If you feel threatened or unsafe
This page explains what to do if a Dog Meetup interaction, message, public meetup, dog incident, or profile makes you feel unsafe. It is written for fast action first, then evidence, reporting, and follow-up once you are safe.
Quick safety summary
- If there is immediate danger, leave if you can and contact local emergency services first.
- Move towards people, light, staff, shops, transport, a cafe, a park office, or another visible public place.
- Do not argue, explain, prove anything, or continue the meetup if you feel unsafe. Leaving is enough.
- Keep your dog close and under control if it is safe to do so.
- When safe, block the user, report the profile, and keep screenshots or details that may help review.
Dog Meetup support is not an emergency service and cannot provide real-time rescue, medical, veterinary, or law-enforcement response.
Choose the situation that fits
Prioritise exit and emergency help before app reporting.
Meetup Uncomfortable or unsafe public meetupLeave, move to a public place, protect your dog, then report.
Online Harassment, pressure, scams, or unwanted contactStop replying, block, preserve details, and report the pattern.
Dog safety Dog bite, injury, uncontrolled dog, or welfare concernMove away, seek veterinary help if needed, record details safely.
Child safety Grooming, exploitation, CSAM, or concern involving a minorReport urgent risk to appropriate authorities and Dog Meetup.
Fraud Money requests, fake profile, identity misuse, or phishingDo not send money or codes. Block, report, and contact your bank if needed.
Immediate danger
Immediate danger includes threats of violence, assault, someone refusing to let you leave, stalking, theft, coercion, sexual pressure, blackmail, a dangerous dog incident, or any situation where you believe a person or dog could be harmed.
- Leave the area if you can do so safely.
- Move towards a public place with other people, staff, light, transport, or CCTV.
- Contact local emergency services before contacting Dog Meetup if the risk is urgent.
- Ask a nearby person, staff member, friend, or trusted contact for help if you cannot safely leave alone.
- Once safe, use Dog Meetup report and block controls and include only details you can provide safely.
During a public meetup
Warning signs to take seriously
- They pressure you to meet somewhere private, isolated, or different from the agreed public park.
- They refuse to respect your dog's boundaries, lead preference, muzzle requirement, or need for space.
- They become angry when you say no, cancel, ask questions, or try to leave.
- They ask for money, gift cards, verification codes, bank details, ID documents, or private photos.
- They make sexual, threatening, discriminatory, humiliating, or manipulative comments.
- They try to move the conversation away from Dog Meetup before trust is established.
- The dog appears uncontrolled, aggressive, distressed, neglected, or handled unsafely.
Online harassment, pressure, or unwanted contact
- Stop replying if the contact is abusive, manipulative, threatening, sexual, fraudulent, or unwanted.
- Use the block control so the user cannot continue contacting you through Dog Meetup.
- Use the report control and explain the pattern, including any previous usernames, meetup plans, or repeated accounts.
- Keep screenshots, profile names, dog names, dates, times, message text, and meetup details if it is safe and lawful to do so.
- If contact continues outside Dog Meetup or becomes threatening, contact appropriate local authorities.
If your dog is threatened, bitten, or injured
- Move away from the other dog or person if it is safe to do so.
- Keep your dog on lead or close to you if that helps reduce risk.
- Do not put your hands between dogs that are fighting unless you know how to intervene safely.
- Contact a vet or emergency vet if your dog is bitten, overheated, limping, bleeding, distressed, or unwell.
- Record the park, time, other owner profile, dog details, witnesses, and photos of injuries if safe and lawful.
- Report unsafe owner behaviour in Dog Meetup once you and your dog are safe.
Dog owners in Ireland are responsible for keeping dogs under control in public places and for the consequences of injuries or damage caused by their dog.
Fraud, fake profiles, and scams
- Do not send money, gift cards, bank details, login codes, ID documents, private photos, or account recovery information.
- Be cautious if a user avoids dog-related details, changes their story, refuses public meetups, creates urgency, or asks to move to another app quickly.
- Report the profile as suspicious and block the account.
- If payment fraud, identity theft, or bank compromise has happened, contact your bank or relevant authority as soon as possible.
Child safety concerns
Child sexual abuse, grooming, exploitation, sextortion, sexualised contact with minors, and child sexual abuse material are prohibited. If a child is in immediate danger, contact appropriate emergency or child protection authorities first.
Dog Meetup may preserve records, restrict accounts, remove content, and report serious child safety concerns where legally required or appropriate. Read the Dog Meetup Child Safety Standards for the published CSAE standards and contact route.
Evidence checklist
Only collect or keep information if it is safe and lawful. Do not put yourself at risk to gather evidence.
- Dog Meetup username, profile name, dog name, and any profile screenshots.
- Date, time, selected park, meetup title, and any changes to the meeting point.
- Messages, photos, voice notes, links, payment requests, phone numbers, or external account names.
- What happened, who was present, whether emergency services, a vet, a bank, or another authority was contacted.
- Witness names or contact details if they willingly provide them.
Record an urgent safety concern
If there is immediate danger, call 112 or 999 first. This form does not contact emergency services. It creates an encrypted server-side safety record for Dog Meetup review.
Report to Dog Meetup
In the app, use report controls on profiles, matches, meetups, or messages. For serious safety concerns, email dev@prints3d.org.
Username, dog name if known, date and time, selected park, what happened, and whether immediate help was contacted.
Review reports, remove content, restrict accounts, suspend accounts, preserve legal records, or escalate serious matters.
If the matter is urgent, report to emergency services first. Dog Meetup report review is for app safety and account enforcement.
Before future meetups
- Meet only in public places during sensible hours and avoid isolated first meetups.
- Tell someone you trust where you are going and when you expect to be back.
- Keep first meetings short, easy to leave, and focused on dog compatibility.
- Use lead introductions and respect both dogs' body language, space, and stress signals.
- Arrange your own transport where possible so you can leave without relying on another owner.
- Check park opening times, lighting, weather, dog rules, and whether the area is suitable for your dog.
- Do not share your home address, workplace, school details, private routine, or sensitive documents with someone you have just met.
Related Dog Meetup pages
- Child Safety Standards - CSAE/CSAM standards and child safety contact.
- Moderation Policy - how reports, blocks, and enforcement work.
- Location and Meetup Safety Policy - location use and public meetup expectations.
- Community Guidelines - behaviour rules for owners.
- Support and Safety - support contact and safety routing.
- Policy Centre - all privacy, safety, legal, and deletion documents.
Email dev@prints3d.org. For immediate danger, contact local emergency services first.