Effective Date: October 15, 2026 Version: 1.0 Applies to: All persons who apply to become, or who are becoming, a Groomer through the Platform, and all Groomers whose qualifications must remain current.
Article 1: Introduction and Scope
1.1 This document governs how a person becomes a Groomer through the Platform: application, verification of qualifications, practical assessment, activation, probation, and the continuing duty to stay qualified. No person shall perform a Service booked through the Platform until this document's requirements are satisfied and the Account is activated.
1.2 The qualification standard in this document is the same for every Groomer. A Groomer's participation mode: Marketplace Groomer acting as an independent contractor, or Salon Groomer acting as a salon service provider under the salon program terms, as those modes are defined in the Groomer Terms of Service: does not lower or alter the qualification bar. The mode recorded at onboarding governs classification, tax treatment, and compensation; this document governs competence.
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 Terms of Use and 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 Activation: the act by which the Company makes a qualified applicant's Account active and the applicant becomes a Groomer eligible for assignments.
2.3 Applicant: a person who has applied to become a Groomer and whose application has not been finally decided.
2.4 Qualification Document: a document or record evidencing identity, work eligibility, professional qualification, first-aid training, insurance, or licensure, provided under Article 4.
2.5 Verified: reviewed by a person acting for the Company who confirmed that the Qualification Document is genuine on its face, matches the Applicant, and is current. An uploaded document that has not been so reviewed is not Verified.
Article 3: Application
3.1 An external Applicant applies through the Platform's groomer application process. The application records the Applicant's legal name and, for a contracting entity, business name, contact details, address, the areas the Applicant serves, the Services the Applicant offers, and the participation mode sought.
3.2 The Company records each stage of the application: screening, interview, offer, acceptance, or rejection: and the person who made each decision. An application shall not remain at a stage without a recorded decision or a recorded reason for the delay.
3.3 A person already engaged by the Company or by a participating salon operator in another capacity who seeks to become a Groomer: a bather qualifying as a groomer, for example: does not reapply as an external Applicant. That person enters the qualification track in Article 4 directly; the background check already completed for the existing engagement stands.
3.4 The Company retains application records for twenty-four (24) months after the decision on the application. A rejected Applicant may reapply after six (6) months. The record of a prior application, including a rejection for falsification of a certification, accompanies a reapplication and may be considered on it.
Article 4: Qualification Requirements
4.1 Before Activation, each of the following shall be on file and Verified (a) Government photo identification, establishing the Applicant's identity.
(b) Work eligibility, established by the documents the law requires, handled as an administrative record and not as a subject of interview.
(c) Professional qualification: either (i) a grooming certificate from a recognized grooming school, or (ii) documented equivalent experience of not less than one (1) year of hands-on grooming, verified by reference. The reference check shall establish what work the Applicant actually performed; a year of bathing is not a year of grooming, and the check shall distinguish the two.
(d) Pet first-aid and CPR certification, current at Activation and at all times thereafter while the Groomer is active. An expired certification, or enrollment in a future class, does not satisfy this clause. The medical-distress duties in the Pet Safety and Handling standards assume this training.
(e) Liability insurance: contractor Groomers only. A certificate of insurance naming All About Pawz, LLC as an additional insured, with limits of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence. A Salon Groomer employed by a salon operator and a Company salon employee are covered under the operator's or the Company's policy, as applicable, and do not provide a personal certificate. A contractor Groomer without a Verified certificate shall not be activated.
(f) Jurisdictional license or registration, where the law of a jurisdiction in which the Groomer will work requires one for grooming services, with evidence as provided in the Grooming Service Licensing statement. The law of the jurisdiction governs whether the license is required; this document requires the evidence wherever the license is required.
4.2 Practical assessment. The Applicant shall complete a supervised assessment session comprising a bath (wash, rinse, and dry), a breed-standard cut or the Service Catalog equivalent, a nail trim, and the handling of a difficult-temperament pet. The assessor grades safety, handling, and the Applicant's reading of the animal; the quality of the cut is secondary to the safety of the handling, and an Applicant whose cut is accomplished while the animal panics on the table fails the assessment. The assessor records the outcome with specifics in the Applicant's performance notes. An Applicant who fails may retake the assessment once, after thirty (30) days; a second failure ends the application track.
4.3 Background check. A background check is required for every Applicant who will have unsupervised access to pets or to Customers' homes, including mobile services. A record of animal cruelty, theft, or violent crime is an absolute bar to Activation, without discretion and without regard to the age of the record.
4.4 The Applicant warrants that every Qualification Document and every statement made in the application is true and current. Falsification of a Qualification Document is a material breach of this document and, where discovered after Activation, of the Groomer Terms of Service.
