Reading the Dashboard
The dashboard is the main screen you'll use every day. It shows all active animals in the shelter, sorted so the ones needing attention most are at the top.
Species Tabs
The dashboard has tabs for different species:
- Dogs -- Full-featured view with behavior tracking, mood capture, and handling levels
- Cats -- Simplified view with basic activity logging (Interaction, Enrichment, Observation)
- Other -- For other species in the shelter's care
Dogs are the primary species in Heelr. Cats and Other species have simplified activity logging and do not participate in behavior intelligence features like trends, exit behaviors, or the Intelligence Dashboard.
How Priority Sorting Works
Animals are sorted by longest wait time first. An animal that hasn't had any activity in 6 hours will appear above one that was walked 30 minutes ago. This ensures no one gets forgotten.
Pre-vax first-pass boost: Dogs under 16 weeks that haven't had any enrichment or training yet today are boosted to the top of the priority list. This ensures puppies with restricted activity options aren't overlooked at the start of a shift. The boost clears automatically once the dog receives an enrichment or training activity for the day.
Spotlight Section
The top of the dashboard features the Spotlight -- the 3 dogs that have been waiting the longest for any activity. These are your best picks when you arrive for a shift.
Attention Indicators
Dogs are categorized by attention urgency:
| Level | Meaning |
|---|---|
| High | Extended time without activity -- prioritize these dogs |
| Medium | Moderate wait time -- good candidates for your next activity |
| Low | Recently had activity but could benefit from more |
| None | Recently active -- no immediate attention needed |
Dashboard Sections
The dashboard is divided into two sections:
- Can Handle Now -- Animals matching your permission level, sorted by priority
- Needs Staff / Restricted -- Animals requiring higher permissions (shown to all users for awareness, but only staff/admin can interact)
Dog Card Anatomy
Each dog on the dashboard is displayed as a card. Here's what you'll see:
Photo
A circular photo of the dog (or a placeholder icon if no photo has been uploaded). The photo has a colored ring matching the handling level.
Name
The dog's name, displayed prominently on the card.
Time Since Last Activity
A relative timestamp showing how long it's been since someone logged an activity for this dog. For example: "2h ago", "45m ago", or "No activity" if nothing has been logged yet.
Handling Level Badge
A colored badge indicating the training level required to handle this dog:
| Badge Color | Level | Who Can Handle |
|---|---|---|
| Green | Level 1 | Anyone -- all volunteers |
| Blue | Special Handling | SH Certified volunteers, Staff, and Admin |
| Orange | Staff Only | Staff and admin only |
| Red | Isolation | Staff and admin only (dog is in isolation) |
| Purple | PPE | Staff and admin only (personal protective equipment required) |
"Recently Out" Badge
When a dog has had activity very recently, a "Recently Out" badge appears on their card. This is a signal that the dog may need a cooldown period before more interaction.
Pre-Vax Badge
Dogs under 16 weeks old display an amber "Pre-vax" badge on their card. This indicates the dog is pre-vaccination restricted -- Walk and Playgroup activities are blocked for this dog until they reach 16 weeks. See Logging an Activity for details on what activities are available.
The badge appears and disappears automatically based on the dog's date of birth. No manual action is needed.
Handling Flags
Small icons or badges may appear on cards for dogs with operational flags like reactive, escape risk, or resource guarding. These alert you to important safety information before interacting.
Cat & Other Cards
Cat and Other species cards show a simplified view:
- Photo and name
- Species context, and for Other animals the configured sub-species when available
- Time since last activity (based on Interaction or Enrichment -- Observation does not count as "last activity")
- No handling level badges (cats and other species don't use handling levels)
Animal Search
Staff and admin users can search from the navigation without leaving their current workflow. Search supports:
- Animal name
- Animal code
- Intake code
Results show species, kennel location, and status, which makes it useful for quickly jumping to a record when a paper kennel card, intake sheet, or QR label gives you an ID instead of a name.
Filtering the Dashboard
"Show Dogs I Can Handle"
Use this toggle to filter the dashboard to only show dogs matching your permission level. As a volunteer without Special Handling certification, this hides dogs that require trained volunteers or Staff.
Notifications
The bell icon in the top navigation shows your unread notification count. Tap it to see recent notifications -- currently these are triggered when someone @mentions you in a staff note on an animal.
Tapping a notification takes you directly to the animal's detail page. You can also tap Mark all as read to clear the unread count.
Tips for Reading the Dashboard
- Start with the Spotlight -- The top 3 dogs are your best picks
- Check the time -- Animals with longer wait times need attention first
- Watch for "Recently Out" -- Give these animals space before another activity
- Note the badge color -- Only interact with dogs matching your training level
- Check the attention level -- High-attention dogs should be your priority
- Review handling flags -- Read any safety flags before approaching a dog