Effective Date: October 15, 2026 Version: 1.0 Applies to: All Groomers who provide grooming Services through the Platform, and all staff who book, check in, perform, or complete an Appointment.
Article 1: Introduction and Scope
1.1 This document governs the conduct of an Appointment from booking to completion: acceptance of a booking, the conditions that shall be satisfied before check-in, before a Service begins, and before an Appointment is completed, the handling of cancellation, lateness, and non-arrival, and the reconciliation of the amounts recorded for an Appointment. The Customer's rights and charges on cancellation, lateness, and non-arrival are governed by the Booking, Cancellation and No-Show Policy; this document states the Groomer's and the location's duties in operating an Appointment.
1.2 The record duties for a completed Appointment are stated in the Grooming Records and Continuity of Care Policy. An Appointment is not complete under this document until that record exists, as Article 5 provides.
1.3 If a provision of this document conflicts with the Terms of Use, this document controls for the subject it governs. If a provision of this document conflicts with the terms of a program in which the Groomer participates, the program terms control for that program. Policies and help pages explain this document; they do not amend it, and in any conflict this document prevails.
Article 2: Definitions
2.1 The definitions in the Groomer Terms of Service are incorporated into this document by reference and apply to this document. This article defines only the additional terms used in this document, in alphabetical order.
2.2 Appointment: a booking for a grooming Service through the Platform, in one of the standings stated in Article 3.
2.3 Customer: a person who books or receives grooming Services through the Platform for an animal in the person's care.
2.4 Groomer: a person the Company has accepted to provide grooming Services through the Platform, whether engaged as an employee or as an independent contractor, as the engagement states.
2.5 Grooming Record: the record of a completed Appointment maintained under the Grooming Records and Continuity of Care Policy.
2.6 Service Line: a single Service within an Appointment, recorded with its own Groomer, standing, and total.
Article 3: The Standings of an Appointment
3.1 An Appointment stands in exactly one of the following standings at any time: (a) precheck, where the booking exists and is not yet confirmed; (b) scheduled, the standing of a booking that no other standing describes; (c) confirmed, where the Appointment is accepted and on the book; (d) checked in, where the animal has arrived at the location; (e) in service, where the Groomer has taken the animal and work has begun; (f) completed, where every Service Line is complete and the Grooming Record exists; (g) cancelled; (h) no-show, where the Customer did not arrive; and (i) rescheduled, where the Appointment has been moved and any deposit carries to the moved Appointment as the Deposit and Prepayment Policy provides.
3.2 Every change of standing is recorded in the Appointment's history, stating the standing before and after the change, the person who made the change, the time of the change, and the reason. A history entry shall not be edited or deleted. A verbal report does not change a standing; the recorded change, with the artifacts the applicable gate requires, changes it.
3.3 Compensation under the Groomer Compensation and Commission Terms, no-show charges under the Booking, Cancellation and No-Show Policy, and rebooking under the Rebooking and Retention Policy are each determined from the recorded standing of the Appointment. A Groomer shall not record a standing the facts do not support, because an incorrect standing falsifies each determination that depends on it.
Article 4: Gates Before Check-in and Before Service
4.1 An Appointment shall be moved to confirmed only where the booking is complete: the Customer is signed in, the animal is recorded with a valid weight, at least one Service package is selected, the slot has passed the availability check under the Scheduling and Availability Policy, and the full total or the required deposit has been paid. No step of the booking may be waived by the location.
4.2 An Appointment shall be moved to checked in only where: (a) the Service type is confirmed; (b) the payment method is confirmed; (c) the deposit has been collected where the Deposit and Prepayment Policy requires one; (d) vaccination proof has been verified under the Vaccination Requirements Policy; and (e) the Customer has accepted the current version of the waiver under the Service Liability and Waiver Policy. The check-in time shall be recorded. An animal does not enter the location's workflow until each condition in this clause is satisfied.
4.3 An Appointment shall be moved to in service only where the assigned Groomer has taken the animal, the start time is recorded, and the Groomer has read the animal's handling profile under the Pet Safety and Handling Standards. The reading of the handling profile is a condition of beginning work and not a formality.
Article 5: Completion, Cancellation, and Non-arrival
5.1 An Appointment shall be moved to completed only where the Grooming Record exists with the coat, skin, matting, and behavior fields the Grooming Records and Continuity of Care Policy requires completed, the completion time is recorded, and the pickup notification has been sent to the Customer. An Appointment shall not be marked complete with an empty or incomplete Grooming Record.
5.2 An Appointment shall be moved to cancelled only with a cancellation reason recorded. Deposit handling on cancellation follows the Deposit and Prepayment Policy.
5.3 An Appointment shall be moved to no-show only where the fifteen (15) minute rule in the Booking, Cancellation and No-Show Policy is satisfied and a no-show reason is recorded. A no-show recorded without the reason lacks the evidence on which any no-show charge depends.
5.4 A backward change of standing: including from in service to checked in, or from completed to in service: shall be made only by a manager, with the reason recorded. An unexplained backward change is a violation of this document.
