Pet Kolo - Frequently Asked Questions

Pet Kolo is a simple, community-based approach to pet care. Members help one another with pet sitting when they can. Sitters are not paid. Instead, it is based on goodwill.

Create an account, verify your email, and complete your profile. Then complete identity verification and the background check flow in-app. After that, you can add pets, post an ad, browse Help Wanted, or use the User Directory.

Owners create ads. Sitters browse Help Wanted or receive presented ads, then offer to accept. Owners review offers, chat if needed, and confirm a sitter in the app.

Yes. You can participate as an owner, a sitter, or both. Pet Kolo works best when enough members are willing to provide care for others, because a healthy community depends on having reliable sitters available.

No. Sitters are independent users, not employees or contractors of Pet Kolo.

We are rolling out gradually. Check the Home screen to see where we currently operate.

Not yet. We may launch mobile apps in the future.

Yes. Pet Colo (PetColo) is a common misspelling of Pet Kolo (PetKolo), and PetColo.com redirects here.

Anyone 18 or older can create an account. Users must complete identity verification and a background check to ensure safety and trust on the platform. This requires a valid SSN and a valid government-issued ID (passport, driver’s license, or ID card). We do not store this information.

Creating an account is free. New users pay for a background check so all users can be safer.

No. You may participate only as a sitter if you wish, or switch roles whenever needed.

No. Sitters are not paid. People sit on Pet Kolo because they love animals and want to be part of a no-strings-attached community where neighbors help one another with pet care.

In the app, tap Create Ad, select pets and a care type, add your sessions with start and end times, and publish. Sitters will see it in Help Wanted.

Post an ad with your dates and care type. Nearby sitters can offer to accept, and you can also use Search Sitters from Manage Ad or message someone directly about your ad.

Yes, but keep the actual booking, confirmation, cancellations, and attendance in the app so the record stays accurate.

Yes, before a sitter has accepted the ad. Once an ad has been accepted, you cannot edit it.

Remove the sitter, edit the ad, then offer it to them again and accept them again. This helps ensure sitters know exactly what they are signing up for.

Discuss it with the other party first, then skip sessions on the ad from the calendar.

If no sitter accepts, the ad expires shortly after the first session start time. It stays in your records for reference and may be cleaned up later under platform retention rules.

Open Other -> Care History to view completed ads and past care records.

A booking fee is charged when a user accepts a sitter for their ad. It helps cover Pet Kolo's platform costs, including development, servers, maintenance, and other operating expenses.

If a booking fee is required, the app will prompt you during checkout before you can confirm the booking.

Referral codes can waive an eligible booking fee, and other promo codes may unlock different platform benefits. Open Promo Codes from Care Hub or Other.

Open Other -> Transactions Summary to review purchases and related account activity.

The sitter follows your ad details and care instructions, checks in at the start, and checks out at the end.

Sitters must check in at the scheduled start and check out at the scheduled end using the in-app buttons. A brief grace window is built in.

Missing either check-in or check-out can affect the booking record and your account tier.

Yes. Owners and sitters can message each other through Pet Kolo to coordinate care details, share updates, and confirm plans.

Yes. Picture messaging is supported so you can share pet updates, instructions, or status photos in the conversation.

Providing high-quality real-time audio and video adds significant server, bandwidth, and support costs. To keep the service lower-cost, the app currently offers text messaging only.

Possibly. We monitor demand and may add integrated voice or video in the future.

Many popular services offer free voice or video calls, including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Signal, Telegram, Google Meet, Zoom (basic tier), Viber, and FaceTime. You are welcome to use any external tool at your own risk, but keep the booking itself finalized in the app.

No. We do not monitor or support conversations that take place outside our platform.

All users must complete identity verification and a background check through the app, and users should still review profiles and chat in-app before booking.

Background checks increase safety and trust by screening for criminal and sex-offender records before someone can participate on the platform.

It is a multi-step process completed in the app: fee payment, identity verification, then the background check. Your SSN is sent directly to our provider, and we do not store it.

No. Background-check fees are paid to the external vendor and are non-refundable.

Users can review profiles, care history signals, ratings, and in-app chat before confirming a booking.

Not at this time. Services are provided at the users own risk. We may explore insurance options in the future.

Because sitters are independent users, Pet Kolo assumes no liability for injury, loss, or damage. Review profiles carefully and discuss expectations in advance.

Communicate with the other user first when it is safe and appropriate. If there is an emergency, contact 911. If there is a safety hazard or serious issue, report it through Pet Kolo so there is a record and action can be taken if needed.

No. Pet Kolo does not arbitrate disagreements between users. Members are expected to resolve ordinary disagreements member to member.

File through Pet Kolo when there is a safety issue or another serious problem that could affect the integrity of the platform or the community.

Pet Kolo may review the report, keep a record of what happened, and ban users when a safety hazard is present.

Use the in-app attendance review flow when prompted so the attendance record is documented. A booking-fee waiver may be granted at our discretion.

From My Ads or Care History, open the ad, click File a Report, and follow the prompts.

Cats and dogs are most common, but you can also post for fish tanks, birds, reptiles, rodents, and other pet types. Pet Kolo can also be used for plant care or house-sitting, even when there are no pets. Sitters choose which pets and care types they accept.

No. Pet Kolo does not independently verify pet medical or health records. If you are concerned, request proof directly from the other user before confirming a booking.

An emergency plan lets pet owners share their preferences for veterinary treatment, a preferred clinic, and primary and backup emergency contacts. These settings are meant to help owners communicate their wishes in an emergency, but they are not legal documents. You can set and update them on the Add Pet and Edit Pet screens.

Only the pet owner and the sitter confirmed on an ad that includes that pet. These details are never public.

No authorization: sitter must not authorize or seek veterinary treatment. Authorize up to a limit: sitter may approve necessary care up to the stated dollar amount if the owner or contacts cannot be reached. Authorize all: sitter may approve necessary care without a dollar cap if the owner or contacts cannot be reached.

If the owner-selected clinic cannot be reached or is not available, the sitter should use the closest appropriate clinic and communicate with the owner or listed contacts as soon as possible.

The sitter should try to contact the owner through established channels, such as in-app chat or phone. Always communicate with the other party as much as possible. If no one can be reached, the sitter proceeds according to the owner financial authorization setting.

If an owner does not retrieve their pet within a reasonable time, the sitter should first make reasonable efforts to contact the owner and any emergency contact. If the pet is still not retrieved, the sitter may decide the next reasonable steps to keep the pet safe, including arranging temporary care or contacting an appropriate local authority or care provider, as permitted by law.

No. Pet Kolo does not provide medical advice, legal advice, or veterinary care, and is not responsible for emergency decisions made by users or clinics. Emergency plans are communication tools only.

No. We share relevant personal data only with background-check vendors, payment processors, hosting and analytics partners, and law enforcement when legally required.

Your account data is removed, but we may retain limited identifiers such as name, phone, and email to meet legal or safety obligations.

Tap Forgot Password on the login screen and follow the prompts.

Use Contact Us.

Use Contact Us in the app.

Open Other -> Transactions Summary.

Open Other -> Care History to review completed care and past ad records.