1. The agreement
This Client Terms of Service and Pet Care Agreement (the "Agreement") is between Neighbor Paws ("we", "us", "Neighbor Paws") and the pet owner or authorized agent who books services ("you"). By typing your name as an electronic signature and booking a visit, you agree to these terms for that booking and every booking that follows, until a newer version is published and signed.
You confirm that you are at least 18 years old, that you are the legal owner of the pet(s) described in your booking or are authorized to make decisions for them, and that the information in your account is accurate and current.
Please read this Agreement carefully. It describes risks you accept, information you must disclose, authority you give us in an emergency, and meaningful limits on our responsibility.
2. What we do — and what we deliberately do not do
Neighbor Paws provides in-home pet care. Care takes place at your home (or another address you own or control and identify in the booking). This is a deliberate safety design, and the following limits apply to every booking:
- We do not transport pets in caregiver vehicles. Caregivers will not drive your pet anywhere except where you have given specific written authorization for an emergency veterinary trip under Section 8, which you accept is undertaken at your risk and expense.
- We do not board pets. Your pet is never kept, housed or left overnight at a caregiver's home or any facility.
- We do not provide veterinary, grooming, training or behavior-modification services, and caregivers do not diagnose, prescribe or treat.
- We do not walk or handle pets who have not been disclosed, or provide care for pets who fall under the aggression and bite-risk rules in Section 6.
- We do not accept responsibility for pets left unattended between scheduled visits. Between visits your pet is in your home, unsupervised, and that is a risk you accept.
- Off-leash activity, dog parks, group play with unfamiliar dogs and shared-yard access are not part of any service unless you authorize them in writing, in which case you accept the added risk entirely.
4. Your responsibility for accurate pet and household information
Safe care depends entirely on what you tell us. You are responsible for disclosing, completely and truthfully, before the first visit and whenever anything changes:
- Any history of aggression, biting, snapping, nipping, lunging, resource guarding, fear reactivity or aggression toward people, children or other animals — whether or not it caused injury, and whether or not it was reported.
- Any history or risk of escaping, door-dashing, fence-jumping, digging out, leash-slipping or running from a caregiver.
- All medical conditions, injuries, allergies, dietary restrictions, mobility limitations, seizure history, contagious or infectious conditions, senior or terminal diagnoses, and current or recent medications.
- Current vaccination status, including rabies as required by law in your jurisdiction, and any medical exemption issued by your veterinarian.
- Behavioral triggers, handling preferences, crate and equipment instructions, and anything else a caregiver must know to stay safe.
- Your veterinarian, an emergency clinic preference, at least one local emergency contact who can reach your home, and a spending limit for emergency veterinary care.
- Household hazards: firearms, pools and ponds, unfenced areas, broken latches, construction, other animals in the home, and anyone else with access.
5. Assumption of the ordinary risks of pet care
You acknowledge that animals are living beings and are inherently unpredictable. Even a familiar, well-behaved and healthy pet may, without warning, bite, scratch, bolt, escape, fight with another animal, ingest something harmful, injure itself, become suddenly ill, refuse food or medication, damage property, or behave in ways it has never behaved before.
You further acknowledge that ordinary pet care necessarily involves risks that cannot be eliminated by any amount of care: leashed walks near traffic and other animals; doors and gates being opened; contact with other people, dogs, wildlife, insects, plants and substances outdoors; weather and temperature exposure; slips, strains and paw injuries; stress or separation anxiety while you are away; and contagious illness from the environment.
Knowing this, you voluntarily assume these ordinary risks of pet care, and you accept that the occurrence of one of them is not, by itself, evidence that Neighbor Paws or the caregiver did anything wrong.
6. Aggression, bite risk, bites and injuries
Rules for bite-risk animals. A pet with a known bite history, a bite quarantine record, a dangerous-dog designation, or a pattern of aggression toward people is not eligible for Neighbor Paws service. If you disclose reactivity or handling sensitivity that falls short of that, we may still accept the booking with written handling conditions — for example, crated or separated care, no walks, muzzle use you supply, or a single consistent caregiver.
Undisclosed behavior ends the booking. If a caregiver encounters aggression, a bite attempt, or handling risk that was not disclosed, they will secure the pet if it is safe to do so, leave, and report the incident. We may suspend or terminate service immediately, without refund for visits already performed, and remaining prepaid visits will be refunded.
You accept full responsibility for any injury, illness or loss caused by your pet to a caregiver, another person, another animal or property, to the maximum extent permitted by law, including medical treatment, lost income, and rabies-observation or quarantine costs.