Article 6: Multi-animal and Multi-service Appointments
6.1 Each animal on an Appointment has its own animal record, and each Service Line has its own Groomer, standing, and total. A Service Line is completed independently of the other lines, and one Groomer's lines do not block another Groomer's lines. The Appointment is complete when every Service Line is complete.
6.2 The stages of work within a Service: bathing, drying, cutting, and finishing: are operational guidance and not gates under this document, except where the location manager designates a stage as required for that location, in which case the designated stage shall be completed and recorded before the next stage begins.
Article 7: Reconciliation of Amounts
7.1 The amounts recorded for an Appointment: the subtotal, the tax, the total, the amount paid, and the outstanding balance: shall reconcile to the Service Lines, plus surcharges and less discounts, at every standing of the Appointment. The Appointment record carries the references that connect the Appointment to its payment records, including the deposit and the payment taken at pickup. A failure to reconcile shall be identified and corrected at the time it arises and not at the close of business.
7.2 The amount paid shall not exceed the total without a recorded reason for the overpayment. The outstanding balance shall be zero before the Appointment is archived. Payment of an outstanding balance is taken at pickup unless the Appointment was prepaid in full.
Article 8: Liability
8.1 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 document, even if the party has been advised of the possibility of those damages.
8.2 To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company's total liability arising out of or relating to this document shall not exceed the greater of (a) the amounts the Groomer paid to the Company under this document in the twelve months before the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) one hundred dollars ($100).
8.3 This article does not limit (a) a party's indemnification obligations under this document; (b) liability for fraud or willful misconduct; (c) amounts the Groomer owes for Orders, fees, chargebacks, or refunds under this document; or (d) liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
8.4 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.
8.5 Nothing in this article limits liability for personal injury, or for injury to an animal, caused by negligence, where applicable law does not permit the limitation.
Article 9: Indemnification
9.1 The Groomer 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 Groomer's breach of this document; (b) the Groomer's Services, listings, or User Content; (c) the Groomer's violation of any law or of the rights of any person; and (d) taxes for which the Groomer is responsible under this document.
9.2 The Company shall give prompt written notice of a claim under this article. The Groomer shall control the defense with counsel reasonably acceptable to the Company. The Company may participate in the defense at its own expense. The Groomer 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 This article survives the termination of this document.
Article 10: Enforcement and Appeals
10.1 The Company may investigate any suspected violation of this document. The Groomer shall cooperate with an investigation and shall produce the records this document requires the Groomer to keep.
10.2 If the Company determines that the Groomer has violated this document, 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.
10.3 Where a violation is capable of cure, the Groomer 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 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 or a booking; (d) suspend the Account or a program participation, in whole or in part; (e) terminate this document and the Account; and (f) exercise any other right or remedy available under this document or at law. The Company may suspend the Groomer immediately, without prior notice and without a cure period, where the safety of an animal is at risk or where a qualification or certification the Groomer is required to hold has lapsed.
10.5 The Groomer 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 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 This document takes effect when the Groomer is accepted to provide Services through the Platform and accepts this document, and continues until terminated under this article.
11.2 The Company may terminate this document and the Account on thirty (30) days' written notice for any reason, and immediately on written notice if the Groomer materially breaches this document, engages in fraud, or becomes ineligible to participate.
11.3 The Groomer may terminate this document on thirty (30) days' written notice to support@aapawz.com, provided the Groomer has no Order, booking, or investigation outstanding.
11.4 On termination: (a) the rights granted under this document 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 this document, within thirty (30) days, except amounts held in connection with an open investigation or dispute.
11.5 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 document, or to the relationship it governs, is governed by the Dispute Resolution Policy, which is incorporated into this document by reference.
Article 13: General Provisions
13.1 The Company may amend this document by posting the amended document in the Document Center and giving notice to the Groomer at the email address in the Account. An amendment that materially increases the Groomer's fees or 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. If the Groomer does not accept an amendment, the Groomer's remedy is to terminate under the Term and Termination article before the amendment takes effect.
13.2 Legal notices under this document 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 the Groomer 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. The Groomer shall keep the email address in the Account current. Notices under the DMCA and Copyright Policy are given as provided in that policy, to the designated agent at legal@aapawz.com.
13.3 This document 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 document shall be brought in the state or federal courts located in Shelby County, Tennessee, and the parties consent to personal jurisdiction there.
13.4 If any provision of this document is held unenforceable, the provision shall be enforced to the fullest extent permitted, and the remaining provisions continue in full effect.
13.5 This document, together with the documents it incorporates by reference, is the entire agreement between the Company and the Groomer for the subject it governs and supersedes every prior or contemporaneous statement, communication, or agreement on that subject, whether written or oral.
13.6 The Groomer shall not assign this document 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 document to an affiliate or in connection with a sale of all or part of its business, on notice to the Groomer.
13.7 A waiver of any provision of this document is effective only in writing and only for the instance stated. No waiver is a waiver of any other provision or instance.
13.8 Headings are for convenience only. "Including" means "including without limitation." This document shall not be construed against a party on the ground that the party prepared this document. The English-language text controls over any translation.
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