Effective Date: October 15, 2026 Version: 1.0 Applies to: All Groomers whose engagement to provide grooming Services through the Platform ends, for any reason, and all managers and administrators who conduct a separation.
Article 1: Introduction and Scope
1.1 This document governs the end of a Groomer's engagement: the duties that are performed on the separation date, the completion or orderly transfer of booked Appointments, the handover of records, the settlement of final compensation, the obligations that survive separation, and the rules for re-engagement. The procedure in this document is the same whatever the reason for the separation, because the matters the procedure protects: Customer data, amounts owed, and the appointment book: do not depend on the reason.
1.2 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, confirmed in accordance with the Appointment Operations Policy.
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 Separation: the end of a Groomer's engagement, of whatever type stated in Article 3, clause 3.4, and Separation Date is the last day of the engagement.
Article 3: Duties on Separation
3.1 On the Separation Date, each of the following shall be done on that date: (a) the Groomer's staff record is deactivated and the termination date is recorded, so that the record states the facts from the day the facts occur; (b) the Groomer's access to every Platform facility: the booking facility, the point-of-sale facility, and Customer records: is revoked, and no access is restored after Separation for any purpose, as the Customer and Pet Data Handling Policy provides; (c) the Groomer's register personal identification number is disabled; and (d) each future Appointment booked to the Groomer is completed by the Groomer before the Separation Date, where the Appointment falls before that date, or is transferred under clause 3.2.
3.2 A future Appointment that the separating Groomer does not complete shall be reassigned to a qualified Groomer who holds the service specialties the Appointment requires, or, where no such reassignment is made, the Customer shall be contacted as the Booking, Cancellation and No-Show Policy provides and given the choice of reassignment or a refund. The appointment book shall not be left without a Groomer for a booked Appointment by reason of a Separation.
3.3 Before the Separation Date, the Groomer shall complete the Grooming Record for every Appointment the Groomer performed that does not yet carry a completed record, and shall complete any outstanding incident report the Incident and Injury Reporting Policy requires. The records the Groomer wrote remain Platform records, available to successor Groomers under the Grooming Records and Continuity of Care Policy. The Groomer hands the records over by completing them in place; the Groomer takes no copy of any record on Separation.
3.4 The Groomer shall return, on or before the Separation Date, all Company property in the Groomer's possession, including keys, devices, and uniforms, and any physical Customer or business records. The return is documented. An amount for unreturned property shall be deducted from final compensation only where the Groomer's engagement agreement permits that deduction.
3.5 The exit record states the Separation type: resigned, contract-ended, probation-failed, terminated for cause, or laid off. Re-engagement eligibility is determined by the type: (a) a Groomer terminated for cause on an intolerable violation under the Groomer Conduct and Enforcement Policy is permanently barred from re-engagement; (b) a Groomer of any other Separation type may apply again after twelve (12) months, only through the full onboarding procedure in the Groomer Onboarding and Qualification, without any shortened procedure based on the prior engagement.
Article 4: Final Compensation
4.1 Final compensation is settled under the Groomer Compensation and Commission Terms. All approved Commission Entries through the Groomer's last day worked are paid on the next regular payroll run after the Separation Date. The separating Groomer is paid on the regular cycle and is not required to wait for a special run, and no amount is withheld by reason only of the Separation.
4.2 A disputed Commission Entry is held, investigated, and resolved within thirty (30) days of the Separation Date. The Company shall give the separating Groomer a written statement stating which entries are held, the reason each entry is held, and when the resolution is to be made. An amount resolved in the Groomer's favor is paid on the payroll run following the resolution.
4.3 Payment for unused paid time off, where the engagement provides for it, follows the engagement agreement and applicable law. Nothing in this document reduces an entitlement the Groomer has under applicable law.
Article 5: Obligations That Survive Separation
5.1 Access ends at Separation; obligations continue. The separating Groomer remains bound by: (a) the non-solicitation duty stated in the Groomer Terms of Service, which prohibits solicitation of Platform Customers for twelve (12) months after Separation; and (b) the duty of confidentiality for Company business information obtained during the engagement. Separation does not make a Customer list, or any Customer data, available to the former Groomer for any purpose, as the Rebooking and Retention Policy also provides.
5.2 Grooming Records, incident reports, and performance notes are Platform records and are retained on the periods their governing documents state: seven (7) years for a Grooming Record under the Grooming Records and Continuity of Care Policy and seven (7) years for an incident record under the Incident and Injury Reporting Policy. The separating Groomer shall not take, and shall not retain, a copy of Customer data of any kind, including the appointment book, record notes, or photographs.
5.3 On request, the Company confirms a former Groomer's dates of engagement and role. A detailed reference is given only with the former Groomer's written consent.
Article 6: Involuntary Termination and Layoff
6.1 Termination for cause follows the Groomer Conduct and Enforcement Policy: investigation, Finding, and measure. There is no summary termination outside the immediate-suspension procedure that document states for an intolerable violation, and in that procedure the investigation is completed before the termination is final.
6.2 A layoff is a reduction in force and not a judgment on the Groomer. A Groomer who is laid off receives fourteen (14) days' notice, is paid all approved commission on the next regular payroll run under Article 4, and is not barred from re-engagement.
6.3 Every involuntary termination is reviewed by a second manager before the Separation Date is set. The reviewing manager verifies that the evidence record is complete, that the procedure in the Groomer Conduct and Enforcement Policy was followed, and that the Separation type recorded is correct. The review is recorded and forms part of the record of the termination.
Article 7: Liability
7.1 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.
7.2 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).
7.3 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.
7.4 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.
7.5 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 8: Indemnification
8.1 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.
8.2 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.
8.3 This article survives the termination of this document.
Article 9: Enforcement and Appeals
9.1 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.
9.2 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.
9.3 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.
9.4 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.
9.5 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.
9.6 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 10: Term and Termination
10.1 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. A Separation under Article 3 ends the Groomer's engagement; the survival duties in Article 5 and in clause 10.5 continue after that Separation.
10.2 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.
10.3 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.
10.4 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.
10.5 The Definitions, Liability, Indemnification, Enforcement and Appeals (for measures taken before termination), Dispute Resolution, and General Provisions articles survive termination.
Article 11: Dispute Resolution
11.1 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 12: General Provisions
12.1 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.
12.2 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.
12.3 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.
12.4 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.
12.5 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.
12.6 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.
12.7 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. The waiver recorded in the Waiver under the Service Liability and Waiver Policy is a separate instrument and is not a waiver under this clause.
12.8 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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