# Editorial standards

URL: https://pawtrace.ca/editorial-standards/
Updated: 2026-10-20

PawTrace Team

## How we write and check our guides

Every guide on PawTrace is written to help Canadian dog owners and buyers make a decision. Here is how we research, check, label and correct what we publish.

### Who writes our guides

Guides are written and maintained by the PawTrace Team at Lifestyle Basics Enterprise, operating as PawTrace, in Ottawa, Ontario. We are not veterinarians or lawyers. Our job is to find what the official sources say, explain it in plain language, and show you where it came from.

### How we research

- We start from primary sources: provincial laws on e-Laws and other official law sites, city by-laws and city fee pages, government animal-welfare pages, and veterinary and animal-welfare organisations.
- Every fact that could change a decision (a fee, a limit, a rule, a health threshold) links to the source it came from, in a Sources list at the end of the guide.
- If we cannot confirm something in an official or expert source, we leave it out or say plainly that it is a general guide.
- We use software tools, including AI writing assistants, to help research and draft. A person on the PawTrace Team checks every guide against its cited sources before it is published.

### Health and legal topics

Guides about health, behaviour or the law are general information, not veterinary or legal advice. They tell you what the sources say and when to talk to a vet, a certified trainer or a lawyer. You can find a clinic on [Find a vet](/find-a-vet/).

### Laws that are passed but not yet in force

Some laws are passed but start later, on a date the government sets. We say clearly which parts are in force today and which are not. For example, our [Ontario PUPS Act guide](/ontarios-pups-act-explained-for-buyers-and-breeders/) separates the puppy mill offence that applies now from the rules that are still waiting for a start date.

### Dates and updates

- Each guide shows the date it was last reviewed.
- City fees and by-laws are re-checked at least once a year, every January, because many cities set new fees then.
- When a source changes, we update the guide and the review date.

### Independence

- Guides are not paid for. No business can buy a mention, a ranking or a label in a guide.
- Paid placement in our directories is always marked “Sponsored” and never changes a verification label. See the [verification disclaimer](/legal/verification-disclaimer/).
- Ads on some guide pages are served by Google. They are separate from our content and are never used to verify, rank or label anyone.
- PawTrace has no commercial agreement with any pet insurer we list.

### Corrections

If you spot an error, tell us through [our Contact page](/contact/?reason=correction) and choose “Correction”. We review correction requests promptly and update the guide and its review date when a fix is needed.
PawTrace reports verified data points it has checked. It does not guarantee a breeder, a dog, or an outcome.