Community guidelines

1. Why we have rules

Berry only works if people can trust what they see: that an alert is real, that a danger alert is true and that the people they talk to want to help. These rules are part of the Terms and conditions and apply to all alerts, sightings, messages, reviews, parks and photos.

2. Truthful alerts

• Post only about real animals and real situations that you know first-hand.
• Choose the right type: lost for your own pet, found for an animal you found or saw without an owner, danger for a concrete risk in the area.
• Put the pin where it happened. For your own safety, use a nearby landmark rather than your front door.
• Do not post false, test or duplicate alerts, or alerts used as advertising, and do not use Berry to lure people to a place.
• Close the alert once the pet has been found, so neighbours stop searching for nothing.

3. No accusations against people

Berry is about animals, not about blame. Do not name, photograph or identify people (names, faces, addresses, number plates, social media profiles) as responsible for a loss, theft, poisoning or attack. Even when you are sure, a public accusation can be wrong, can be defamatory and can put people in danger.

If you suspect a crime (theft, poisoning, cruelty to animals), report it to the Police on 112. In Berry you can describe the danger ("poisoned bait on the park path") without saying who you think put it there.

4. No selling animals

On Berry, animals are not sold, bought, swapped or rehomed for a fee, there are no breeding ads and breeders are not promoted. A found animal goes back to its owner or, through the proper legal channels, to a shelter or an association; it is not "given" to whoever wants it.

You can mention a reward for finding your pet, but never ask for one to return an animal you found.

5. Respect in the chat

• Be polite. Do not harass, insult or threaten anyone, and do not send sexual or violent content.
• Do not ask for money, card details, codes received by text message or identity documents.
• Do not send advertising or suspicious links.
• If someone bothers you, report the conversation in the app.

6. Photos

• Upload photos of the animal or of the danger that you took yourself or have the right to use.
• Avoid people's faces, number plates and interiors where personal details can be seen.
• Do not upload gratuitously violent images, explicit images of dead or injured animals (describe the situation in text instead), or any illegal content.

7. Danger alerts

Danger alerts (poisoned bait, aggressive or stray dogs, broken glass and sharp objects, traps, other) reach every neighbour within 1 km and expire after 7 days. Post them only for a danger you have seen, without accusing anyone. Tap "Confirm" if you see the danger too and "It's gone" if it has disappeared; alerts with enough "It's gone" votes are hidden automatically.

8. Sightings ("I saw it")

Add a sighting only if you are fairly sure you saw the animal in the alert, with the real place and time. Your identity is not shown publicly, and the owner can message you from the sighting. Do not chase or try to catch a frightened animal unless the owner asks you to; let them know first.

9. Reviews and parks

• Reviews must describe your real experience with the partner or park. One review per user, which you can edit.
• Do not review your own business or a competitor, or review in exchange for benefits.
• Add only real parks, with correct information (fenced, water, shade and so on). New parks appear after approval.

10. Your safety

• Meet in public places, in daylight, and with someone else if possible.
• Never pay anything in advance to someone who says they found your pet. Ask for a recent photo or a detail you did not put in the alert.
• Do not put your phone number or address in the description; use the chat.
• If you feel in danger, call 112.

11. Injured animals and emergencies

Berry does not replace a vet or the emergency services. For an injured animal, contact a veterinary practice or a veterinary ambulance straight away (you can also find them in the partners directory, but check their availability directly). Information in the health booklet and in the guides is for guidance only.

12. How to report a problem

• In the app (with an account): use the report button on the alert, sighting, review, park or conversation and choose the reason; for illegal content choose “Illegal content” and explain why.
• Without an account: use the public form “Report illegal content” (linked in the website footer and in these documents), with the exact link, the explanation, your name and email (except for notices about child sexual abuse) and a good-faith statement. You get an acknowledgement of receipt on screen right away.
• By email (including without an account): write to support@qr-iva.com. To notify us of illegal content under Article 16 of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 (the Digital Services Act), include: the exact link to the content, why you consider it illegal, your name and email address (except for notices about child sexual abuse) and a statement that the information is accurate and complete to the best of your knowledge.

We confirm receipt of notices (on screen at the form, or by email) and tell you our decision and how you can contest it. We assess notices carefully, objectively and without undue delay. We do not use automated systems to take moderation decisions, except for the automatic hiding of danger alerts after community votes.

13. What we do when the rules are broken

Depending on how serious and how repeated the breach is, we may: hide or delete the content, limit an alert's visibility, restrict some features, suspend the account temporarily or close it permanently. For serious breaches (for example selling animals, threats, scams, illegal content) we may close the account at the first offence.

The person affected receives, by email or in the app, an explanation of the decision (a "statement of reasons"): which content, the facts behind the decision, which rule or law was broken, what measure we took and for how long, whether automated means were used and how to contest it. You can contest the decision within 6 months by replying to our message or writing to support@qr-iva.com; a person on our team, other than the one who decided originally where possible, reviews the case and replies to you. After a warning, we may suspend accounts that frequently send manifestly unfounded reports. You can also go to the competent courts or, about how we apply the Digital Services Act, lodge a complaint with ANCOM, the Romanian Digital Services Coordinator (ancom.ro).

14. Illegal content and authorities

When we become aware of content indicating a crime that threatens people's life or safety, we inform the competent authorities. We answer lawful requests from authorities, and our point of contact for authorities and the European Commission is support@qr-iva.com, in Romanian or English.