Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of these Terms

These Terms of Service (the “Terms”) form a binding agreement between you and PetWalk Inc. (“PetWalk”, “we”, “us”), a Canadian company operating the petwalk.ca website and mobile app (the “Platform”). By creating an account, booking a service, or offering services, you accept these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you don't agree, please don't use the Platform.

2. Our role: a neutral marketplace

PetWalk is a neutral technology platform that connects pet owners (“Owners”) with independent pet-care providers (“Sitters”) and facilitates bookings and payments between them. We are not a pet-care provider.

• Sitters are independent contractors, not employees, agents, partners or franchisees of PetWalk. We do not direct, supervise or control how Sitters perform their services.
• Sitters retain full autonomy: they set their own rates, availability, services and cancellation policy, and decide which bookings to accept or decline.
• The care contract is between the Owner and the Sitter. PetWalk is not a party to it and does not guarantee the quality, safety, legality or outcome of any booking.

3. Eligibility & accounts

You must be at least 18 years old and able to form a binding contract to use the Platform. You agree to provide accurate information, keep your credentials secure, and are responsible for activity under your account. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms or pose a risk to the community.

4. Bookings, payments, fees & taxes

• Payments are processed in Canadian dollars (CAD) through our third-party payment processor. When a booking is confirmed, the full amount is charged and held in escrow.
• Funds are released to the Sitter after the service is completed. This protects both sides and keeps most cancellations clean.
• PetWalk charges pet owners a booking fee and retains a commission from the Sitter's rate. The exact amounts are disclosed before you confirm a booking and itemized on your receipt. GST/HST applies to PetWalk's booking fee. Sitters keep the large majority of their rate and 100% of tips.
• You always see the all-in total - service price, booking fee and tax - before you confirm and pay.

5. Cancellations & refunds

Each Sitter selects a cancellation policy tier (flexible, moderate or strict), which is disclosed at checkout before you pay. Refund amounts depend on the chosen tier and how far ahead a booking is cancelled. Full details are in our Cancellation & Refund Policy, which forms part of these Terms.

6. Provider obligations

Sitters agree to provide services with reasonable care and skill and to comply with all applicable laws and municipal rules. This includes, where applicable:

• Completing identity verification and a background check before accepting bookings.
• Holding any required municipal permits or licences - for example a City of Toronto commercial dog-walking permit - and respecting limits on the number of dogs walked at once.
• Following each Owner's care instructions and reporting incidents promptly.
• Determining and remitting their own taxes; Sitters are responsible for their own tax obligations as independent contractors.

7. Prohibited conduct & off-platform circumvention

To keep the community safe and protected, you agree not to:

• Take bookings off-platform to avoid fees. Off-platform arrangements lose escrow protection and are not covered by PetWalk Protected.
• Provide false information, impersonate others, or misuse another user's account.
• Harass, discriminate against, or endanger any person or animal.
• Use the Platform for unlawful purposes or to infringe others' rights.

8. Reviews

Reviews must be honest, first-hand and respectful. We may remove content that is fraudulent, abusive, irrelevant or that violates these Terms. Reviews reflect the views of individual users, not PetWalk.

9. PetWalk Protected

Bookings made and paid in-app may be eligible for PetWalk Protected, a discretionary protection program with eligibility rules, deadlines, a minimum contribution and exclusions. It is not insurance and does not replace the responsibility of the parties involved. See the PetWalk Protected page for current terms.

10. Disclaimers & limitation of liability

The Platform is provided “as is” and “as available” without warranties of any kind, to the fullest extent permitted by law. PetWalk does not warrant the conduct of any Owner or Sitter. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, PetWalk is not liable for indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages, and our total liability arising from your use of the Platform is limited to the booking fees you paid to PetWalk in the 12 months before the event giving rise to the claim. Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.

11. Dispute resolution

If a dispute arises between an Owner and a Sitter, we encourage you to resolve it directly first; our support team can help mediate where appropriate. If you have a dispute with PetWalk, please contact us so we can try to resolve it informally before pursuing formal proceedings.

12. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable there, without regard to conflict-of-laws rules. The courts of Ontario have jurisdiction, subject to any non-waivable consumer-protection rights.

13. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we'll provide reasonable notice. Continuing to use the Platform after changes take effect means you accept the updated Terms.

14. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Email us at support@petwalk.ca. PetWalk Inc. operates petwalk.ca in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada.

This document is a plain-language template and not a substitute for legal advice. Consult legal counsel before relying on it.