Spot inspection checklist

Regularly inspecting your spot then remedying or noting hazards can be a great way to create a safe spot. 

We recommend walking the fenceline (if your spot is fenced) and walking a grid pattern in the spot itself to check for any hazards. Do this regularly using the below checklist to find any new potential hazards that may have developed since the last inspection.

As a helpful way to get you started, here is a non-exhaustive checklist of items that can be inspected by a host:

• Fencing: If the spot is fully fenced, are there any holes or gaps where a dog could escape?
• Holes: are there any holes in the ground where someone could trip or fall?
• Trash and debris: is there any trash or debris that could hurt a dog or person? This could include wood piles, things that could be eaten, etc.
• Sharp edges or objects: are there any objects with edges that could scratch or cut a dog or person?
• Dilapidated buildings or other potentially dangerous structures: are these adequately cordoned off?
• Excrement: is there any dog poop or excrement?
• Poisonous plants: are there any plants that could be poisonous to dogs?
• Water hazards: if there is any water, is the water clean and free of algae or other potentially harmful substances? Is the water a drowning risk for dogs or people?
• Dogs audible/visible: are there any dogs that are audible or visible from the spot? Make sure to update the appropriate field for this. If dogs are audible or visible from the spot, make sure that the fencing between them and the spot is dog-secure.
• Other domestic animals audible/visible: are there any other domestic animals that are audible or visible from the spot? Make sure to update the appropriate field for this. 
• People audible/visible: are there any people that are audible or visible from the spot? Make sure to update the appropriate field for this.

Once you have identified hazards in your spot, we recommend doing the following:

• If the hazard represents an unreasonable risk to guests, it needs to be remedied before allowing guests to visit. 
• Even if the hazard is not an unreasonable risk to guests, it would still be ideal to remedy it for your guests, if feasible. 
• If the hazard is not an unreasonable risk to guests and it is not feasible to remedy, then you can note it in your Potential Hazards field on your list and/or other fields as appropriate, so guests are aware of it.

We partnered with our trust & safety team, as well as our liability lawyers and insurance team, to create this recommendation.