Terms of use

Version 2026-10-26.1 · Last updated 26 October 2026

A permanent copy of this version stays at /terms/2026-10-26.1. You can save or print this page at any time.

1. About Goose and these terms

1.1 Goose (ourgoose.com and the Goose iPhone app) is a place to follow rescue dogs and the rescues caring for them. Verified rescues publish posts about their dogs. Members follow, like, save, share and comment. Members can also become a dog's paying Best Friend.

1.2 Who we are. Goose is run by [Company name], a company registered in [England and Wales] (company number [Company number]), registered office [Registered office address]. Contact: hello@ourgoose.com.

1.3 What these terms cover. These terms apply to anyone who visits or uses Goose. By creating an account you agree to them. Our community guidelines are part of these terms. If you become a Best Friend, our membership terms also apply. Our privacy notice explains how we use personal data.

1.4 Goose is free to use. Following, liking, saving, sharing and commenting are free. Only a Best Friend membership costs money, and we always show the price before you pay.

2. Your account

2.1 You must be 18 or over to create an account. We ask you to confirm this when you sign up. If we learn that an account belongs to someone under 18, we close it.

2.2 One person, one account. Use your real first name. Keep your password and sign-in methods to yourself, and tell us straight away if you think someone else has used your account.

2.3 What is public. Your comments are public. They show your first name, the initial of your last name and your profile photo if you add one. Your follows, likes and saves are private: others see only totals.

2.4 No private messages, no member posts. Goose has no direct messages. Members can't publish posts or upload photos other than a profile photo. Only verified rescues publish posts.

2.5 Deleting your account. You can delete your account at any time in Settings. What happens to your data is explained in our privacy notice. If you are a Best Friend, deleting your account ends your payments at once (see the membership terms).

3. Using Goose

3.1 Personal use. You may use Goose for your own personal, non-commercial use, or for your rescue's work if you are rescue staff.

3.2 You must not:

• break the law, or help anyone else to;
• break our community guidelines;
• pretend to be someone else, including a rescue or Goose staff;
• try to find out where a foster carer or adopter lives, or share it;
• collect other people's data from Goose, or use bots or scrapers on it, except search engines indexing public pages;
• copy rescues' posts, photos or videos for other uses without the rescue's permission;
• try to get into parts of Goose you aren't allowed into, test its security without our written permission (see our security page), or disrupt it;
• use Goose to send spam or advertising.

4. Your comments

4.1 You are responsible for what you write. Your comments must follow our community guidelines and must not break the law.

4.2 You keep ownership of your comments. You give us permission (a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence) to store, show and share your comments, name and profile photo on Goose and in our e-mails and notifications, for as long as they are on Goose. This permission ends when you delete a comment or your account, except for the copies we keep for moderation and legal records (see our privacy notice).

4.3 Your profile photo must be of you, your pet, or something that is not a person. Before upload, Goose removes location and camera details from it.

5. Rescues and their content

5.1 Who can publish. Only rescues that Goose has checked and approved can publish posts. Their staff publish on the rescue's behalf, with the permissions the rescue gives them.

5.2 What rescues promise. If you publish for a rescue, the rescue promises, and you confirm, that:

• the rescue owns, or has permission to use, everything it publishes (words, photos, videos);
• every person who can be recognised in a photo or video has agreed to appear, or the rescue has another lawful reason to show them;
• facts about a dog (its health, behaviour, training, history and activities) are true and come from the rescue's authorised staff. Nothing is made up;
• posts never show or reveal a private foster or adopter location;
• the rescue follows the law on animal welfare, data protection and fundraising.

5.3 Licence from rescues. The rescue keeps ownership of its content. It gives Goose permission (a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence) to store, show, resize and format it, and share it on Goose, in our e-mails, notifications, recaps, scrapbooks and share cards, and in links shared to other apps. Because memories on Goose are kept, this permission continues after a rescue leaves Goose, so the people who followed or supported a dog can still see its story. A rescue can remove a post for privacy or safety reasons at any time, and it is removed at once.

5.4 Rescues' tools. Rescues can hide comments on their own posts and turn comments off on a post. They see reports about their own posts and comments, except reports of illegal content, child safety and animal-welfare concerns, which only Goose sees. Rescues never see who their followers or Best Friends are.

5.5 Goose's role. Rescues are independent organisations. They decide how to care for their dogs and what to publish. Goose checks rescues before they publish, moderates content and acts on reports, but does not check every post before it appears.

