Safety & Trust
How we vet every Irish sitter on PawPals
PawPals is run from Dublin 8 by dog owners, and we review every sitter application by hand. This page sets out exactly which checks we run, who holds your money during a booking, what our care guarantee covers, and what happens the moment something goes wrong.
The five-step vetting process
Identity
Photo ID (passport or Irish driving licence) is matched against a live selfie. The name on the ID must match the name on the payout account, so nobody can trade under someone else's verified profile.
Garda vetting
Sitters submit Garda vetting disclosure obtained through an authorised vetting body. We check the disclosure date, the applicant name and the roles covered. Anything older than 24 months is re-run.
Address & contact
A verified Irish mobile plus proof of the address the dog will actually be staying at for boarding — utility bill or bank statement dated within 90 days.
Insurance & experience
Current public liability cover including pet care, plus two references from previous owners or an employer in animal care. Boarding hosts also send photos of the home, the sleeping space and the garden fencing.
Human review
Aoife, our operations co-founder, reviews every completed application and speaks to boarding hosts by phone before the profile goes live. Roughly one in three applications is declined at this stage.
What protects you during a booking
Vetted before listing, not after
A sitter cannot appear in search, message an owner or take a booking until all five checks above are cleared and manually reviewed.
Payments held in escrow
Funds are held by our regulated payment processor until 24 hours after the booking ends. No cash changes hands and no card details touch the sitter.
Everything on the record
Messages, photo check-ins and schedule changes all live in the app, so if there is ever a dispute there is a timestamped record for both sides.
Care guarantee
If a sitter cancels late we find a replacement or refund in full, and we advance emergency vet costs up to €500 while liability is established.
EU data handling
Your data and your dog's records are stored in the EU, never sold, and deleted on request under GDPR. Home addresses are only revealed after a booking is confirmed.
Two-way reviews
Only completed, paid bookings can be reviewed, so ratings cannot be bought or padded. Reports are read within 4 hours and suspend the sitter's calendar while reviewed.
The PawPals care guarantee, in plain terms
- Sitter cancels inside 24 hours: we source a vetted replacement, or refund 100% including fees.
- Care did not happen as agreed: report within 24 hours of the booking ending and we hold the payout while we review the message and check-in record.
- Injury or illness during care: sitter contacts you, then the vet, then us. We advance up to €500 of emergency vet costs immediately.
- Welfare concern about a sitter: email welfare@pawpals.ie. Calendar suspended within 4 hours, decision inside 5 working days, and we notify affected owners.
Safety questions Irish owners ask
Is every PawPals sitter Garda vetted?
Every sitter who takes bookings on PawPals has passed our five-step check, which includes Garda vetting evidence through an authorised body, photo ID matched to a live selfie, and a verified Irish address and phone number. Sitters who have not completed the check cannot appear in search or accept a booking.
Is my dog insured during a booking?
Boarding and walking sitters on PawPals must upload a current public liability policy naming pet care as a covered activity, and we re-check the expiry date every renewal. Cover is held by the sitter, not by PawPals, so the policy number and insurer are shown on their profile before you book.
When is the sitter actually paid?
Your card is charged at booking, but the money is held in escrow by our payment processor until 24 hours after the booking ends. If care did not happen as agreed, raise it inside that window and we hold the payout while we review.
What happens if there is an incident during a walk?
The sitter is required to contact you first, then the nearest vet, then PawPals support. Emergency vet costs are advanced by PawPals up to €500 while liability is established, so treatment is never delayed by a payment argument.
How do I report a sitter?
Use the Report link on their profile or any booking, or email welfare@pawpals.ie. Welfare reports are read within 4 hours and the sitter's calendar is suspended while we investigate.
Read more about insurance and Garda vetting for Irish dog walkers, or see who runs PawPals.