Terms & Conditions
Version 1.0
Effective date: 1 August 2026
1. About these terms
These Terms and Conditions govern applications for membership of The Pet Sitter Hub and the use of membership profiles and services provided through the website.
The Pet Sitter Hub is operated by Terence James Allington, trading as The Pet Sitter Hub.
In these terms:
“The Hub”, “we”, “us” and “our” mean The Pet Sitter Hub and its operator.
“Applicant” means a person who applies for membership.
“Member” means an applicant whose membership has been approved.
“Pet owner” means a person who contacts or engages a member about pet-care services.
“Website” means The Pet Sitter Hub website at https://thepetsitterhub.co.uk.
By submitting an application, you confirm that you have read and agree to these Terms and Conditions.
2. What The Pet Sitter Hub provides
The Pet Sitter Hub is a UK-wide membership community that helps pet owners discover and contact independent pet sitters, dog walkers and other pet-care providers.
The Hub may provide members with:
A public membership profile.
A listing within one or more relevant service areas.
The opportunity to describe their services and experience.
Visibility to pet owners searching for independent pet-care providers.
Membership information, updates and community opportunities.
Other membership features introduced from time to time.
The Hub is not a pet-sitting agency, employer or booking service.
We do not normally:
Employ members.
Allocate pet-care work.
Set members’ working hours or service prices.
Collect payment from pet owners on behalf of members.
Take commission from individual pet-care bookings.
Supervise the day-to-day provision of pet-care services.
Guarantee that a member will receive enquiries or paid work.
3. Independent status of members
Every member operates independently and is responsible for their own pet-care services.
Membership does not create an employment, worker, agency, partnership, franchise or joint-venture relationship between the member and The Pet Sitter Hub.
Members are responsible for:
Deciding which enquiries and assignments to accept.
Agreeing services, prices, dates and payment arrangements directly with pet owners.
Meeting their own tax and National Insurance obligations.
Obtaining any insurance, licences, permissions or registrations required for their activities.
Keeping appropriate business and client records.
Complying with all laws and regulations relevant to the services they provide.
Nothing in these terms prevents a member or pet owner from exercising any legal rights they may have.
4. Membership eligibility
Applicants must:
Be at least 16 years old.
Be legally entitled to provide the services they advertise.
Provide accurate and complete application information.
Meet The Pet Sitter Hub Membership Standards.
Provide the identification and supporting information requested during the application process.
Provide a valid DBS certificate where required for membership approval.
Applicants aged 16 or 17 may be subject to additional membership restrictions, safeguarding requirements, or parental or guardian consent.
The Hub may introduce separate membership arrangements for younger members to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place.
5. Membership applications
Submitting an application does not guarantee acceptance.
We may review:
The information included in the application.
The applicant’s identity.
Their experience and stated services.
Their DBS certificate or DBS status.
Whether the application meets our Membership Standards.
Any clarification or additional information reasonably required to assess the application.
We may contact an applicant to request further information or corrected documents.
We will assess applications reasonably and fairly. We may decline an application where the applicant does not meet the published membership requirements, fails to provide required information, or presents a genuine safety, integrity or reputational concern.
Where appropriate, we will explain the general reason for declining an application, unless doing so would reveal confidential information, compromise another person’s privacy, or create a legal or safeguarding risk.
6. Identity and DBS verification
Applicants must upload clear and genuine documents when requested.
A valid DBS certificate is required before a Founding Membership application can receive final approval.
Providing a DBS certificate does not mean that The Pet Sitter Hub guarantees a member’s character, conduct or suitability for every pet-care assignment.
A DBS check is one part of the membership assessment process. Pet owners remain responsible for deciding whether a particular member is suitable for their requirements.
The Hub will handle identity and DBS information in accordance with its Privacy Policy and any separate DBS information-handling procedures.
We may record relevant verification details, such as:
The name shown on the certificate.
The type or level of certificate.
Its issue date.
Its certificate or reference number.
The date it was reviewed.
The outcome of the membership decision.
Copies of identity documents and DBS certificates will not be published on a member’s public profile.
7. Accuracy of information
Applicants and members must ensure that all information they provide is true, accurate, current and complete.
Members must inform us promptly if any important information changes, including:
Their name or contact details.
Their service area.
Their services or availability.