Article 5: Activation
5.1 Activation requires each of the following, recorded in the Account (a) the Groomer's record is complete: display name, role, groomer designation, home location or service area, start date, participation mode, and the compensation particulars the Groomer Compensation and Commission Terms require;
(b) service specialties and certifications are recorded. The recorded specialties are the boundary of the Services the booking process may assign to the Groomer; a specialty the Groomer cannot perform shall not be recorded, and a Service outside the recorded specialties shall not be assigned;
(c) the daily appointment cap is set, deliberately, at the location or program standard, subject to Article 6 during probation;
(d) where the Groomer will operate a register, a personal register credential is issued. The credential is personal to the Groomer; sharing it is a violation; and
(e) the acknowledgements of the Service Liability and Waiver Policy and of the safety documents of this section are signed and recorded.
5.2 A manager or administrator acting for the Company performs Activation, and the person who activates is recorded. Self-activation is prohibited: the person being qualified shall not declare the person qualified.
5.3 Expiry is enforced by date, not by memory. The expiry dates of Qualification Documents and training records drive re-verification. A Groomer whose required Qualification Document is not Verified and unexpired shall not receive assignments until the document is renewed and re-verified. No manager may waive this clause for a busy schedule.
Article 6: Probation
6.1 Every new Groomer serves a probationary period of ninety (90) days from Activation. During probation the Groomer's daily appointment cap is seventy-five percent (75%) of the applicable standard cap, and a location manager or program manager reviews every Service Record of the probationary Groomer within forty-eight (48) hours.
6.2 At the end of the probationary period the Company shall record one of three outcomes: pass, a single extension of thirty (30) days, or fail. A failed probation ends the engagement under the Groomer Offboarding and Separation Policy, without the enforcement process of Article 10; probation exists so that an unsuitable placement ends as a placement decision, not as a disciplinary case.
Article 7: Staying Qualified
7.1 The Groomer shall renew each certification before it expires. The Company gives notice of an approaching expiry at sixty (60), thirty (30), and seven (7) days. Notice does not transfer the duty: a certification that lapses suspends assignments under clause 5.3 whether or not a notice was received.
7.2 Every active Groomer shall complete one supervised skills assessment in each twelve (12) months, recorded as the annual skills review. Mandatory training on new techniques, safety updates, and changes to the documents of this section is a condition of continued Activation, and completion is recorded before the change takes effect for the Groomer where the change affects animal safety.
7.3 The Groomer shall notify the Company within seven (7) days after a Qualification Document lapses, is suspended, or is revoked, in accordance with the Groomer Terms of Service.
Article 8: Animals in Care During Assessment and Probation
8.1 During a practical assessment and during probation, an animal in the Applicant's or the Groomer's custody is held as a bailee: the Applicant and the probationary Groomer owe the same duty of reasonable care stated in the Groomer Terms of Service, supervised as those articles provide. Supervision during assessment and probation does not reduce the duty; it exists because the Groomer is not yet proven, and the animal's protection shall not depend on the Groomer's experience level.
8.2 An incident during assessment or probation is reported and investigated under the Incident and Injury Reporting policy in full. The cost of veterinary care follows that policy: care made necessary by the Applicant's or Groomer's negligence is not borne by the Customer; care made necessary by a pre-existing condition is the Customer's, as that policy states.
Article 9: Liability
9.1 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.
9.2 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).
9.3 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 fees, chargebacks, or refunds under this document; or (d) liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
9.4 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.
9.5 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 10: Indemnification
10.1 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, including a false statement in the application or a falsified Qualification 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.
10.2 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.
10.3 This article survives the termination of this document.
Article 11: Enforcement and Appeals
11.1 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.
11.2 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.
11.3 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, including falsification of a Qualification Document, a risk to the safety of a person or an animal, unlawful conduct, or a violation that by its nature cannot be cured.
11.4 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) suspend the Groomer's assignments; (c) cancel an Appointment 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.
11.5 The Company may suspend the Groomer immediately, without prior notice and without a cure period, where a qualification or license relied on for Activation lapses, expires, is suspended, or is revoked, or where a risk to the safety of a person or an animal arises.
11.6 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.
11.7 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 12: Term and Termination
12.1 This document takes effect when the Applicant submits an application and, for application and qualification records, continues as stated in clause 3.4. For an activated Groomer, this document continues until terminated under this article or under the Groomer Terms of Service.
12.2 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.
12.3 The Groomer may terminate this document on thirty (30) days' written notice to support@aapawz.com, provided the Groomer has no Appointment, booking, or investigation outstanding.
12.4 On termination: (a) the rights granted under this document end; (b) obligations that arose before termination: including payment, refund, 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.
12.5 The Definitions, Liability, Indemnification, Enforcement and Appeals (for measures taken before termination), Dispute Resolution, and General Provisions articles survive termination.
Article 13: Dispute Resolution
13.1 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 14: General Provisions
14.1 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.
14.2 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.
14.3 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.
14.4 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.
14.5 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.
14.6 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.
14.7 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.
14.8 Headings are for convenience only. "Including" means "including without limitation." This document shall not be construed against a party as its drafter. The English-language text controls over any translation.
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