Replace a pet profile

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This operation replaces all fields of an existing pet record with new data. Use this operation to correct major data entry errors across many fields, update complete pet information after comprehensive medical evaluations, or standardize pet profiles when migrating from legacy systems.

PUT vs PATCH

PUT replaces an entire profile and PATCH only updates the fields provided in the request body. In a PUT request, missing fields set to null or default values. In a PATCH request, fields not present in the request remain unchanged.

Endpoint structure

PUT /pets/{id}

Request headers

Header	Value	Required
`Content-Type`	`application/json`	Yes

Authentication

Required - include an API token in the Authorization header:

Authorization: Bearer API_TOKEN

Request body

All fields required except id, which is auto-generated.

Property name	Type	Description	Value Format
`name`	string	Pet’s name	Any text
`species`	string	Pet’s animal type	`cat`, `dog`
`breed`	string	Pet’s breed or breed mix	Any text
`age_months`	integer	Pet’s age in months	Numeric value
`gender`	string	Pet’s gender	`male`, `female`
`size`	string	Pet’s size category	`small`, `medium`, `large`
`temperament`	string	Pet’s personality traits, behavioral characteristics	Any text
`medical`	object	Pet’s medical information	See nested fields below
`medical.spayed_neutered`	boolean	Pet’s spay/neuter state	`true` or `false`
`medical.vaccinations`	array	List of pet’s current vaccinations	Any text
`description`	string	Pet’s personality, needs, background	Any text
`shelter_id`	integer	Unique identifier of pet’s current shelter	Numeric value
`status`	string	Pet’s current adoption stage	`available`, `pending`, or `adopted`
`intake_date`	string	Pet’s shelter entry date	ISO 8601 Format, “YYYY-MM-DD”
`id`	integer	Pet’s unique identifier	Auto-generated, read-only

cURL request

# Replace all data for the pet profile with `id`= 4
# Recommended base_url = http://localhost:3000
curl -X PUT {base_url}/pets/4 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer pawfinder-secret-2025" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ 
        "name": "Bella", 
        "species": "dog", 
        "breed": "Labrador Retriever", 
        "age_months": 12, 
        "gender": "female", 
        "size": "large", 
        "temperament": "friendly, energetic", 
        "medical": { 
          "spayed_neutered": true, 
          "vaccinations": ["rabies", "dhpp", "leptospirosis"] 
        }, 
       "description": "Bella is a young lab who loves to play fetch and swim.",
       "shelter_id": 4, 
       "status": "adopted", 
       "intake_date": "2025-10-01" 
} 

Success response `200`

Returns the created pet profile complete with the id:

{ 
  "name": "Bella", 
  "species": "dog", 
  "breed": "Labrador Retriever", 
  "age_months": 12, 
  "gender": "female", 
  "size": "large", 
  "temperament": "friendly, energetic", 
  "medical": { 
    "spayed_neutered": true, 
    "vaccinations": ["rabies", "dhpp", "leptospirosis"] 
  }, 
  "description": "Bella is a young lab who loves to play fetch and swim.",
  "shelter_id": 4, 
  "status": "adopted", 
  "intake_date": "2025-10-01",
  "id": 4 
} 

Error responses

Code	Scenario	Response
`400`	Missing values	`{ "error": "Bad Request", "message": "Missing required field: name", ... }`
`400`	Invalid values	`{ "error": "Bad Request", "message": "Invalid value for 'species'. Must be one of: 'cat', 'dog'.", ... }`
`401`	Missing API token	`{ "error": "Unauthorized", "message": "Authentication token is required for this operation.", ... }`
`403`	Invalid API token	`{ "error": "Forbidden", "message": "Invalid or expired authentication token.", ...}`
`404`	Invalid `id`	`{ "error": "Not Found", "message": "Pet with 'id' 4 not found.", ... }`

PawFinder Service API