Community Standards

1. Introduction

Welcome to egypet's Community Standards. Our mission is to create a positive and supportive community where pet owners, pet lovers, veterinarians, and pet businesses can connect, share experiences, and learn from each other. These standards outline our expectations for all community members and help ensure that egypet remains a safe, respectful, and inclusive space.

By joining and participating in the egypet community, you agree to follow these standards in all your interactions. These standards apply across all aspects of our platform, including profiles, posts, comments, messages, reviews, and any other forms of communication or content.

2. Core Values

Our community is built on these core values:

2.1 Respect

Treat all community members with dignity and courtesy, even when you disagree. Respect different perspectives, experiences, and approaches to pet care (as long as they don't harm animals).

2.2 Safety

Prioritize the safety and well-being of pets and people. Do not encourage or promote behaviors that could lead to harm.

2.3 Inclusivity

Welcome and support all community members regardless of their background, identity, or experience level with pets.

2.4 Authenticity

Be genuine in your interactions and honest in the information you share. Use your real identity and provide accurate information about your pets, experiences, and qualifications.

2.5 Responsibility

Take responsibility for your contributions to the community and their potential impact on others.

3. Expected Behavior

To maintain a positive community environment, we expect all members to:

3.1 Be Respectful and Constructive

• Communicate in a civil and constructive manner
• Focus on ideas and behaviors rather than attacking individuals
• Consider how your words might be received by others
• Be especially mindful when discussing sensitive topics related to pet care

3.2 Promote Safety

• Share accurate information about pet health, training, and care
• Clarify when you're sharing personal experience versus professional advice
• Direct people to professional help when appropriate
• Report content that promotes unsafe practices

3.3 Foster Inclusivity

• Welcome newcomers and help them navigate the community
• Be patient with those who are learning
• Recognize and respect cultural differences in pet ownership practices (when not harmful)
• Use inclusive language that doesn't marginalize or stereotype

3.4 Maintain Authenticity

• Use your real identity and provide accurate information
• Be transparent about commercial relationships or conflicts of interest
• Give honest reviews and feedback
• Share your own original content or properly attribute others' content

3.5 Practice Responsible Sharing

• Verify information before sharing it
• Consider the impact of sensitive content and use content warnings when appropriate
• Respect others' privacy and obtain permission before sharing their content
• Keep private conversations private

4. Prohibited Behaviors

The following behaviors are prohibited on egypet and may result in content removal, account restrictions, or account termination:

4.1 Harassment and Bullying

We do not tolerate harassment or bullying in any form, including:

• Personal attacks or derogatory comments
• Threats or intimidation
• Persistent unwanted contact
• Public shaming or humiliation
• Encouraging others to harass an individual
• Creating multiple accounts to circumvent blocks or harass users

4.2 Hate Speech

Content that promotes hatred, discrimination, or violence against individuals or groups based on attributes such as:

• Race, ethnicity, or national origin
• Religion
• Disability
• Gender, gender identity, or gender expression
• Sexual orientation
• Age
• Veteran status
• Pet ownership or pet preferences

4.3 Animal Abuse or Neglect

Content that:

• Promotes, glorifies, or encourages animal abuse or neglect
• Shows animals in distress for entertainment purposes
• Advocates for harmful training methods or pet care practices
• Promotes illegal breeding or acquisition of animals

4.4 Misinformation

Deliberately sharing false or misleading information that could:

• Harm pets or their owners
• Mislead the community about important pet health or safety issues
• Damage the reputation of individuals or organizations through false claims
• Promote ineffective treatments or cures for pet health conditions

4.5 Spam and Commercial Abuse

• Excessive self-promotion or advertising
• Posting the same content repeatedly
• Creating fake accounts to promote products or services
• Misleading marketing practices
• Scams or fraudulent offers

4.6 Privacy Violations

• Sharing others' personal information without consent (doxxing)
• Posting private conversations without permission
• Creating accounts impersonating other individuals
• Using others' content without permission or proper attribution

4.7 Platform Manipulation

• Using automated systems or bots to interact with the platform
• Artificially inflating engagement metrics
• Attempting to manipulate search results or rankings
• Circumventing platform restrictions

5. Special Guidelines for Specific Users

5.1 For Veterinarians and Pet Professionals

• Clearly identify your professional qualifications and any limitations
• Distinguish between general information and specific medical advice
• Recommend in-person veterinary care when appropriate
• Follow applicable professional ethics guidelines
• Disclose any conflicts of interest or commercial relationships

5.2 For Pet Businesses

• Be transparent about your business relationship with egypet
• Respond to customer feedback professionally and constructively
• Do not create fake reviews or artificially manipulate ratings
• Ensure all product or service claims are accurate and can be substantiated
• Follow our commercial content guidelines for promotional posts

5.3 For Pet Adoption and Rehoming

• Provide accurate and complete information about pets available for adoption
• Follow all applicable laws regarding pet sales, adoption, and transfer of ownership
• Screen potential adopters appropriately
• Do not engage in pet flipping (acquiring pets to quickly resell for profit)
• Report suspected illegal breeding operations or animal welfare concerns

6. Reporting Violations

If you encounter content or behavior that violates these Community Standards, please report it:

1. Click on the "..." or menu icon near the content
2. Select "Report"
3. Choose the appropriate reason for reporting
4. Provide any additional details that may help our moderators

Reports are confidential, and the person you report will not be notified about who reported them.

7. Enforcement

When violations of these Community Standards are identified, we may take one or more of the following actions:

• Content Removal: Removing the violating content
• Warning: Issuing a warning to the account
• Temporary Restrictions: Limiting certain account features temporarily
• Temporary Suspension: Suspending the account for a specified period
• Permanent Ban: Terminating the account for severe or repeated violations

The specific action taken depends on the nature and severity of the violation, the account's history, and the potential harm to the community.

8. Appeals

If you believe a moderation decision was made in error, you can appeal:

1. Go to your Account Settings
2. Select "Help & Support"
3. Choose "Appeal a Decision"
4. Provide the requested information about why you believe the decision should be reconsidered

Appeals are reviewed by a different moderator than the one who made the original decision.

9. Changes to Standards

We may update these Community Standards from time to time to address new behaviors or issues that arise in our community. Significant changes will be announced on the platform, and the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page will be modified.

It is your responsibility to review these standards periodically to stay informed about our community expectations.

10. Contact Information

If you have questions about these Community Standards or need guidance on specific situations, please contact our support team:

• Email: community@egypet.com
• Contact Form: https://egypet.site/pages/contact.php