Safety
How MuffinBiter keeps meetups safe
Most apps bolt safety on as a settings page. We built the product shape around it — because the structural choices are the ones that actually hold when nobody's paying attention.
🌳 Public parks, in groups
Every meetup is a group session at a public, named park. There is no mechanism in MuffinBiter for arranging a private one-to-one meeting with a stranger, and there won't be.
💬 No open DMs
Chat lives inside a beacon and is visible to everyone who joined it. Nobody can slide into your messages, because there are no messages to slide into.
🐕 Traits as filters, not bait
Size, energy and play style exist so mismatches don't happen by surprise. They are never presented as a rating, a score, or something to swipe on.
🚫 Blocking that actually works
One tap, both directions, instantly. Blocked people vanish from each other across beacons, rosters and chat — no residue, no "they can still see your profile" asterisk.
📍 Rounded location only
We store a neighborhood-level point to sort things by distance. Your precise location is never stored and never shown to another member.
🌿 Vibes set expectations early
Small-dog hour, puppy social and decompression walk are first-class beacon types. The "is your dog okay with big dogs?" conversation happens at post time.
What we don't do — stated plainly
A safety page that only lists reassurances isn't a safety page. Here is what MuffinBiter cannot do for you, so you can plan around it:
- We don't verify vaccinations. Nobody uploads a record and nobody checks one. Assume every dog you meet is self-reported.
- We don't verify identity. Accounts are email-based. An email address is not an identity check.
- We don't assess temperament. No app can. A dog's behavior varies by day, park, crowd and hour.
- We aren't present at the meetup. MuffinBiter is a coordination tool, not a supervisor. You are responsible for your dog and your own safety, always.
Meeting people, not just dogs
- Meet at the park, not at a home, and not at a car park at night.
- Tell someone where you're going — beacons have a named public park and a time, which makes that easy.
- Keep coordination in the beacon chat until you've actually met in person a few times.
- Trust the feeling. If something's off, leave and block. You don't need a reason.
Reporting
Every member and every beacon can be reported from the app. Reports come to us and are never shown to the person reported. We can suspend or remove accounts, and we look at patterns as well as individual incidents. If something urgent or dangerous happens, contact local authorities first — then tell us at hello@muffinbiter.com.
Emergencies
For a dog bite or injury, get veterinary care — puncture wounds close over and abscess, so they need attention even when they look minor. In Los Angeles County, animal bite incidents are reported to your local animal control or public health department. For an emergency involving a person, call 911.