Community Guidelines

Our Mission

BarkPark is a community built around the love of dogs. These guidelines exist to keep our platform safe, welcoming, and enjoyable for every dog and every human. By using BarkPark, you agree to follow these guidelines. Violations may result in content removal, warnings, or account suspension.

1. Be Kind and Respectful

Treat every member of our community — and their dogs — with kindness and respect. We are all here because we share a love for our four-legged friends.

• Be supportive and encouraging when interacting with other dog owners
• Respect differences in dog training methods, breeds, and lifestyles
• Welcome newcomers and help them feel at home in the community
• Disagree respectfully — constructive discussions are welcome, personal attacks are not
• Remember there is a real person (and a real dog) behind every account

2. No Harassment, Bullying, or Hate Speech

BarkPark has zero tolerance for harassment, bullying, or hate speech of any kind. This includes but is not limited to:

• Threats, intimidation, or targeted attacks against other users
• Hate speech based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected characteristic
• Repeated unwanted contact or following after being asked to stop
• Doxxing or sharing someone's personal information to intimidate or harass them
• Shaming or mocking other people's dogs, including breed-specific discrimination
• Coordinated harassment campaigns against any user

3. No Harmful Content

Content that promotes harm to people or animals is strictly prohibited:

• Violence: No content depicting, glorifying, or inciting violence toward people or animals
• Animal cruelty: No content showing, promoting, or encouraging animal abuse, neglect, fighting, or any form of cruelty
• Illegal activity: No content promoting illegal activities, including illegal breeding operations, animal trafficking, or controlled substances
• Explicit content: No sexually explicit, graphic, or otherwise adult content
• Self-harm: No content that promotes or glorifies self-harm or suicide

4. No Spam or Excessive Self-Promotion

Keep BarkPark genuine and free from spam:

• Do not post repetitive, irrelevant, or unsolicited commercial content
• Do not use fake accounts, bots, or automated tools to artificially boost engagement
• Limit self-promotion — occasional sharing of dog-related products or services you genuinely use is fine, but your account should not be primarily a marketing channel
• Do not post misleading links, phishing attempts, or scams
• Do not solicit money, donations, or personal information from other users

5. Dog Safety First

The wellbeing of dogs is at the heart of everything we do. We take dog safety extremely seriously:

• Do not post content showing dogs in distress, danger, or unsafe situations unless you are genuinely seeking help
• Do not share content that encourages dangerous activities with dogs (e.g., leaving dogs in hot cars, off-leash near traffic)
• Report any content where a dog appears to be in immediate danger — our team will review it urgently
• If you witness animal abuse or an emergency, contact local animal control or law enforcement first, then report it on BarkPark
• Content showing dogs in unsafe conditions will be flagged by our AI moderation system for immediate review

6. Accurate Health Information Only

Dogs depend on their owners for their health and wellbeing. Misinformation can be dangerous:

• Do not provide veterinary medical advice. You may share your personal experiences, but always recommend consulting a licensed veterinarian
• Do not promote unproven, harmful, or pseudoscientific treatments for dogs
• Do not discourage others from seeking professional veterinary care
• Share information from reputable sources and clearly label personal opinions as such
• Content flagged as health misinformation will be reviewed and may be removed to protect the community

Remember: BarkPark's Medical Vault is a record-keeping tool, not a substitute for professional veterinary care. Always consult your vet for medical decisions.

7. Respect Privacy

Protect your own privacy and respect others':

• Do not share another person's personal information (name, address, phone number, email, photos) without their explicit consent
• Do not post photos or videos of other people or their dogs without permission
• Do not share screenshots of private conversations
• Be cautious about sharing your own location details — use BarkPark's built-in check-in features instead of posting exact addresses
• Report any content that exposes personal information — our moderation system flags potential PII exposure

8. Keep It Dog-Related

BarkPark is a community for dog lovers. While we welcome a wide range of content, posts should be relevant to dogs, dog parks, pet ownership, or the BarkPark community. Off-topic content may be removed to keep the feed useful and enjoyable for everyone. Other pets are welcome in moderation — we love all animals — but dogs should remain the primary focus.

9. Reporting Violations

If you see content that violates these guidelines, please report it. Your reports help us keep BarkPark safe:

• In-app reporting: Tap the three-dot menu on any post, comment, or profile and select "Report"
• Direct contact: Email safety@barkpark.social for urgent safety concerns
• Anonymous tips: Reports can be submitted anonymously — the reported user will not know who filed the report

Our moderation team reviews all reports, typically within 24 hours. AI-assisted moderation helps us flag potential violations in real time, but human moderators make all final decisions on enforcement actions.

10. Enforcement

We enforce these guidelines fairly and consistently. Depending on the severity and frequency of violations, consequences may include:

• Content removal: Posts, comments, or media that violate guidelines will be removed
• Warning: A formal notice explaining the violation and what to change. Most first-time violations result in a warning
• Temporary suspension: Repeated or serious violations may result in a temporary account suspension (typically 7-30 days)
• Permanent ban: Severe violations (animal cruelty, threats, illegal activity) or persistent repeat offenses will result in permanent account removal

11. Appeal Process

We understand that mistakes happen — both on our part and yours. If you believe a moderation decision was made in error, you have the right to appeal:

1. Submit an appeal: Email appeals@barkpark.social with your username, the content or action in question, and an explanation of why you believe the decision should be reversed
2. Review timeline: Appeals are reviewed by a different moderator within 5 business days
3. Decision: You will receive a written response with the outcome and explanation
4. Final review: If you disagree with the appeal outcome, you may request one final review by a senior moderator

During the appeal process, any active suspension remains in effect until the review is complete.

12. Changes to These Guidelines

We may update these Community Guidelines as our community grows and evolves. When we make significant changes, we will notify you through in-app notifications and update the date at the top of this page. Continued use of BarkPark after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated guidelines.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions about these guidelines or need to report an issue: