FOUR PAWS is a global animal welfare organisation dedicated to protecting animals under human influence, working to ensure they live healthy and safe lives. Founded in 1988 and with sanctuaries for animals in need in eleven countries, the organisation operates numerous projects, including sanctuaries and rescue missions, to provide care and rehabilitation for abused and neglected animals. FOUR PAWS focuses on sustainable solutions through education, advocacy, and lobbying efforts, striving to create a world where humans treat animals with respect, empathy and understanding.

The brief.

The wide range of animals cared for at FOUR PAWS animal sanctuaries generates a vast amount of data that needs structured recording. Previously, caretakers at various centers documented this information differently, often using paper or local servers. This made it difficult and time-consuming for the international veterinary team and headquarters to access the data. To streamline processes, a fully digital and centralised solution was essential, enabling efficient, direct recording of animal care data. This improvement was also crucial in enabling caretakers to spend more time directly attending to the animals.

The solution.

In the initial phase of the project we developed a basic system using Strapi as the CMS to record essential animal care data. This allowed FOUR PAWS caretakers to store animal data, add photos, and document food and training procedures. In the second phase, we enhanced the system with several quality-of-life improvements. These enhancements streamlined data entry and management, making it easier for caretakers to handle multiple animals and dietary requirements efficiently. The user experience was carefully considered to meet the diverse needs of different animal welfare centers.

Some of the key-features include:

• Add locations:

Manage data and switch between sanctuaries.

• Create animals:

Create entries, add photos, duplicate feeding data.

• Data entry:

Record feeding, dietary supplements, medications, and training.

• Group feedings:

Assign group feedings and divide food amounts.

• Search function:

Use ElasticSearch to find animals and data.

• Internationalisation:

Interface available in multiple languages.

The outcome.

In order to ensure the smooth use of the CMS for animal keepers without language barriers, we set ourselves the goal of internationalisation in the third project phase. In the future, this should not only make it possible to translate the interface, but with the help of Microsoft’s Bing Translator, comments from caretakers should also be translated automatically. In addition, we have already implemented the integration of ElasticSearch for the efficient search of data records in the system.