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Help CenterFor Pet Sitters & Dog Walkers

The Background Check Process

1 min read
Updated Jul 23, 2026

Trust is the foundation of WinniePaws, so every provider goes through a background check disclosure as part of onboarding.

The disclosure

Before your profile can go live, you'll review and accept a standalone background check disclosure — this is a legal requirement (under the Fair Credit Reporting Act) that keeps the disclosure separate from other onboarding paperwork, so you know exactly what you're agreeing to.

What's checked

Your name is checked against relevant public safety databases, including sex offender registries, government sanctions lists, and animal abuse registries.

What a clear result means

A clear result is required before we can grant the Vetted badge on your public profile — see the article on profile badges for what each badge means.

If something is flagged

A flagged result doesn't mean an automatic ban. You'll be notified by email and text and given a set window to respond and provide context before any action is finalized — we review every dispute individually rather than acting on a flag alone.

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