1. Independent contractor relationship
This Caregiver Services Agreement (the "Agreement") is between Neighbor Paws ("we", "us") and you, the caregiver. You provide pet care services as an independent contractor, not as an employee, partner, agent or joint venturer of Neighbor Paws.
You control how you perform the work within the client's written instructions, you may accept or decline assignments, and you are responsible for your own taxes, self-employment contributions, licenses and any personal insurance you choose to carry. Neighbor Paws does not withhold taxes and does not provide workers' compensation, health, disability or unemployment benefits.
You confirm you are at least 18 years old, legally authorized to work, and that everything in your application is true and current.
2. Scope of work — strict limits
You agree to provide only the services described in each assignment, at the client's home, and to follow these non-negotiable limits:
- Never transport a pet in your personal vehicle. The only exception is a life-threatening emergency where no alternative exists and Neighbor Paws has authorized it in the moment; you accept that any such trip is your decision and at the owner's risk and expense.
- Never take a pet to your own home, another client's home, a boarding facility, a dog park, a daycare, or any group-play setting.
- Never allow a dog off leash outside a securely fenced area belonging to the client, and never without the client's written off-leash authorization on file.
- Never bring another person, child or your own pet to an assignment, and never give anyone else the client's keys, codes or address.
- Never handle a pet whose behavior falls outside what was disclosed. Secure the pet if safe, leave, and report it immediately.
- Never diagnose, prescribe, adjust doses, or administer medication beyond the written instructions on the pet profile.
- Never post a client's home, address, alarm details, schedule or absence on social media.
3. Standard of care and conduct
You will provide care with reasonable skill, care and honesty; arrive within the scheduled window; stay for the full booked duration; follow the checklist and the client's written instructions; and submit a truthful visit report with photos the same day.
You will keep client information, access details and household observations strictly confidential, both during and after your engagement, and use them only to perform assignments.
You will not consume alcohol or impairing substances before or during a visit, will not use a client's belongings, food, vehicle, laundry or utilities beyond what the assignment requires, and will not enter areas of the home the client has marked off-limits.
You will comply with all applicable laws, leash ordinances, animal-control regulations and rabies-reporting requirements.
4. Assumption of risk — animals are unpredictable
You acknowledge that working with animals carries inherent risks that cannot be eliminated: bites, scratches, knock-downs and pulls; slips, trips and strains; allergic reactions; zoonotic and contagious illness; exposure to other animals, wildlife, insects and weather; and hazards present in a private home.
You knowingly and voluntarily assume these risks and accept them as part of the work you have chosen to do. You are responsible for your own medical treatment and lost income if you are injured on an assignment.
You are responsible for declining or ending any assignment that you judge to be unsafe. Neighbor Paws will never penalize you for leaving a situation you reasonably believe is dangerous — reporting it is the expected behavior.
5. Insurance — please read
Neighbor Paws does not currently carry liability, care-custody-and-control, bonding, workers' compensation or occupational accident insurance, and it does not insure you. We tell you this plainly before you accept any work.
You are responsible for your own health insurance and for any personal liability or accident coverage you wish to carry. You accept that if you are injured, or if a pet or a client's property is harmed while in your care, no Neighbor Paws insurance policy will respond.
We will notify all caregivers in writing and publish an updated version of this Agreement if coverage is put in place.
6. Incident procedures — mandatory
You agree to follow the published Neighbor Paws Incident Procedures exactly, and to report every incident through the app the same day, even a small one, and even if it appears resolved. Failure to report an incident is grounds for immediate termination.
Escape: begin searching immediately, call the owner and their emergency contact, notify Neighbor Paws, then contact animal control and nearby shelters. Never leave the search area without telling us.
Bite or injury to a person: get the person to safety, secure the pet, seek medical attention, notify Neighbor Paws immediately, and cooperate with any animal-control report. Do not admit fault or discuss liability with anyone.
Pet illness or injury: call the owner and emergency contact; if unreachable and the situation is urgent, contact Neighbor Paws and follow the emergency veterinary authorization on file. Do not incur costs beyond the owner's stated limit unless we instruct you to.
Property damage: photograph it, do not attempt repairs, and report it the same day. Do not offer or accept payment directly from a client.
Any injury to you: report it the same day, in writing, with photos where relevant.
7. Your responsibility, release and indemnification
You are responsible for loss, damage or injury caused by your own negligence, dishonesty, unauthorized action, or breach of the limits in Section 2 — including taking a pet off-leash without authorization, transporting a pet, boarding a pet, or sharing access details.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, you release Neighbor Paws, its owners and staff from claims arising out of the inherent risks described in Section 4, from a client's or pet's conduct, from conditions of a client's home, and from your own acts or omissions, except for our gross negligence or willful misconduct.
You agree to indemnify and hold Neighbor Paws harmless from claims, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from your breach of this Agreement, your negligence or willful misconduct, or your misclassification of your own tax obligations.
Neighbor Paws' total aggregate liability to you for any claim relating to an assignment is limited to the payout amount for the assignment giving rise to the claim.
8. Payment and assignments
You are paid your published share of each completed, client-paid assignment, on the payout schedule shown in your workspace, subject to any adjustments recorded there. Payouts require a completed visit report.
You may not accept payment, tips in cash arranged off-platform, or side work directly from a Neighbor Paws client for services we offer, and you may not solicit clients away from the platform during your engagement or for twelve (12) months afterward within the service area.
Either party may end this engagement at any time, with or without cause. Sections 4 through 7, 9 and 10 survive termination.
9. Screening, records and monitoring
You consent to identity and reference checks, and to any background screening we may introduce, and you will notify us promptly of any arrest, charge, animal-control action or license issue relevant to pet care.
You acknowledge that clients may have cameras and recording devices in their homes and that visits may be recorded. Neighbor Paws keeps records of your visit reports, incident reports and this signed Agreement.
10. Electronic signature and governing law
Typing your full legal name in the signature field is your electronic signature and has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature. You must sign the current version before starting any assignment; a materially updated version requires a new signature.
This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Texas, and any dispute will be brought in the state or federal courts serving Dallas County, Texas. If any provision is unenforceable, the remainder stays in effect.