Community Standards
These Community Standards explain what is and is not allowed on PetsMatchy. They apply to profiles, pets, posts, comments, photos, reviews, messages, and any other content or behaviour on the service. They form part of our Terms of Service.
We want a place where people can find playdates, homes, and veterinary care for animals without scams, cruelty, or harassment. We may remove content or restrict accounts that break these rules even if the behaviour is not illegal in every country.
How enforcement works
- Anyone with an account can report a post, comment, or user in the app.
- We review reports we receive. We may also act on content we become aware of in other ways.
- We may remove content, warn the user, restrict features, suspend or permanently delete an account, and email the user about the decision.
- If you think we got it wrong, reply to that email or write to [email protected] from the address on your account.
We do not guarantee that we will see every violation. Reporting helps us act faster. We may not share details of an investigation when doing so would create a safety or legal risk.
Violence, hate, and harassment
Do not threaten or incite violence against people or animals. Do not harass, stalk, or repeatedly contact someone who has asked you to stop. Do not post hate speech targeting people based on race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or similar characteristics. Do not share another person’s private information (doxxing), such as a home address or private phone number, without a clear lawful reason.
Sexual content and minors
PetsMatchy is not an adult dating app. Do not post sexual content involving minors, sexualised images of children, or any child sexual abuse material. Do not use the service to contact minors for sexual purposes. We will remove such content, may delete the account, and may report it to competent authorities. Do not post pornographic content. Mild affection toward pets (for example a kiss on a dog’s head) is allowed when it is not sexualised.
Animal welfare
Do not post or promote animal cruelty, organised fighting, sexual abuse of animals, or the sale of animals obtained illegally. Do not use the app to abandon animals irresponsibly. Adoption and rehoming posts must be honest. If we reasonably believe an animal is in immediate danger, we may share limited information with authorities or animal-protection organisations where the law allows.
Scams, theft, and fake listings
Do not run fake adoptions, request payment to “hold” an animal you do not have, impersonate a shelter or clinic, or sell stolen animals. Do not phish for passwords or payment details. We may remove listings and ban accounts involved in fraud.
Misrepresentation of veterinary status
Only qualified people may present themselves as veterinarians. Do not invent a licence number, clinic, or qualification. We may remove clinic listings and accounts that we reasonably believe are false. We do not independently verify every licence; owners should still check credentials.
Spam and inauthentic behaviour
Do not flood the feed or chat with ads, malware links, or repetitive unrelated content. Do not create fake accounts, fake reviews, or fake matches. Do not scrape the service.
Illegal content
Do not use PetsMatchy to commit or promote a crime, including drug trafficking, weapons offences, or exploitation. Follow the laws that apply to you, including animal-transport and public-health rules.
Respect for other users’ content
Do not post photos of someone else’s pet or clinic in a misleading way. Do not impersonate another user. Intellectual-property complaints can be sent to [email protected].
What we may do
Depending on severity and history, we may:
- delete a comment, post, photo, or review;
- hide or limit distribution of content;
- block a user from contacting you (in addition to your own block list);
- suspend the account for a period;
- permanently delete the account;
- email the affected users about the outcome, where appropriate.
A future moderation console used by PetsMatchy staff will apply these same rules. Publishing these Standards is how we tell you in advance what that team may do.
Safety resources
Before meeting in person, read Safety. For account help, see Support. For data and deletion, see the Privacy Policy and Delete account.