Overview

Safety is the foundation of our community. When Woofmeets refers to safety, we think across our four main constituents: the Pet Caregiver, the Pet Parent, the pet, and the communities in which we operate.

Pet Caregiver Safety

Woofmeets platform aims to provide Pet Sitters with the information and access needed to support a safe experience while conducting a service booked through Woofmeets. Before booking a new service, you can read the Pet Owner and pet profiles and consider the information that's made available to you in-app by the Pet Owner before you request the service. This will help ensure you pair with a pet that's right for you. If you have a question about a specific service you've booked, or if something does go wrong, it's important to communicate immediately with the Pet Owner or Woofmeets for quick resolution. 

Pet Sitters must conduct the following responsibilities while working in Woofmeets platform: 

• Move easily for the duration of a service and for the amount of time the Pet Parent has requested, including entry and exit of the Pet Parent's home.

• Ascend/descend stairs (or use alternate ramp or elevator, if possible) while maintaining safe control of a pet.

• Readily leash and unleash the pet before the service commences or when it has been completed.

• Maintain on-leash and collar control of the pet (regardless of size) during the duration of the service.

• Pick up after the pet, including proper bagging and disposal of waste.

• Navigate the features and controls of the Woofmeets app and perform the appropriate in-app actions associated with each service (i.e., starting/ending a service).

• Be attentive while performing a service, with full focus on the pet.

Walkalongs

Pet Caregivers who utilize the Woofmeets platform to provide pet care services should perform these services on their own or, under the terms of the Pet Care Provider Platform Use Agreement, a subcontracted party by the Pet Caregiver if such party is also registered as a Pet Caregiver on the Woofmeets platform. In the event that a Pet Caregiver brings another person on a service, this person must be at least 18-years old, and the Pet Caregiver should maintain control of the pet during the entirety of the service and should not allow any third parties into the home of the Pet Parent.

Pet Parent Safety

We encourage Pet Parents to communicate and engage with Pet Caregivers solely through the Woofmeets app or our website. Remember that Pet Caregivers may have questions and it is good practice to communicate directly when these questions arise. We encourage Pet Parents to keep their mobile devices close during a service engagement. The Woofmeets app has user safety features that allow you to communicate with Pet Caregivers safely and conveniently. We also encourage Pet Parents to change lockbox codes often and not to share personal information, including phone numbers. When changing your lockbox code, also remember to update this information within the Woofmeets app to ensure upcoming Pet Caregivers have the information they need.

Pet Safety

Woofmeets wants every service experience to be as successful as possible. We provide educational resources (like videos and blog posts) to the Woofmeets community on the Trust & Safety section of woofmeets.com, in emails, and in the Woofmeets app. In the unlikely event that a pet is sick, injured or lost, we want to act quickly. Woofmeets is mindful that the Pet Caregiver is the one dealing with an incident in real time, but we are here to help. As a Pet Caregiver, contact 911 first in an emergency and Woofmeets as soon as you’ve learned that the pet’s health is threatened, the pet has come off leash, has been injured, or you’re experiencing another safety issue.

Off Leash Activity

All services on the Woofmeets platform are intended to be completed with the pet on a leash or properly secured in the Pet Parent’s or Pet Caregiver's home, as applicable. This includes any outdoor activities, including those in a fenced-in back yard or dog park. In some instances, Pet Parents may request off-leash activity. Off-leash activity may only be facilitated if formally requested in the notes by the Pet Parent, and if confined to the fenced-in backyard of the Pet Parent's home. Even in the event a Pet Parent requests off-leash activity, the request is at the discretion and risk of the Pet Parent and the Pet Caregiver based on potential health or safety risks posed. Contact the Pet Parent and Woofmeets as soon as you've learned that the pet’s health has been threatened, the pet has come off leash unintentionally, or you’re experiencing another safety issue.

Safety Tools

The Woofmeets app and our website contain certain safety features that support our commitment to safety to the Woofmeets community. For example, the Woofmeets app allows the Pet Caregiver to call 911 directly in the event the Pet Caregiver is experiencing an emergency and needs immediate help or otherwise to reach the Woofmeets team. Woofmeets also sends the Woofmeets community messages whenever outdoor temperatures become hot or cold enough that Pet Parents and Pet Caregivers should exercise extra caution to ensure the pet’s well-being, such as shortening the service in the extreme cold or bringing extra water in extremely hot conditions.

Illegal Activity

Woofmeets takes user and pet safety very seriously; the use of drugs or alcohol by the Pet Caregiver at any time while engaged in the performance of services booked through the Woofmeets app or our website is strictly prohibited. Fraudulent behavior or activity on the platform is also prohibited, and Woofmeets may block users’ access to Woofmeets if suspicious activity is detected. Suspicious activity includes, but is not limited to, referral abuse, promotional abuse, and payment disputes.