Their insurance or licence status.
Their DBS status.
Any circumstance that may affect their eligibility, safety or ability to provide the advertised services.
Members must not:
Use false qualifications, references or experience claims.
Impersonate another person.
Upload altered, stolen or fraudulent documents.
Make misleading claims about DBS checks, insurance, licences or professional status.
Claim that The Pet Sitter Hub personally recommends or guarantees them.
We may request updated information or evidence where reasonably necessary.
8. Member profiles
Approved members may receive a public profile containing information such as:
Their first name or approved display name.
Their profile photograph.
Their short biography.
Their general service area.
The services they offer.
Their relevant experience.
Approved contact or enquiry information.
Membership or verification information that we have agreed to display.
We will not publish an applicant’s home address, identity documents or DBS certificate.
Members give us permission to edit profile material for spelling, grammar, clarity, formatting, consistency and website presentation. We will not deliberately change the meaning of a member’s information.
We may refuse or remove profile content that is:
False or misleading.
Offensive, discriminatory or unlawful.
Irrelevant to the member’s pet-care services.
Likely to infringe another person’s rights.
Unsafe or contrary to the Membership Standards.
Designed primarily to advertise unrelated businesses or services.
Members retain ownership of photographs and written material they provide.
Members grant The Pet Sitter Hub non-exclusive permission to use, reproduce, resize, format and display approved material for operating and promoting their Hub profile and the membership service.
This permission ends when the material is removed from the service, although copies may remain temporarily in backups, administrative records, or previously published promotional material where immediate removal is not reasonably possible.
9. Member responsibilities
Members must act honestly, responsibly and professionally.
Members must:
Treat animals with care, patience and respect.
Put animal welfare and safety first.
Communicate clearly with pet owners.
Attend agreed appointments reliably.
Respect clients’ homes, property, privacy and instructions.
Protect keys, access codes and confidential information.
Use suitable precautions when handling animals.
Report emergencies, accidents, escapes, injuries or serious concerns promptly.
Follow The Pet Sitter Hub Membership Standards.
Comply with reasonable requests from The Hub concerning their membership or profile.
Members must not use their membership to facilitate illegal, abusive, exploitative, deceptive or unsafe activity.
10. Arrangements between members and pet owners
Any agreement for pet-care services is made directly between the member and the pet owner.
The member and pet owner are responsible for agreeing:
The services to be provided.
Dates and times.
Prices and payment arrangements.
Cancellation arrangements.
Emergency contacts.
Veterinary instructions.
Access to the home.
Medication or specialist-care instructions.
Any other conditions relevant to the assignment.
The Pet Sitter Hub is not normally a party to that agreement and does not receive or hold payment for it.
Members and pet owners should keep a clear written record of important arrangements.
11. Checks by pet owners
Membership of The Pet Sitter Hub is not a substitute for a pet owner’s own judgement and checks.
Pet owners should consider:
Speaking with the member before making an arrangement.
Meeting the member in advance.
Checking relevant identification.
Asking to see appropriate insurance, licences, qualifications or references.
Confirming the member’s experience with the particular animal.
Agreeing services, prices and emergency procedures in writing.
The Hub does not guarantee that every member will be suitable for every animal, household or assignment.
12. Complaints and concerns
Pet owners and members may report serious concerns to The Pet Sitter Hub.
Where appropriate, we may:
Ask the people involved for information.
Review relevant records or communications.
Temporarily hide a profile while a concern is considered.
Give a member an opportunity to respond.
Issue guidance or a warning.
Require information to be corrected.
Suspend or end membership.
Refer a matter to an appropriate authority where required or reasonably necessary.
The Hub is not a court, regulator or professional dispute-resolution service.
We may help with membership-related concerns, but we do not guarantee that we can resolve private contractual, service or payment disputes between members and pet owners.
Nothing in these terms prevents anyone from contacting the police, a local authority, an animal-welfare organisation, an insurer, a court or another appropriate body.
13. Suspension or termination of membership
We may suspend or end membership for a substantial reason, including:
Providing false or misleading information.
Supplying fraudulent or altered documents.
Failing to maintain required membership criteria.
Serious or repeated breaches of the Membership Standards.
Conduct that creates a genuine animal-welfare, safety, legal or safeguarding concern.
