Mobile App for Dog License Registration Submitted to the Palo Alto Hackathon before 2/28/14 5pm PST

by @PAHomelessDogs
In green is from the Hackathon submission page. In black is what we wrote.
Now, tell us about your awesome app idea... Provide a short and snappy idea name. *
For example: "Click and Fix" or "City Voice"

Mobile App for Dog License Registration

Describe your idea here *
Tell us specifically what it will do and what problem it will solve. This is the most important area. Be sure to be clear and detailed. This app proposal Mobile App for Dog License Registration does not have a short snappy name because this is a humdrum, run-of-the-mill, boring but necessary tool to bring in revenue. But just because the name isnt short and snappy, doesnt mean this app isnt worth doing! The Palo Alto Animal Services (PAAS) shelter does not currently have online dog license registration, much less mobile app for this service. It is inconvenient for dog owners to comply with the states mandatory dog licensing laws when they have to resort to 20th century communication mechanisms: pen and paper combined with delivery via a) U.S. mail, or b) in person, or c) fax. ***How to License info from the PAAS website*** http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/gov/depts/pol/as/adoption/license.asp Download a non-editable pdf document and fill it out by hand Make a copy of your dogs current valid Rabies Certificate, not merely a tag or a receipt. Make a copy of your Proof of Spay or Neuter if applicable. Package up the above and send to PAAS

By mail: complete a license application and send it with your payment (check, Visa or Mastercard), rabies certificate and spay/neuter certificate if applicable to: Animal Services, 3281 E. Bayshore Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303. In person: bring the completed application, rabies certificate and spay/neuter certificate to our office, Monday through Saturday, between 11am and 5:30pm, excluding holidays and alternate Fridays. By FAX: Fax the application, rabies certificate and spay/neuter certificate to (650) 856-8591. Include your Mastercard or Visa number and card expiration date

***end info from PAAS website***

Contact email: paloaltohomelessdogs@gmail.com | phone: 650 215-8406

Mobile App for Dog License Registration Submitted to the Palo Alto Hackathon before 2/28/14 5pm PST by @PAHomelessDogs
As an example of what we could do, Bank of America has a mobile app for check deposits that enables customers to deposit checks simply by taking a photo of the check. This technique could be used for submission of rabies certificates. Lets make mandatory dog licensing in the nations most digital city be as easy as depositing a check. Our original app idea was to build an online/mobile dog license registration system since there is not one in place right now. We did some research into the existing situation and were told by a city business analyst that there is an online dog license registration as one module of the Chameleon Beach Software client/server animal shelter package, and there is a plan to implement this module. Unfortunately the Purchase Order for the module got stuck in the bureaucracy until a couple weeks ago. The analyst told us the PO is now unstuck and the module should be implemented by June 2014. (Note: apparently this module, or maybe the entire shelter software management system, is not the responsibility of the citys IT dept, we arent sure why not). We also did the best review we could of the Chameleon Beach (ancient client-server software) shelter package by perusing their website and calling their sales line. We could not find any evidence that their online dog license registration system has a mobile app, and our call to the sales line did not elicit a call back. Our business analysis contact is now out for a week or so therefore we have been unable to follow up with him. The business analyst did tell us that the online dog license registration module is the same one used as the City of San Jose. http://www.sanjoseca.gov/index.aspx?NID=1388 We only needed to go this far https://www.licensepet.com/WebLicensing/G02/Version02.11.01.0260p/%28S%28p5yif1z50nxplmyxx5agll0l%29%29/WebForm_AgencyLicense01.aspx?ClientId=S NJSWL where the fluorescent green, yellow, and orange website UI convinced us no mobile app would be found. Therefore, given the info we now have, we are 99.99% sure there is no existing mobile app with the Chameleon Beach package. Why does this matter? As studies of successful licensing have shown, convenience is key to getting the compliance rate up. Based on data and reports we found on the city website, we believe PAAS has a 20% or less compliance rate, yet Calgary, Canada has over 90%. They make it super easy to pay, even trusting dog owners to self report.
Pet Licensing Programs That Work

http://www.foundanimals.org/search/content?query=calgary (Please take a look at the above short presentationits incredibly illuminating) The City of Palo Alto Fiscal Year 2013 delivered $106K in dog licensing revenue. Imagine if that number were doubled or tripled.

