Effective Date: October 15, 2026 Version: 1.0 Applies to: All Sellers who offer live animals through the Platform and all Buyers who purchase live animals through the Platform.
Article 1: Introduction and Scope
1.1 This Policy governs every offering of a live animal through the Platform, including a sale, an adoption listing, and a transport service arranged in connection with a sale or adoption. A live animal is not ordinary inventory, and this Policy states the approval, welfare, transport, and remedy rules that apply to such an offering in place of the ordinary rules for Products.
1.2 Products sold by the Company are "Sold by Pawz Shop." Products sold by a Seller are "Sold by {Seller name}." Live animals are offered through the Platform only by Sellers the Company has approved under Article 3.
1.3 If a provision of this Policy conflicts with the Terms of Use, this Policy controls for the subject it governs. If a provision of this Policy conflicts with the terms of a program in which the Seller participates, the program terms control for that program.
Article 2: Definitions
2.1 Account: the account a person or business establishes with the Company to use the Platform.
2.2 Buyer: a person who purchases Products or Services through the Platform.
2.3 Company: All About Pawz, LLC, a Tennessee limited liability company.
2.4 Order: a Buyer's purchase of Products or Services through the Platform, accepted in accordance with the Order Formation and Acceptance Policy.
2.5 Platform: the websites, applications, and services the Company operates under the name All About Pawz, including aapawz.com.
2.6 Products: goods offered for sale through the Platform.
2.7 Seller: a person or business the Company has accepted to offer Products or Services through the Platform.
2.8 Services: services offered through the Platform, including grooming, veterinary, pharmacy, and fulfillment services, as applicable.
2.9 User: any person who accesses or uses the Platform, whether or not the person holds an Account.
Article 3: Approval and Seller Eligibility
3.1 A Seller shall not publish a live-animal listing without the Company's prior written approval for that category of animal. Approval is an affirmative act of the Company after review; self-certification does not satisfy this Article. The Company shall suppress an unapproved live-animal listing on detection.
3.2 A Seller offering live animals shall complete enhanced verification proportionate to the animals offered, including identity, business legitimacy, animal-handling credentials, and facility information, and shall produce the verification records on the Company's request.
3.3 The Seller shall hold every license the law requires for the Seller's activity, including licensure under the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. §2131 et seq.) where the Seller's activity falls within that Act, state dealer or breeder licenses, and local permits. The Seller shall state each license number at approval and shall keep each license current. An expired license suspends the affected listings until the license is renewed.
3.4 A Seller with an animal-cruelty conviction, a license revocation, or an enforcement action by an animal-welfare authority is ineligible to offer live animals through the Platform.
Article 4: Listing Duties
4.1 A live-animal listing shall state: (a) the species and the breed or variety; (b) the age and the sex of the animal; (c) the health status and veterinary history, including vaccinations and known conditions; (d) the source of the animal, including whether the Seller bred the animal or obtained the animal from another person, identified by name; and (e) behavioral or care information material to the Buyer.
4.2 A health statement in a listing shall be accurate in the sense stated in the Product Information Disclaimer. A statement that an animal is "vet-checked" means the animal was examined by a named veterinarian on a stated date. Fabricated health documentation is fraud under the Fraud and Abuse Policy.
4.3 No listing shall offer an animal for a purpose the law prohibits, including fighting or bait. A listing that uses coded language to suggest a prohibited purpose is the underlying violation.
4.4 An adoption listing is subject to the same welfare and documentation duties as a sale listing. Adoption fees, screening practices, and return-to-Seller terms are the listing Seller's terms and shall be stated in the listing.
Article 5: Animal Welfare and Transport
5.1 The Seller shall transport each animal in accordance with the applicable carrier standards for live animals and the species-specific welfare requirements that apply to the journey, including an appropriate container, temperature control, ventilation, and food and water provision proportionate to the journey length. Transport shall be performed or supervised by a person competent with the species.
5.2 Transport in conditions that endanger the animal: including an unventilated container, exposure to extreme temperature, an excessive journey time without provision, or handling by a person not competent with the species: is prohibited and is governed by the Fraud and Abuse Policy.
5.3 Health documentation required by law shall accompany the animal, including a certificate of veterinary inspection for interstate transport where required, vaccination records, and any state-entry requirement for the destination. Documentation shall travel with the animal.
