You tried to save a change to a pet a family member shared with you and got a message instead. Don't worry — nothing is broken. The pet's owner just hasn't given you editing permission yet.
What the message says
A pop-up titled Edit access restricted appears:
You don't have permission to update this pet's information. Please contact the pet owner for access.
Tap Okay to close it. Your changes aren't saved.
Why this happens
When someone shares a pet with their family, they choose what each member is allowed to do. Viewing a pet and editing a pet are separate permissions — you can have one without the other.
Without editing permission you can still see the pet, but these are blocked:
- Changing the pet's details on the Edit Pet screen
- Changing the pet's vital information
- Adding, changing or deleting the pet's photo
What only the owner can do
Deleting a pet is owner-only, no matter what permissions you've been given. On a shared pet, Delete profile doesn't even appear in the ⋮ menu.
How to fix it
- Ask the pet's owner to switch on Edit Pet Information ("Allow editing pet profile details") for you. They'll find it on your Permissions screen in their family settings.
- Once they've done that, pull down on your pets list to refresh.
- Try your change again.
Family sharing setup is covered in the Family Sharing section of this help center.
How to tell which pets are shared with you
| Where | What you'll see |
|---|---|
| On the pet's profile | A "Shared by first name" badge next to their name. This is the reliable signal. |
| On the pets list | A family badge on the card — note this badge means "shared inside a family", so it also appears on your own pets once you share them. |
Please note: pets shared with you never affect your own subscription or bill — only pets you own do.
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