Contact email: paloaltohomelessdogs@gmail.com | phone: 650 215-8406

Mobile App for Dog License Registration Submitted to the Palo Alto Hackathon before 2/28/14 5pm PST by @PAHomelessDogs
But why a mobile app? Well, the web interface was amazing in 1998 but the world, especially our community, has gone mobile. Lets get into synch with our customers in order to persuade them to pay for dog licenses by making it convenient and easy for them. Mobile means we can market dog licensing everywherein the dog parks, veterinarian offices, pet stores, in the outdoor areas of coffee shops, and even stenciled on every dogs favorite spot fire hydrants. Download the app to license your dog. (We could even have a pet gallery of licensed dogs. See also our app idea called Dogs in the Neighborhood.)

Tell us why you think this is an original idea. *

For example: Describe why you believe you are solving a problem in a unique manner. We believe many shelters use Chameleon Beach Software to manage their shelter business and animals. However Chameleon seems to be stuck with 20th century technology and services.
Chameleon/CMS is a front end application that utilizes the latest in Client/Server network technology. It operates under Microsoft Windows to manage and track all the data any animal care facility (animal control, humane control, humane society, SPCA, ARL, AWL, etc.) will handle. Charts, graphs, spreadsheets, notices, and reports are shipped with the product and easily produced and customized using the report writing tools.

Note: Chameleon Bach Software website: http://www.chameleonbeach.com/ProductsandServices/tabid/63/Default.aspx While there is no doubt a startup somewhere disrupting this business with a cloud-based solution, in the meantime our shelter, along others using their software, are losing millions of dollars in revenue due to poor compliance. Its difficult for shelters that are not well funded to take good care of the animals in their care. After we build our app, we could conceivably sell our application to Chameleon Beach Software, or better yet, make it open source and let others help maintain and distribute it to shelters that have limited budgets, no IT support, and ancient client-server management software. We have a fabulous opportunity given the wealth of the citys residents, the technology prowess of the residents and city IT staff, our leadership by the Palo Alto CIO, and the high visibility of tech companies like Google (that are dog friendly), and animal-loving tech entrepreneurs like Mark Zuckerberg (read about his famous dog Beast) to help not only our own shelter, but those around the country, even the world. Lets become not just the Most Digital City in America, but also use that digital prowess to become the Most Humane City in America.

If your idea will require data, tell us what type of data.

For example: City demographics, permit information, event listings etc. Leave this item blank if you don't know or it's not relevant to your idea.
Contact email: paloaltohomelessdogs@gmail.com | phone: 650 215-8406

Mobile App for Dog License Registration Submitted to the Palo Alto Hackathon before 2/28/14 5pm PST by @PAHomelessDogs
Animal data from the PAAS Chameleon Beach Software database. Interface to the dog license registration module.

Finally, some important miscellaneous items...

If you are selected as a finalist, tell us how you will go about creating a prototype * For example: Will you write the code yourself? Do you have access to developers? We are a small team of people with a variety of skills including software development (internet, SaaS, mobile), project management, cloud/web product management, business analysis, photography, design, social media, animal welfare, and marketing. One of us is a very experienced developer in mobile and web-based apps, another of us currently works as a software engineering manager in a startup. If we are selected as a finalist we may reach out to the open source community (via GitHub for example) to find additional programmers. We believe many techies are animal lovers and that we can quickly bring a few more additional developers on board if needed.

Anything else?
Use this space to include anything additional that you would like to share with the judges or competition administrators We are continuing to gather information about the shelter operations and use it to refine our thinking and app proposal(s). We appreciate OpenGov/OpenData means we have access to important documents/data about the shelter such as license compliance, revenue sources and amounts, euthanasia rates and reasons, etc. This link is to a document folder on Dropbox
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/wcfxdydvnflqqh6/cPFq9APuc2

where we have placed the information that we have. We are eager to increase our knowledge of PAAS operations, financials, etc. so that we can work together to have better successful outcomes for our homeless companion animals.

Contact email: paloaltohomelessdogs@gmail.com | phone: 650 215-8406