Challenge
PetRehomer's app had been built up over the years by different developers, and the early backend decisions were the thing holding it back. Breeds were stored as database records instead of a fixed list, so a single filter pulled 400 rows on every page load. The charity runs on 5 staff and 25 volunteers, and the work that mattered most to them was happening outside the app: refunds by hand, document requests by email, home check scheduling via WhatsApp and Jotform.
Main challenges:
- 13 open Bubble branches and no single source of truth
- 300+ repeating groups, breeds stored as data
- Refunds, document requests and home checks done by hand
- Volunteers of mixed technical ability doing the data entry
Solution
We stabilized and re-engineered the Bubble app PetRehomer already had. It started with an audit: 60+ best practice checks across 5 areas, from database and security to logic and UX. The app was never taken apart. We worked inside it, on the backend, on the flows the team uses every day, and on the interface on mobile.
We focused on:
- An audit before any code, with every check scored and priced
- A fixed estimate on every task before it started
- Colleen setting the order of the work
- Progress and cost visible to the charity at any point
Results
PetRehomer now has development support that holds up over the long term. Every task is scoped and estimated before it starts. The team can see progress and cost at any point. Every decision stays with the charity. The backend is steadier and the interface is easier to use on a phone. That gives PetRehomer a platform it can grow on, and more pets find homes through it.
Impact:
- 60+ backend checks audited, critical items closed first
- 4 manual processes moved into the app: refunds, documents, home checks, enquiry exclusivity
- 13 Bubble branches down to 2
- Mobile redesign shipped for adopters on phones
