Professional Code of Conduct

Effective date: 01/02/2025 · Last updated: 01/02/2025

PawTrack is built around fairness, transparency, multi-species care, and professional integrity. As a Pet Professional using PawTrack, you are expected to follow the following standards of conduct to protect pets, support Pet Parents, and maintain the trust of our community.

1. Professional Behaviour & Communication

  • Communicate respectfully, clearly, and promptly with Pet Parents.
  • Arrive on time where possible and follow agreed appointment details.
  • Provide honest, accurate information about your services and experience.
  • Maintain professional boundaries and avoid inappropriate conduct.
  • Inform the Pet Parent immediately if unexpected delays or emergencies occur.

2. Species-Inclusive Professional Care

PawTrack supports care for all species, including cats, dogs, birds, reptiles, small mammals, fish, and exotics. Professionals agree to:

  • Accept only appointments for species you are qualified, trained, and competent to care for.
  • Follow species-specific safety and welfare practices.
  • Use humane handling techniques at all times.
  • Decline any appointment that cannot be performed safely or ethically.

3. Safety, Welfare & Duty of Care

  • Take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of pets in your care.
  • Follow all relevant laws, welfare regulations, and industry standards.
  • Act in the pet’s best interests and pause or stop a service if the animal is distressed or unsafe.
  • Use equipment appropriate for the species and behaviour of the pet.
  • Keep environments clean, secure, and free from avoidable hazards.

See also: Pet Safety & Welfare Guidelines.

4. Appointment Management

  • Accept appointments only when you are available and prepared to complete them.
  • Mark appointments as In Progress and Completed only when appropriate.
  • Cancel responsibly and provide as much notice as possible.
  • Confirmed Professional No-Shows trigger major reliability impact and may result in refunds where the payment is eligible.

Appointment actions (start, complete, cancel) must accurately reflect real events.

5. Reliability & Platform Trust

Professionals are expected to understand that reliability is essential to platform trust.

  • Complete appointments as scheduled whenever possible.
  • Avoid unnecessary cancellations - especially within 24 hours.
  • Respond promptly to booking requests and messages.
  • Recognize that cancellations and no-shows affect your reliability score.

See also: Reliability Score Explanation.

6. Insurance, Qualifications & Legal Compliance

  • Maintain valid insurance appropriate for your services.
  • Provide accurate verification documents when requested.
  • Follow all local regulations regarding pet services and business operation.
  • Disclose any known limitations, restrictions, or legal concerns relevant to your work.

7. Reviews & Integrity

  • Do not attempt to manipulate reviews or pressure clients for positive feedback.
  • Do not create fake reviews or engage in retaliatory behaviour.
  • Report review concerns through PawTrack Support rather than retaliating.

Reviews are essential to fairness and transparency within the community.

8. Payments & Platform Integrity

  • All payments for PawTrack bookings must be processed through the platform - no off-platform payments.
  • Professionals must not request or accept direct payment outside of PawTrack for platform bookings.
  • Payouts are handled through Stripe Connect and may be delayed where refunds or adjustments occur.

Off-platform payments undermine fairness, trust, and platform safety.

9. Confidentiality & Data Handling

  • Respect the privacy of Pet Parents and protect sensitive information.
  • Use pet medical or behavioural information only for safe care.
  • Do not store, reuse, or share client data outside of PawTrack.

For full details, see our Privacy Policy.

10. Grounds for Account Suspension

To protect platform safety and fairness, the following may result in suspension or termination:

  • Repeated late cancellations or no-shows
  • Unsafe handling of animals
  • Misleading qualifications or identity
  • Harassment, abuse, or unprofessional behaviour
  • Off-platform payments for PawTrack bookings
  • Fraudulent or deceptive activity

By using PawTrack as a Pet Professional, you are expected to follow this Code of Conduct and the expectation of safe, ethical, and species-appropriate care. The most recent version will always be available on this page.