Community Guidelines

Welcome to the Nuzzle Community

Nuzzle exists to bring dog lovers together — to share stories, ask questions, celebrate breeds, organize meetups, and build a real community around the dogs in our lives. To keep this a safe, welcoming, and genuinely useful place for everyone (humans and dogs alike), we ask all members to follow these guidelines.

Violations may result in content removal, account suspension, or a permanent ban, depending on severity. These guidelines apply to all content and behavior on Nuzzle, including posts, comments, reactions, dog profiles, meetup listings, direct interactions, and check-ins.

1. Be Kind and Respectful

Nuzzle is a community built on a shared love of dogs. Treat every member the way you'd want to be treated at a dog park.

Do:

Engage with curiosity and openness, even when you disagree
Offer constructive feedback and helpful corrections
Celebrate each other's dogs and milestones

Don't:

Insult, demean, or belittle other members or their dogs
Attack someone personally because you disagree with their opinion
Use sarcasm or passive-aggression to undermine others
Pile on or gang up on a single user

Healthy debate is welcome. Personal attacks are not.

2. Keep It About Dogs

Nuzzle is a dog community, not a general social network or political forum.

Do:

Post content relevant to dogs, breeds, dog care, meetups, Dog Spots, or Dog Friendly Places
Share related lifestyle content that naturally involves your dog(s)

Don't:

Post off-topic political, religious, or unrelated commercial content
Use Nuzzle as a platform to promote unrelated businesses, campaigns, or causes
Redirect discussions away from dogs and into divisive unrelated topics

3. Be Honest and Authentic

Trust is the foundation of a useful community.

Do:

Post genuine questions, real experiences, and accurate information
Clearly label opinions as opinions when sharing advice
Represent your dog's temperament and compatibility accurately — other dogs and their owners are counting on it

Don't:

Create fake accounts or impersonate other users
Post misleading information presented as fact
Fabricate dog interaction logs, place check-ins, or place reviews (vibes)
Log dog interactions on behalf of another owner without their knowledge or consent

4. Health and Veterinary Topics

Questions about dog health are some of the most important discussions on Nuzzle. Handle them responsibly.

Do:

Share your own experiences and what worked for your dog
Recommend consulting a licensed veterinarian for health concerns
Acknowledge the limits of your knowledge when giving advice

Don't:

Present yourself as a veterinary professional if you are not
Discourage someone from seeking veterinary care
Share unverified or dangerous health advice (e.g., harmful home remedies)
Diagnose another user's dog

A health disclaimer is automatically shown on health-tagged posts as a reminder that content on Nuzzle is not veterinary advice.

5. Photos and Media

Photos make Nuzzle come alive. Keep them appropriate and honest.

Do:

Share clear, well-lit photos of your dog(s)
Include relevant context (breed, age, location, event) when it adds value

Don't:

Post sexually explicit, graphic, or disturbing imagery
Post photos of other people's dogs or children without permission
Use stock photos or images you don't own as if they're your own
Post images containing personal information (phone numbers, addresses, etc.)

6. No Hate, Discrimination, or Harassment

Nuzzle has zero tolerance for hate.

Prohibited:

Hate speech targeting any person or group based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected characteristic
Harassment, threats, or intimidation of any user
Coordinated campaigns to report, downvote, or target a specific user
Content that sexualizes or demeans any person

This includes content in posts, comments, dog profile descriptions, meetup listings, and any other user-generated field.

7. No Spam or Self-Promotion

Keep Nuzzle's feeds useful and authentic.

Prohibited:

Repetitive or unsolicited promotional posts for products, services, or external links
Using Nuzzle primarily or exclusively to drive traffic to an external site, store, or social account
Automated posting, bot accounts, or scripted activity
Comment sections used for commercial solicitation

Sharing a product or resource you genuinely found helpful, in the relevant context, is fine. Turning Nuzzle into an ad channel is not.

8. No Animal Cruelty or Neglect

This is non-negotiable.

Prohibited:

Any content depicting, glorifying, encouraging, or joking about cruelty, abuse, neglect, or harm toward any animal
Content promoting or organizing animal fighting
Sharing videos or images of animals in distress for entertainment

Violations of this rule will result in immediate and permanent account termination and may be reported to the appropriate authorities.

9. Meetups

Nuzzle meetups are a highlight of the community. Make them safe and welcoming.

Do:

Post accurate meetup details (location, time, what to expect, dog size/energy level guidance if relevant)
Be welcoming to all compatible dogs and their owners who RSVP
Cancel or update your meetup promptly if plans change

Don't:

Use meetup listings to organize non-dog-related gatherings
Create meetups with the intent to exclude based on protected characteristics
Harass or pressure other users to attend events

Remember: Nuzzle facilitates meetup coordination but is not responsible for events. Attend and host responsibly.

10. Dog Spots and Dog Friendly Places

Dog Spots are curated outdoor locations (dog beaches, parks, and trails) with community feeds and real-time check-ins. Dog Friendly Places are nearby businesses where dogs are welcome (cafes, bars, restaurants, etc.). Keep them useful and trustworthy for everyone.

Do:

Check in only when you and your dog are genuinely present at or near the location
Leave honest, helpful place vibes based on your actual experience
Suggest new Dog Spot communities for real locations your dog frequents

Don't:

Submit false or duplicate check-ins
Leave fake, malicious, or exaggerated place reviews (vibes)
Suggest communities for places you have not visited or that have no relevance to dogs
Use place pages to harass or target specific businesses or their staff

Nuzzle is not affiliated with any third-party business listed in Dog Friendly Places. Listings are sourced from Google Places and community contributions.

11. Dog Compatibility and Interaction Logs

Dog profiles include compatibility fields (e.g., play style, good with puppies/large/small dogs) to help owners make informed decisions about introductions.

Do:

Fill out your dog's compatibility profile honestly
Update it as your dog's temperament or needs change over time
Log interactions accurately to help build a record of your dog's social history

Don't:

Exaggerate your dog's friendliness or hide known aggression issues
Log interactions that didn't happen or that the other dog's owner didn't consent to
Use interaction logs to tag or follow users who have asked not to be contacted

12. Reporting and Moderation

If you see content that violates these guidelines, please report it. Every report helps keep the community safe.

How to report:

Use the in-app report button on any post or comment
Reports are reviewed by our moderation team

What happens after a report:

Content may be removed if it violates these guidelines
Repeat or serious violators may be suspended or permanently banned
False or bad-faith reports (weaponizing the report system against users you dislike) are themselves a violation of these guidelines

We aim to be fair, consistent, and transparent in our moderation decisions.

13. Enforcement

Depending on the nature and severity of a violation, we may take the following actions:

Severity	Example	Action
Minor	Off-topic post, mild spam	Content removed, warning
Moderate	Repeated spam, disrespectful comments	Temporary suspension
Serious	Harassment campaign, impersonation	Permanent ban
Critical	Animal cruelty, threats of violence	Immediate permanent ban; possible law enforcement referral

We reserve the right to make enforcement decisions at our discretion. If you believe a moderation action was taken in error, you may contact us at hello@nuzzleapp.io to appeal.

The Spirit of These Guidelines

Rules can only go so far. The real spirit of Nuzzle is this: be the kind of community member whose dog you'd want to meet at the park. Show up with generosity, curiosity, and good faith — and bring your dog next time.

These guidelines are incorporated into the Nuzzle Terms of Service and should be read alongside them.