

A border collie arrives under the call name "Blue." The owner asks that the dog not be walked near the rear fence because a loose dog lives behind it. That is a care instruction and can appear on the strip. The same owner mentions a recent divorce and asks that the other parent never be told pickup times. That sentence goes only into the staff log. Before lunch, a clerk preparing the board copies only: "Blue — play group 2 — no rear-fence walks." The custody line is never typed onto the board.

A quick check before you post

Read each line aloud and ask: would a stranger standing at the counter learn something the owner did not choose to share? If yes, move it. Also check that the call name is not the full registered name when the owner asked for a nickname. The board shows three short fields, and the private sentence exists only where staff must sign in to see it.

Reusable line to copy: "Public board = call name, group, status, care flag. Private log = legal names, contact details, disputes, payment, vaccine dates."

Related: Dog Daycare Manager features.