Terms at CavSwap

What CavSwap is, and what it costs

CavSwap is free. Searching, matching, chatting, and swapping cost nothing, and that's permanent. No money ever changes hands between members, not through CavSwap, and not around it. Paying or charging another member for a stay (cash, Venmo, gifts-as-payment, anything of the kind) is against these terms and grounds for removal. Stays are exchanged through swap credits only.

Who can join

• You must be 18 or older and live in California.
• You must share a household with a Cavalier (or be actively adding one to your family; tell us in your application).
• Everything in your application and profile must be truthful and kept current, especially anything about your dog's health, medications, and behavior that a host would need to know.

How joining works

Every application is personally reviewed by our founding team before anyone joins. CavSwap is an approval-only community, and we say no when something doesn't feel right. That review is how we keep the circle small and trusted, but it is a screening process, not a guarantee: we can't promise anything about any member's conduct, and you should always make your own judgment about who cares for your dog. Meeting first helps, which is why it's required (below).

You make the decisions

CavSwap introduces Cavalier families to each other. We are not a party to any swap, we don't supervise stays, and we don't guarantee that a match, a host, or a sitter will be available or suitable. Each swap is an arrangement directly between the two households, and each household decides for itself, every time, whether to go ahead.

• Every first stay starts with an in-person meet-and-greet. It's never optional (see our community guidelines). If the meet-and-greet doesn't feel right, don't proceed. No explanation needed.
• Hosting is personal, non-commercial dog care in your own home. Running a boarding business through CavSwap isn't allowed.
• You're responsible for following your own city and county rules, including any local limits on the number of dogs in a home.

Dogs and California law

Under California law (Civil Code §3342), a dog's owner is generally liable if their dog bites someone, and that responsibility stays with you while your dog is in another member's home. By requesting a stay you acknowledge this, and by hosting you acknowledge that caring for someone else's dog carries the ordinary risks of dog care. Dogs are dogs: even sweet ones can scratch, chew, get sick, or have a bad day. Both sides accept those ordinary risks when they agree to a swap.

Between members: risk, damage, and disagreements

• Members release each other from claims arising out of the ordinary risks of a stay they both agreed to. This release never covers gross negligence, willful misconduct, or anything the law says can't be waived.
• If your dog damages a host's home or belongings, that's between the two households to make right. Talk it through like the neighbors you are. We can help facilitate, but we don't adjudicate money (there isn't any) or property disputes.
• Cancel as early as you can if plans change. Late cancellations and no-shows are visible to our team and repeated ones affect your standing in the community.

Emergencies and vet care

Owners share emergency contacts and their vet's details before a stay (the Cav Card exists for exactly this). If something urgent happens and the owner can't be reached in time, the host may authorize reasonable emergency veterinary care, and the owner is responsible for those costs. Hosts: always try the owner first, then their listed vet, and keep receipts.

Your content and your credits

• Photos and text you upload stay yours. You give us permission to store, process (for example, removing location metadata from photos), and display them only as needed to run CavSwap: application review, profiles, stay updates. We never sell them or use them for advertising.
• Swap credits are not money or property. They can't be bought, sold, cashed out, or transferred outside a swap, they have no cash value, and they settle to zero if you leave the community.

Reports, moderation, and leaving

• If something goes wrong, use the report button. It goes straight to our team, never to the other member. In a true emergency, vet or 911 first, report second.
• We may pause, restrict, or remove a membership at our discretion to protect the community, including for anything on this page, our guidelines, or conduct that puts a dog or a member at risk. We'd rather have a smaller, safer circle than a bigger one.
• You can leave any time; your data rights are covered in our privacy page.

The legal frame

• CavSwap provides the service "as is." To the fullest extent California law allows, our liability to you is limited. CavSwap is a free community service, and you agree we aren't liable for what happens between members or during stays, except where the law says otherwise (nothing here limits liability for gross negligence, willful misconduct, or rights that can't be waived).
• These terms are governed by California law.
• If we change these terms in a way that matters, we'll tell members before it takes effect. No silent edits.