6. Our content

The Goose name, logo, design and software belong to us. You may share links to Goose and use our share buttons and cards. Please don't copy our design or software.

7. Community guidelines

Our community guidelines explain what is and isn't allowed in comments. They are part of these terms.

8. How we keep Goose safe

8.1 Illegal content is not allowed. This includes threats, harassment, hate, animal cruelty, fraud and scams, content encouraging suicide or self-harm, and intimate images shared without consent. We treat three kinds as the most serious:

• Child sexual abuse and exploitation. Any such content is removed at once, the account is closed, and we report it to the National Crime Agency (and the Internet Watch Foundation where it helps get images removed elsewhere).
• Terrorism. Content that encourages or supports terrorism, or a proscribed organisation, is removed at once, the account is closed, and we report it to the police where the law requires or someone may be at risk. Accounts run by or for proscribed organisations are removed.
• Other priority illegal content named in the Online Safety Act 2023 (for example threats to kill, harassment and stalking, hate offences, fraud, encouraging suicide, and animal cruelty offences): removed as soon as we are aware of it, and the account is usually suspended.

8.2 How we protect people from illegal content.

• Only rescues we have checked and approved can publish posts. Members can only comment.
• There are no direct messages, so no one can contact you privately through Goose.
• Comments can't include links, and a list of slurs is blocked before a comment is posted. These are the only automatic checks we use; we don't use automated tools to scan or decide on content in any other way.
• Anyone can report a post or comment, with or without an account.
• A person reviews every report. Nothing is decided automatically.
• Reports of illegal content, child safety and animal-welfare concerns go to the Goose team only.
• We can remove illegal content, suspend accounts, and keep records so we can act on repeated problems.
• Anyone signed in can block another member's comments. Rescues can hide comments or turn them off on a post.

8.2A Intimate images. If someone reports an intimate image of a person shared without their consent, we remove it, and any identical or very similar copy on Goose, within 48 hours of the report. Complaints about how we handled such a report are dealt with first.

8.3 How to report. Signed in, use the flag on a post or "Report" under a comment and choose a reason, such as "Illegal content" or "Child safety". Without an account, use our reporting page or e-mail hello@ourgoose.com with a link. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 999.

8.4 What happens to a report. We aim to look at reports of illegal content within 24 hours, and other reports within 2 working days. We may remove the content, hide it, suspend the account that posted it, or close the report with no action. We tell the person who reported it what we decided. Where the law requires it, or someone may be at risk, we may pass information to the police or other authorities.

8.5 Suspending and closing accounts. We may suspend or close an account that breaks these terms, for example by posting illegal content, threatening or harassing people, or trying to find private locations. For serious or repeated problems, we suspend straight away. We tell you why. If you have a Best Friend membership, it ends and the unused days of the current month are refunded (membership terms, section 12.2).

8.6 Complaints and appeals. You can complain about content on Goose, about how we handled a report, about a decision to remove your comment or suspend your account, or about Goose not following these terms or the law. E-mail hello@ourgoose.com. A person at Goose reviews every complaint and appeal and can restore a comment or an account. We aim to reply within 14 days and tell you the outcome. Our reports, complaints and appeals page explains how.

8.7 Who is responsible. [Founder name], [Director], is the person accountable for online safety at Goose. You can reach them at hello@ourgoose.com.

8.8 If you're under 18. You can read Goose without an account, but you can't make an account until you're 18. Here is how Goose keeps you safe, in plain words:

• Only rescues we have checked can post. Nobody can send you a private message on Goose.
• Comments can't include links, and a person at Goose checks every report.
• If something on Goose upsets or worries you, you can tell us without an account: use our reporting page or e-mail hello@ourgoose.com. You don't have to give your name.
• If someone in a comment asks you to talk to them somewhere else, or makes you feel uncomfortable, don't reply. Tell an adult you trust, and report it to us. Choose "Child safety" if you have an account.
• If you want to talk to someone, Childline is free and private: call 0800 1111 or visit childline.org.uk. If anyone is in danger right now, call 999.

9. Availability and changes to Goose

9.1 We want Goose to be available all the time, but we can't promise it will always be available or free of errors. We may change, pause or stop features, for example to improve them, for security or because of the law. If a change affects a Best Friend membership, the membership terms apply.

9.2 Goose may link to other websites, such as a rescue's adoption page. We are not responsible for their content.

10. Our responsibility to you

10.1 If you use Goose as a consumer, you have legal rights, including that we provide our service with reasonable care and skill. Nothing in these terms affects those rights.

