01
Adult identity checks
BarkUp is for people aged 18 and over. Verification helps us check that the person behind a dog profile is a real adult.
Verification is one layer of safety, not a character reference or a guarantee of behaviour.
Safety at BarkUp
Trust is built into the route.
Safety is not a badge we add at the end. It shapes who can join, what people can see and what happens when something feels wrong.
Our starting principle
Your dog can be visible without making you trackable.
BarkUp is being designed so people can find useful local matches without publishing the places that make them easy to locate offline.
Four protections working together.
No single control makes a community safe. BarkUp combines identity, privacy, product controls and safer-meeting guidance.
02
Private-by-design discovery
Other members see a broad nearby area, not your address, home pin or continuous live location.
Precise meeting information is shared deliberately for a walk, not broadcast through discovery.
03
Block and report controls
People can block contact and report profiles, messages or conduct that breaks the community rules.
Safety reports need clear review paths, evidence handling and action-not a decorative flag button.
04
Safety-led defaults
The product will steer first meetings towards public places, daylight, clear expectations and easy exits.
We cannot remove all real-world risk, so BarkUp will never frame a match as guaranteed safe.
Location privacy, plainly
Nearby is useful. A front-door pin is not.
Discovery should answer “is this dog realistically close enough for a walk?” without answering “which house do they live in?”
BarkUp will use rough areas for discovery. A specific public meeting point can be agreed for a planned walk, and it should not become a permanent public location on either profile.
Your exact homekept private
Broad local areaused for discovery
Public meeting placechosen for a walk
You should be able to act quickly.
Members will not be expected to manage unsafe or unwanted behaviour on their own.
BarkUp is not an emergency service. If anyone is in immediate danger, contact the emergency services first.
- 1
Stop contact
Block a member so they cannot continue contacting you through BarkUp.
- 2
Send the useful context
Report the profile, message or event and explain what happened.
- 3
Get a review outcome
Reports need consistent triage, proportionate action and a meaningful audit trail.
Community baseline
Kind to dogs. Respectful to people.
The detailed community guidelines will be reviewed before launch. These principles are the non-negotiable starting point.
- Be honest about your dog’s temperament and needs
- Use public meeting places for first walks
- Respect a no, a changed plan or an early finish
- Never harass, threaten or discriminate
- Do not share another member’s private information
- Report urgent danger to emergency services first
Help shape it
Safety deserves patient work.
Join the pre-launch list for honest progress as BarkUp turns these principles into a product people can trust.
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