Community
Our Community Guidelines
Tailmate works because neighbours trust each other with the animals they love. These guidelines are the promises we make to one another. You agree to them when you create an account — they sit alongside our Terms of Use.
Tailmate’s role
What you can expect from us
- We verify every member’s email and phone, require an approved government ID before a first sitting, and a proof of address before anyone offers sittings at their home.
- We keep all messaging on Tailmate so there is always a record. Your contact details stay private until you choose to share them, and your exact address is only shared once a sitting is confirmed — the map shows an approximate area, never your home.
- Reviews are double-blind: neither side sees the other’s until both are in.
- We read every report. Safety reports are reviewed within one business day; everything else is acknowledged within 48 hours.
- Tail Zen Protection stands behind confirmed sittings when the responsible member doesn’t pay.
- We never sell your data, and we remove members who break these guidelines.
What we don’t do: we do not run criminal background checks. Meeting in person before a first sitting is the most reliable safety step there is — that is why we ask for it.
Pet owners
As a pet owner, I will…
- 1
Keep my pet’s profile honest and complete — temperament, health, medication, allergies, anything a sitter needs to know, including the hard parts.
- 2
Share care instructions and an emergency contact before the sitting starts, and keep my vet’s details on my pet’s profile.
- 3
Only hand over a pet that is up to date on vaccinations and well enough to be cared for by someone else.
- 4
Hand over everything my pet needs for the whole stay: food, medication with written doses, leash and harness, a bed or crate if they rely on one, and their vaccination record.
- 5
Be upfront about anything that could cause trouble: separation anxiety, escaping, reactivity to dogs, cats or children, food guarding, a bite history. Surprises are what get animals and people hurt.
- 6
Drop off and pick up at the times we agreed, and never extend a stay without asking first.
- 7
Cancel only in extraordinary circumstances, as early as I possibly can.
- 8
Cover vet costs my pet runs up during a sitting, promptly, as agreed before the sitting — Tail Zen is a backstop, not a first resort.
- 9
Treat my sitter as a neighbour doing me a kindness, not as staff.
- 10
Leave an honest review once the sitting is done.
Sitters
As a sitter, I will…
Whether you are a Pet Lover or an owner looking after someone else’s animal.
- 1
Accept only sittings I have the time, space and experience for — and say no to the rest.
- 2
Follow the owner’s care instructions, and ask when something is unclear rather than guess.
- 3
Keep the animal safe: leashed where required, never left alone longer than agreed, never handed to someone else.
- 4
Call the vet when an animal seems unwell or hurt, and tell the owner straight away — never wait to see if it passes.
- 5
Keep the owner informed: a message and a photo go a long way.
- 6
Make my home ready for the animal and be upfront about it: hazards out of reach, doors and gates secure, a quiet spot of their own — and tell owners before they confirm about other animals, children, an unfenced yard, or how long the animal would be alone.
- 7
Ask before posting or sharing photos of someone’s pet.
- 8
Be there for drop-off and pick-up at the times we agreed, and never cut a stay short without a plan for the animal.
- 9
Cancel only in extraordinary circumstances, as early as I possibly can — an animal is counting on me.
- 10
Tell the owner about any accident, damage, escape or scuffle the moment it happens, even a small one.
Rules for everyone
Respect
Tailmate is open to everyone. No discrimination or harassment based on race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, citizenship, ethnic origin, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital or family status, disability, or receipt of public assistance — the grounds protected in Ontario. Comments on someone’s body, unwanted photos and pressure of any kind are out.
Stay on Tailmate
Requests, approvals and conversations happen here. That record is what protects you if something goes wrong — and sittings arranged off the platform aren’t covered by Tail Zen.
No money between members
Sittings run on Tail Credits — never on cash, gifts or favours. Nobody charges, nobody tips, and nobody is asked for money.
Play fair with Tail Credits
Credits are earned by caring for an animal and spent on care for yours. A sitting that never happened, a review for a sitting that didn’t take place, or an account used by someone else is fraud. We reverse the credits and act on the account.
Honest profiles, real people
Your own name, your own photos, your own animals. One person per account, and nobody under 18.
Safety first
If you feel unsafe, leave. If it’s an emergency, call 911. Then tell us. Weapons are secured, hazards are disclosed, and local limits on the number of animals in a home are respected.
When guidelines are broken
Most problems are honest mistakes. Our response matches the harm done.
- 1
Reminder
We point to the guideline and explain what to change. Nothing is recorded on your account.
- 2
Formal warning
Recorded on your account. A second one escalates.
- 3
Suspension
You can’t request a sitting, offer one, or message until we’ve talked. Credits you earned honestly stay yours.
- 4
Removal
Your account is closed for good. Cruelty or neglect of an animal, violence, threats, harassment, fraud with Tail Credits, or lying about who you are skip straight to this step.
Appeals: email hello@tailmate.org with “Appeal” in the subject within 14 days. We re-read the whole file and answer within 14 days.
Something wrong?
Use the Report button on any profile or message thread, or follow the Incident Protocol step by step. In an emergency, call 911 first.
Questions about these guidelines? hello@tailmate.org