10.2 We are responsible for loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result of us breaking these terms or failing to use reasonable care and skill. We are not responsible for loss that is not foreseeable, or for business losses.

10.3 We do not exclude or limit our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for anything else the law does not let us exclude.

10.4 We are not responsible for what rescues publish or for their decisions about their dogs, or for comments members write, except where the law makes us responsible (for example, if we don't act properly on a report).

11. Changes to these terms

We may change these terms, for example to reflect changes in the law or in Goose. If a change matters, we will tell you by e-mail or on Goose at least 30 days before it applies, unless it must apply sooner for legal or security reasons. If you don't agree, you can delete your account before the change applies. Earlier versions stay available on our website.

12. Other important terms

12.1 We may transfer these terms to another organisation, for example if Goose is sold. Your rights will not be reduced.

12.2 If part of these terms is not valid, the rest still applies. If we don't enforce a term straight away, we can still enforce it later.

12.3 These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. You can bring legal proceedings in the courts of England and Wales. If you live in Scotland, you can also bring them in Scotland, and if you live in Northern Ireland, you can also bring them in Northern Ireland. If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you keep any protection the law of your home nation gives you.

13. Contact

hello@ourgoose.com · [Company name], [Registered office address]

Community guidelines

Part of these terms (section 7), as published with version 2026-10-26.1.

Goose is a place to cheer on rescue dogs and the people who care for them. Comments are how you join in. These guidelines keep it kind and safe. They apply to everything you write on Goose, including your name and profile photo.

Be kind

• Say something encouraging, ask a question, or share a happy memory.
• Disagree politely. Criticise ideas, not people.
• Rescue staff and volunteers work hard. Treat them with respect, even if you would do things differently.

Keep it about the dogs

• Stay on topic for the post.
• No adverts, selling, fundraising for other causes, or chain messages.
• Comments can't include links. This keeps out spam and scams.

Respect privacy

• Don't share anyone's address, phone number, e-mail, workplace or other private details.
• Don't try to work out where a foster carer or adopter lives, or ask for it.
• Don't ask anyone for their age, phone number or social media, or ask them to talk somewhere else. Goose has no private messages, on purpose.
• Don't post photos or details of other people without their permission. (Only rescues post photos on Goose. Your profile photo should be you, your pet, or something that isn't a person.)

Don't make claims that aren't yours to make

• The rescue is the only source of facts about a dog's health, behaviour and care.
• Don't post rumours or claims about a dog's welfare, medical condition or history.
• If you are worried about a dog's welfare, report it (see below). Don't accuse anyone in a comment.

Never post anything illegal or harmful

This includes:

• threats, harassment, bullying or stalking;
• hate against anyone because of race, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other part of who they are;
• content that encourages animal cruelty, or shows it for entertainment;
• sexual content of any kind, and anything that sexualises a child;
• intimate images of anyone shared without their consent (we remove reported images within 48 hours);
• support for terrorism or for a banned (proscribed) organisation;
• scams, fraud, or pretending to be someone else (including a rescue or Goose staff);
• encouraging self-harm or suicide;
• content that breaks someone else's copyright or other rights.

A few slurs are blocked automatically. That doesn't mean everything else is allowed.

If you see something wrong

• Report it. Use the flag on a post or "Report" under a comment and choose a reason. Choose "Illegal content" for threats, hate, animal cruelty or anything else that breaks the law.
• Worried about a child? Choose "Child safety", for example if someone seems to be under 18 or an adult is trying to get in touch with a child. Young people can talk to Childline for free on 0800 1111.
• No account? Use our reporting page or e-mail hello@ourgoose.com with the link.
• Block someone whose comments you don't want to see. They are not told.
• If anyone is in immediate danger, call 999. If you think an animal is being treated cruelly, you can also contact the RSPCA (England and Wales), the Scottish SPCA (Scotland) or your local council (Northern Ireland).

What we do

• A person reviews every report. We aim to look at reports of illegal content within 24 hours, and other reports within 2 working days.
• A rescue can hide comments on its own posts, or turn comments off on a post.
• Goose can remove a comment or a post, and can suspend an account. We usually suspend straight away for illegal content, threats or scams. For smaller problems we may remove the comment first.
• We tell you when we remove your comment or suspend your account, and why.
• Where the law requires it, or someone may be at risk, we may pass information to the police or other authorities.

If you think we got it wrong

E-mail hello@ourgoose.com. A person at Goose will look at the decision again. Our reports, complaints and appeals page explains how.