5.4 Before purchase, the Seller shall inform the Buyer of the transport method, the expected timeline, the welfare provisions for the journey, and the steps the Buyer is to take on receipt, including acclimation and an immediate veterinary check where appropriate.
5.5 The Seller shall keep transport and health records for each animal: carrier records, inspection certificates, and veterinary records provided with the animal: for the period the Selling Terms of Service requires, and shall produce the records on the Company's request.
Article 6: Arrival and Remedies
6.1 The Buyer shall inspect the animal on arrival and shall report a concern: injury, illness, or a material difference from the listing: promptly through support@aapawz.com. The Returns and Refunds Policy applies to a live-animal purchase with the adaptation this Article states: a live animal is not returned by mail.
6.2 Remedies for a live-animal Order are replacement where appropriate and lawful, refund, and veterinary-cost responsibility under Article 6.3, as the facts support.
6.3 Where an animal arrives ill or injured because of a condition for which the Seller is responsible, the Seller bears the veterinary costs of stabilizing the animal. A dispute over causation is governed by the Dispute Resolution Policy and is decided on veterinary evidence.
6.4 The Company recommends an independent veterinary examination within seventy-two (72) hours of arrival, and the listing shall state that recommendation.
Article 7: Prohibited Practices
7.1 The following are prohibited: (a) sale of an animal too young for lawful transport or sale under applicable law; (b) sale of a protected or regulated species without the permits the law requires, including permits under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and state wildlife permits; (c) misrepresentation of breed, age, or health status; and (d) any listing that facilitates animal fighting, bait use, or another unlawful purpose.
Article 8: Liability
8.1 Animal welfare risk. The Seller bears the risk of the animal's health and welfare until the Buyer accepts delivery. Nothing in this Article limits liability for personal injury or injury to an animal caused by negligence, where applicable law does not permit the limitation.
8.2 Exclusion of certain damages. To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither party is liable to the other for indirect, incidental, special, punitive, or consequential damages, or for lost profits, lost revenue, or loss of goodwill, arising out of or relating to this Policy, even if the party has been advised of the possibility of those damages.
8.3 Cap. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company's total liability arising out of or relating to this Policy shall not exceed the greater of (a) the amounts the Buyer paid for the Order giving rise to the claim, or (b) one hundred dollars ($100).
8.4 Carve-outs. This Article does not limit (a) a party's indemnification obligations under this Policy; (b) liability for fraud or willful misconduct; (c) amounts owed for Orders, fees, chargebacks, or refunds under the Company's documents; or (d) liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
8.5 Essential purpose. The parties agree that this Article allocates risk between them, that it is an essential part of the basis of their bargain, and that it applies even if a limited remedy fails of its essential purpose.
Article 9: Indemnification
9.1 Duty. The Seller shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Company and its members, managers, employees, and agents from and against every claim, demand, action, loss, liability, judgment, settlement, cost, and expense (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to: (a) the Seller's breach of this Policy; (b) the Seller's animals, listings, or content, including product liability claims and product recall costs; (c) the Seller's violation of any law or of the rights of any person; and (d) taxes for which the Seller is responsible under the Company's documents.
9.2 Procedure. The Company shall give prompt written notice of a claim under this Article. The Seller shall control the defense with counsel reasonably acceptable to the Company. The Company may participate in the defense at its own expense. The Seller shall not settle a claim in a manner that imposes any obligation or restriction on the Company, or that does not release the Company fully, without the Company's prior written consent.
9.3 Survival. This Article survives the termination of this Policy.
Article 10: Enforcement and Appeals
10.1 Investigation. The Company may investigate any suspected violation of this Policy. The party under investigation shall cooperate with an investigation and shall produce the records this Policy requires the party to keep.
10.2 Notice. If the Company determines that a party has violated this Policy, the Company shall give written notice stating the provision violated and the facts relied on, except where notice would compromise an investigation of fraud, a safety risk, or a legal obligation. The Company may suspend live-animal listings immediately where a license has lapsed or a safety risk to an animal arises.
10.3 Opportunity to cure. Where a violation is capable of cure, the party has ten (10) business days from notice to cure it and to confirm the cure in writing. No cure period applies to fraud, counterfeiting, a risk to the safety of a person or an animal, unlawful conduct, or a violation that by its nature cannot be cured.
