Safety & trust
Trust you can check, not just hope for.
We built Nearpaw around the question every owner asks: “Who is actually looking after my pet, and how do I know?”
Identity verification
Every sitter verifies a government ID through our verification partner before they can bid. Owners verify too before a booking is confirmed.
Intro videos
Sitters record a short video about themselves, their home and their experience. Owners watch it before choosing — far more telling than a photo and a paragraph.
DBS badge
Sitters can add an enhanced DBS certificate. We check the certificate number and show a DBS badge on their profile. It is optional but owners can filter for it.
Meet & greet, always
No booking is confirmed until both sides have met — in person or on a video call — and both are happy. It is free and built into the booking flow.
Insurance
Paid bookings are covered by Nearpaw’s pet care policy for vet fees arising from an accident during the booking, and third-party liability. Policy reference is shown on each booking.
Licensed home boarders
In England, boarding or day-caring a dog in the sitter’s own home for payment needs a licence from the local council (Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018). Sitters who hold one can add it at verification and earn a “Licensed boarder” badge, so owners can see it at a glance. We show a reminder of the rule on dog boarding and day-care jobs; the badge is informational and does not restrict who can bid. Walks, drop-ins, house sitting and cat or small-animal care are not covered by this licence.
Emergency protocol
Each pet profile carries vet details, insurance and an emergency contact. If a sitter flags an emergency, the owner, backup sitter and Nearpaw support are notified immediately and the vet-ready profile is one tap away.
If something goes wrong
The emergency protocol, step by step.
- 1Sitter taps “Emergency” in the booking. Owner, backup sitter and Nearpaw support are alerted by push, SMS and email.
- 2The pet’s vet-ready profile (vet, insurance, medications, emergency contact) is shown to the sitter with one-tap calling.
- 3Sitter takes the pet to the registered vet or nearest emergency vet. Vet fees within the policy are claimable.
- 4Nearpaw support stays on the case until the owner confirms the pet is safe. A full timeline is kept in the care feed.
This page summarises the intended cover. The full policy wording and any exclusions are provided before a booking is confirmed.
Licensing: the home boarding licence is the sitter’s responsibility and Nearpaw is an introducer, not the boarding business. We state the rule and link to the official guidance; we do not give legal advice. See GOV.UK: dog boarding licence.
Questions about safety?
We would rather answer them now than later.