Answers to common questions, and how to reach us.
Tap the Report card on the dashboard. Choose the species, severity, and date/time, and optionally add notes. Pan the map to position the pin at the exact sighting location — it starts near your current position. Tap the location button in the map corner to re-center on where you are.
"Sighted" means you observed the animal at a safe distance. "Approached" means the animal came close to you or acted aggressively.
Alert zones are named areas you want to watch — like home, school, work, or a favourite trail. You'll receive a notification whenever a sighting is reported within a zone's radius. Add one from Settings → Alert Zones → Add Zone, then name it and set its location and radius.
Go to Settings → Alert Time Windows → Add Time Window to choose a start time, end time, and the days of the week it applies to. Notifications are only delivered during your configured time windows — sightings outside those hours are still recorded, you just won't be interrupted.
Check three things: notifications are allowed for Critterhood in your phone's settings, you have at least one alert zone set up, and the sighting falls within one of your alert time windows. If Limit Alert Frequency is on, repeat alerts for the same animal in the same zone are also held back for a short time.
No. Critterhood has no accounts or sign-in — every submission is anonymous. See the Privacy Policy for details on what's stored.
No. Critterhood never passes sightings on to any agency or authority, such as animal control or conservation officers. They're shown to other Critterhood users, so people can stay aware and give the animal space. If an animal is a threat to anyone's safety, contact 911 or your local wildlife authority directly.
Open My Sightings on the dashboard and tap a report to edit it. To delete one, swipe left on it (iPhone) or use the delete button on its row (Android). Deleting removes it from both your device and our servers.
The Info tab has guides for common species — what to do if you encounter one, warning signs, and what attracts them — along with links to official resources like WildSafeBC, Parks Canada, and the US National Park Service.
Yes. Go to Settings → Show Welcome Screen to replay the step-by-step guidance for setting up alert zones and alert time windows.