Any bite or injury will be reported as required by local law and animal-control regulations, and you agree to cooperate fully and to provide current rabies documentation on request.
7. Emergency veterinary authorization and veterinary expenses
If your pet appears ill, injured or in distress, we will make reasonable efforts to reach you and your emergency contact. If we cannot reach you promptly, or if the situation is urgent, you authorize Neighbor Paws and the assigned caregiver to seek veterinary care — from your listed veterinarian when practical, or otherwise from the nearest available veterinary or emergency clinic — and to approve treatment reasonably necessary to stabilize your pet.
Transport to a clinic will be arranged where possible through your emergency contact, a pet ambulance or a veterinary transport service. Where no such option is available and a caregiver reasonably judges that immediate transport is necessary to save your pet's life, you authorize that transport at your sole risk and expense and release Neighbor Paws and the caregiver from liability for anything arising from it, absent gross negligence.
You are solely responsible for all veterinary costs, transport costs and any related expenses, whether or not you were reached first, and you agree to reimburse Neighbor Paws for any amount advanced on your behalf within seven (7) days of receiving the invoice. This authorization is a permission to act in good faith; it is not a promise of a particular medical outcome.
You accept full responsibility for pre-existing conditions, age-related decline, chronic illness and any condition that emerges or worsens during the service period, and you agree that the appearance or worsening of such a condition during our care is not attributable to us.
8. Medication authorization and limitations
Caregivers may administer oral medications, topical treatments and, where specifically agreed in advance, routine injections such as insulin, strictly according to the written instructions you provide in your pet's profile. Medication must be supplied in its original labeled container, in the correct dose, and in sufficient quantity for the entire booking.
Caregivers are not veterinary professionals. They may decline to administer any medication they are not comfortable giving, may not adjust doses, and may not provide medical treatment beyond your written instructions. We are not liable for adverse reactions, for a pet who refuses or spits out medication, or for consequences of incomplete, outdated or incorrect instructions, provided the caregiver acted reasonably. Missed or refused doses will be reported to you in the visit report.
9. Keys, access codes and alarms
You are responsible for providing reliable access — a working key, lockbox, garage code, smart-lock code or building access — and for verifying it works before the first visit. Access details are stored only as needed to perform the service and are shared only with the assigned caregiver and authorized staff.
You must disclose all alarm systems, arm/disarm codes and any monitoring-company instructions. You are responsible for false-alarm fees or law-enforcement charges resulting from incorrect, incomplete or changed alarm information.
If a caregiver cannot access your home, we will attempt to contact you and your emergency contact. A lockout that prevents the visit is charged in full, and any locksmith or additional trip cost is your responsibility.
10. Pet escape
Caregivers keep dogs leashed outside your property unless you provide written authorization otherwise, and take reasonable precautions with doors, gates, fences and crates as instructed. You remain responsible for the security of your fencing, gates, doors, latches, screens and containment equipment, and for a collar with current ID and, where possible, a registered microchip.
If your pet escapes, we follow the published Incident Procedures: immediate search, contact to you and your emergency contact, notification of local shelters and animal control, and a written incident record.
Except where caused by our negligence, Neighbor Paws is not liable for escape, loss, injury or death resulting from failed containment, an undisclosed escape history, equipment you supplied, or off-leash authorization you provided.
11. Property damage
You are responsible for any damage your pet causes to your own property, to a neighbor's or third party's property, or to a caregiver's property or vehicle during the service period. Caregivers will report accidents, soiling and damage in the visit report, and will clean up pet accidents where reasonably possible.
Neighbor Paws is responsible for direct damage to your home caused by a caregiver's negligence, subject to the limits in Section 17, and asks that you report any such damage within 72 hours of the visit so it can be documented and resolved.
We are not responsible for damage from pre-existing conditions of the home, appliance or plumbing failure, power loss, pests, weather, or normal wear from ordinary pet activity.
12. Other people entering the home
Tell us in advance about anyone else who may enter your home during the service period — family, roommates, neighbors, cleaners, contractors, landscapers, property managers or building staff — and how to recognize them.
Neighbor Paws is not responsible for damage, theft, loss, injury or pet escape caused wholly or in part by another person's access to the home, or for confusion caused by undisclosed access. For everyone's safety, caregivers may end a visit early and contact you if they encounter an unexpected person on the property.