Misuse of the website or another person’s information.
Serious or repeated complaints supported by credible information.
Failure to respond to a reasonable membership review.
Behaviour likely to cause serious harm to users or the legitimate reputation of the community.
Except where immediate action is reasonably necessary for safety, safeguarding, fraud prevention or legal reasons, we will normally explain the concern and provide a reasonable opportunity for the member to respond.
A member may ask us to close their membership and remove their public profile by contacting:
contact@thepetsitterhub.co.uk
Ending membership does not cancel any separate agreement already made between a member and a pet owner.
14. Founding Membership
Founding Membership is intended for eligible applicants joining during the pre-launch or founding-member recruitment period.
The specific benefits, duration and price of Founding Membership will be explained clearly before an applicant accepts membership.
Where the first year of Founding Membership is offered free of charge:
No membership fee will be taken for that free period.
The free period does not guarantee permanent free membership unless this is expressly confirmed.
Any future membership price will be communicated before payment becomes due.
No paid renewal will occur unless the member has been clearly informed and has agreed to the relevant payment arrangement.
Founding status does not exempt a member from the Membership Standards or other membership requirements.
15. Future membership fees and renewals
No membership fee is payable merely because an applicant submits the Founding Membership Application, unless a price is clearly displayed and accepted during the application process.
Before introducing or charging a future membership fee, we will clearly state:
The price.
What period the payment covers.
What membership benefits are included.
Whether renewal is manual or automatic.
How the member can cancel.
When payment will be taken.
Any applicable refund or cancellation rights.
We will not automatically charge a member using payment details unless the member has expressly agreed to an automatic-renewal arrangement.
Paid membership terms may be supplied separately when paid membership is introduced.
16. Website availability and changes
We aim to keep the website and member profiles available, but uninterrupted access cannot be guaranteed.
We may suspend or change parts of the website for maintenance, security, technical, legal or operational reasons.
We may make reasonable changes to the membership service. Where a change materially affects existing members, we will provide reasonable notice whenever practicable.
We will not use this section to impose unexpected charges or substantially reduce paid membership benefits without giving affected members appropriate information and options.
17. Our responsibility
We are responsible for providing the membership and profile service with reasonable care and skill.
We do not guarantee:
That an applicant will be accepted.
That a member will receive enquiries or work.
The number, quality or suitability of enquiries.
That a pet owner will engage or pay a member.
The conduct of every website user.
That every private pet-care arrangement will proceed successfully.
Because members and pet owners make their own arrangements, each person is responsible for their own decisions, agreements, actions and omissions.
Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability where doing so would be unlawful, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.
Nothing in these terms affects any statutory rights that cannot lawfully be excluded.
18. Privacy and data protection
Personal information is handled in accordance with The Pet Sitter Hub Privacy Policy.
Applicants should read the Privacy Policy before submitting an application.
Identity documents and DBS information receive additional protection and will not be published as part of a member profile.
19. Intellectual property
The Pet Sitter Hub name, logo, website design, original written content and other Hub materials belong to us or are used with permission.
Members may not copy, reproduce or use Hub branding in a way that falsely suggests employment, partnership, endorsement or authority.
Members may accurately state that they are a member of The Pet Sitter Hub while their membership remains active.
20. Changes to these terms
We may update these terms to reflect:
Changes in law or regulatory guidance.
Security or safety requirements.
Changes to the membership service.
New features or payment arrangements.
Corrections or clarification of existing terms.
The current version and effective date will be published on the website.
Where a change materially affects an existing member’s rights or obligations, we will provide reasonable notice and explain the available options.
21. If part of these terms cannot be enforced
If a court or competent authority decides that part of these terms is invalid or unenforceable, the remaining sections will continue to apply.
22. No waiver
If we do not immediately enforce a term, this does not mean that we have permanently given up the right to enforce it.
23. Governing law
These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales.
Nothing in this section deprives a person living elsewhere in the United Kingdom of any mandatory legal protections or right to bring proceedings in a court available to them under applicable law.
24. Contacting The Pet Sitter Hub
Questions about these Terms and Conditions may be sent to:
The Pet Sitter Hub
Operated by: Terence James Allington
Website: https://thepetsitterhub.co.uk
Email: contact@thepetsitterhub.co.uk