10.4 Measures. If a violation is established and is not cured within the period allowed, the Company may, proportionate to the violation: (a) issue a written warning; (b) remove or suppress a listing or content; (c) cancel an Order; (d) suspend the Account or the live-animal approval, in whole or in part; (e) terminate this Policy and the Account; and (f) exercise any other right or remedy available under the Company's documents or at law.
10.5 Appeal. A party may appeal a measure under this Article by written notice to legal@aapawz.com within thirty (30) days of the measure, stating the grounds and attaching the records relied on. The appeal is decided by a person who did not make the original decision. The Company's decision on appeal is final. A measure remains in effect during an appeal unless the Company directs otherwise in writing.
10.6 No waiver by delay. The Company's delay in acting on a violation is not a waiver of the violation or of any later violation of the same kind.
Article 11: Term and Termination
11.1 Term. This Policy takes effect when a Seller is approved under Article 3 or a Buyer purchases a live animal, and continues until terminated under this Article.
11.2 Termination by the Company. The Company may terminate this Policy as it applies to a party, and the party's Account, on thirty (30) days' written notice for any reason, and immediately on written notice if the party materially breaches this Policy, engages in fraud, or becomes ineligible to participate.
11.3 Termination by the party. A party may terminate this Policy as it applies to that party on thirty (30) days' written notice to support@aapawz.com, provided the party has no Order or investigation outstanding.
11.4 Effect of termination. On termination: (a) the rights granted under this Policy end; (b) obligations that arose before termination: including payment, refund, chargeback, record-keeping, and indemnification obligations: survive until satisfied; and (c) the Company shall disburse amounts owed, less amounts the Company may set off under the Company's documents, within thirty (30) days, except amounts held in connection with an open investigation or dispute.
11.5 Survival. The Definitions, Liability, Indemnification, Enforcement and Appeals (for measures taken before termination), Dispute Resolution, and General Provisions Articles survive termination.
Article 12: Dispute Resolution
12.1 Any dispute arising out of or relating to this Policy, or to the relationship it governs, is governed by the Dispute Resolution Policy, which is incorporated into this Policy by reference.
Article 13: General Provisions
13.1 Amendments. The Company may amend this Policy by posting the amended Policy in the Document Center and giving notice to the affected party at the email address in the Account. An amendment that materially increases a party's obligations takes effect thirty (30) days after notice; other amendments take effect on posting. Continued use of the Platform after the effective date of an amendment is acceptance of it. A party that does not accept an amendment may terminate under Article 11 before the amendment takes effect.
13.2 Notices. Legal notices under this Policy shall be sent to legal@aapawz.com. Operational notices and all other communications shall be sent to support@aapawz.com. A notice to the Company is effective when the Company acknowledges receipt or, for email, one business day after sending, whichever is earlier. Notices to a party are effective when sent to the email address in the Account or posted to the Account's notice facility in the portal, whichever occurs first. Each party shall keep the email address in the Account current.
13.3 Governing law. This Policy is governed by the laws of the State of Tennessee, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Subject to the Dispute Resolution Policy, any proceeding arising out of this Policy shall be brought in the state or federal courts located in Shelby County, Tennessee, and the parties consent to personal jurisdiction there.
13.4 Severability. If any provision of this Policy is held unenforceable, the provision shall be enforced to the fullest extent permitted, and the remaining provisions continue in full effect.
13.5 Entire agreement. This Policy, together with the documents it incorporates by reference, is the entire agreement between the Company and each party for the subject it governs and supersedes every prior or contemporaneous statement, communication, or agreement on that subject, whether written or oral.
13.6 Assignment. A party other than the Company shall not assign this Policy or any right or obligation under it without the Company's prior written consent, and an assignment without consent is void. The Company may assign this Policy to an affiliate or in connection with a sale of all or part of its business, on notice to the affected party.
13.7 Waiver. A waiver of any provision of this Policy is effective only in writing and only for the instance stated. No waiver is a waiver of any other provision or instance.
13.8 Interpretation. Headings are for convenience only. "Including" means "including without limitation." This Policy shall not be construed against a party as its drafter. The English-language text controls over any translation.
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