13. Cameras and recording in the home
You must disclose all indoor and outdoor cameras, video doorbells, smart displays and audio-recording devices, and whether they record audio. Recording caregivers without disclosure may violate state law.
Recordings may be used to monitor your pet's welfare and to review a specific incident. They may not be published, live-streamed publicly, or used to harass a caregiver, and cameras may not be placed in bathrooms, bedrooms used by an overnight caregiver or any other private space where a caregiver has a reasonable expectation of privacy. We may decline or end service where undisclosed or intrusive recording is discovered.
14. Severe weather and emergencies
In severe weather or an emergency — storms, flooding, ice, extreme heat or cold, wildfire, power or utility failure, evacuation orders, road closures or civil emergency — caregiver and pet safety comes first. We may shorten walks, substitute indoor exercise and potty breaks, adjust visit times, or where travel is genuinely unsafe, reschedule or cancel a visit.
We will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and will not charge for a visit we cancel and do not perform. If we cannot reach your home safely, you authorize us to take reasonable steps for your pet's welfare, including contacting your emergency contact or a boarding or veterinary facility at your expense. Neighbor Paws is not liable for delays or missed visits caused by events beyond our reasonable control.
15. Incidents and how we handle them
Neighbor Paws maintains written Incident Procedures covering escape, bites and injuries to people, injury or sudden illness of a pet, property damage, and emergency veterinary care. Caregivers are trained to follow them and to file a written incident report the same day.
You agree to report any concern arising from a visit within 72 hours so it can be investigated while evidence, photos and recollections are fresh. Claims raised after that window may not be reviewable.
16. Cancellations, reschedules and payment
Cancellations and reschedules follow the published Cancellation & Reschedule Policy, which forms part of this Agreement and shows the exact fee or refund based on your service type and how much notice you give.
Payment is due at booking unless we agree otherwise in writing. Bookings paid by bank transfer must be completed before the visit; unpaid visits may be released. Fees for late changes, lockouts and unreimbursed veterinary or emergency expenses may be charged to your saved payment method.
17. Release, indemnification and limitations of liability
Release of ordinary risks. To the maximum extent permitted by law, you release Neighbor Paws, its owners, staff and caregivers from claims arising out of the ordinary risks of pet care described in Section 5, from pre-existing or emerging medical conditions, from information you did not disclose or disclosed inaccurately, from failed containment or property conditions, from the acts of your pet, from the acts of third parties, and from events beyond our reasonable control. This release does not apply to gross negligence or willful misconduct.
Indemnification. You agree to defend, indemnify and hold Neighbor Paws and its caregivers harmless from any claim, demand, loss, cost or expense (including reasonable attorneys' fees) brought by any person or arising from: your pet's behavior, including bites, injuries and damage; undisclosed or inaccurate information; veterinary or emergency costs incurred for your pet; conditions of your home or property; and access granted to third parties.
Limits. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Neighbor Paws and its caregivers are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, or for loss of companionship or emotional distress. Except in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct, our total aggregate liability for any claim relating to a booking is limited to the amount you paid for the booking(s) giving rise to the claim.
Nothing in this Agreement excludes liability that cannot be excluded by law, and nothing in it limits your rights under any consumer protection statute that applies to you.
18. Insurance — please read
Neighbor Paws is a new, locally operated service and does not currently carry pet-care liability, care-custody-and-control, or bonding insurance. We tell you this plainly so you can make an informed choice, and we have designed the service conservatively around it: care happens only in your home, we do not transport or board pets, and we decline bite-risk animals.
This means there is no insurance policy standing behind a loss. You are responsible for maintaining your own coverage — homeowner's or renter's insurance for your home and belongings, and pet health insurance for veterinary costs — and you accept that your own insurance is the primary source of recovery for any loss involving your pet, your home or your property.
You agree that neither you nor your insurer will pursue Neighbor Paws or its caregivers by subrogation for losses covered by your own policies, to the maximum extent permitted by law. We will update this section and notify clients if coverage is put in place.
19. Electronic signature, changes and governing law
Typing your full legal name in the signature field and submitting a booking is your electronic signature. It has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature and you consent to transact electronically. We keep a dated record of the version you signed, and you can view the current version at any time on this page.
We may update this Agreement. Material changes create a new version, and you will be asked to sign again before your next booking. Continuing to book after a new version is published, without signing it, is not permitted.
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 found unenforceable, the remainder stays in effect. This Agreement, together with the Cancellation Policy and Incident Procedures, is the entire agreement between us.