Effective Date: October 15, 2026 Version: 1.0 Applies to: All Groomers who perform grooming or related hands-on pet-care services booked through the Platform, in any participation mode.
Article 1: Introduction and Scope
1.1 This document is the master agreement for Groomers on the Platform. It governs the relationship between the Company and each Groomer, the conditions on which a Groomer may perform Services booked through the Platform, and the duties that apply to every Appointment, whatever the Groomer's participation mode.
1.2 This document governs grooming services only. A person who sells products through the Platform is governed, for those sales, by the Selling Terms of Service. Veterinary and pharmacy services are governed by the documents of Veterinary and Pharmacy of this library. Where a Groomer also participates in another capacity, each capacity is governed by its own documents.
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 another document of Groomers of this library on that document's specific subject, the more specific document controls for that subject. 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.
1.4 The Groomer accepts this document by signing the Groomer Services Agreement, by completing onboarding and activation under the Groomer Onboarding and Qualification policy, or by performing any Service booked through the Platform, whichever occurs first.
Article 2: Definitions
2.1 The definitions in the Terms of Use are incorporated into this document by reference and apply to this document. This article defines only the additional terms used in this document and in Groomers of this library, in alphabetical order.
2.2 Appointment: a booked service event comprising one Customer, one or more pets, one scheduled time, and one confirmed scope of Services.
2.3 Customer: a pet owner or caretaker who books and pays for Services through the Platform.
2.4 Groomer: an individual the Company has accepted and activated to perform Services through the Platform, acting in the participation mode recorded in the Groomer's Account.
2.5 Marketplace Groomer: a Groomer who participates as an independent contractor and offers Services to Customers through the Platform in the Groomer's own business name, at the Groomer's premises, at the Customer's premises, or on a mobile basis.
2.6 Pet Services: grooming, bathing, nail care, ear care, teeth brushing, de-shedding, and related hands-on pet-care services offered through the Platform.
2.7 Salon Groomer: a Groomer who performs Services at a salon location operated by the Company or by a participating salon operator, under the salon program terms applicable to that location.
2.8 Service Catalog: the bookable Services offered through the Platform, with the prices, durations, and size tiers stated in the catalog.
2.9 Service Record: the written record of a completed Appointment, stating coat condition, skin condition, matting level, behavior notes, and the Services performed.
Article 3: The Participation Relationship
3.1 A Groomer participates in exactly one of the following modes at a time, and the mode is recorded in the Groomer's Account at activation. The mode determines the Groomer's status, and the modes shall not be blurred (a) Independent contractor (Marketplace Groomer). The Marketplace Groomer is an independent contractor in business for the Marketplace Groomer's own account. The Marketplace Groomer is not an employee, partner, joint venturer, or agent of the Company. The terms of that engagement, including insurance and tax responsibility, are stated in the Groomer Services Agreement.
(b) Salon service provider (Salon Groomer). The Salon Groomer performs Services at a salon location under the salon program terms for that location. Where the Salon Groomer is employed by the salon operator, that employment is with the salon operator; where the Salon Groomer is engaged as a contractor of the salon operator, that engagement is with the salon operator. In neither case does salon participation alone make the Groomer an employee of the Company.
(c) Company salon employee. Where the Company itself operates the salon location and employs the Groomer, the Groomer participates as an employee of the Company under the Groomer's employment terms. The service duties in this document and in Groomers of this library apply to an employee Groomer in full; compensation, withholding, and benefits are governed by the employment relationship, not by the Groomer Compensation and Commission Terms.
3.2 The classification recorded at onboarding governs tax treatment, scheduling obligations, and benefits for as long as it stands. A Groomer who believes the recorded classification is incorrect shall raise the matter through the Dispute Resolution Policy. The recorded classification stands while the matter is pending, and the Groomer shall not reclassify the relationship by conduct.
3.3 Whatever the mode, the duties in this document concerning the care and safety of animals, records, Customer data, and payment through the Platform apply to every Groomer without exception.
Article 4: Eligibility and Registration
4.1 A Groomer shall not perform any Service booked through the Platform until the Groomer has completed onboarding, every qualification document required by the Groomer Onboarding and Qualification policy is verified and unexpired, and the Groomer's Account is activated.
4.2 The Groomer warrants that every certification, reference, and item of work history provided at onboarding is true and current. The Groomer shall notify the Company within seven (7) days after a credential relied on at onboarding lapses, is suspended, or is revoked. Failure to give that notice is a conduct violation under the Groomer Conduct and Enforcement Policy, separate from the lapse itself.
4.3 Where the law of a jurisdiction in which the Groomer works requires a license or registration for grooming services, the Groomer shall hold it and shall provide evidence of it, as provided in the Grooming Service Licensing statement.
Article 5: The Services
5.1 The Groomer shall perform each Appointment to the Service Standards, the Pet Safety and Handling standards, and the confirmed scope of the Appointment. What is not in the confirmed scope shall not be performed; what is in the confirmed scope shall be performed to standard.
5.2 The Groomer shall perform only Services within the specialties recorded in the Groomer's Account and covered by current qualifications. A lapsed certification removes the corresponding Services from the Groomer's assignments until the certification is renewed; the Groomer shall not accept an assignment outside the recorded specialties.
5.3 The Groomer shall complete a Service Record for every Appointment before the Appointment is marked complete, as provided in the Grooming Records and Continuity of Care. An Appointment without its Service Record is not complete.
5.4 The Groomer is a groomer, not a veterinarian. The Groomer shall not administer medication, shall not diagnose any condition, and shall not represent an observation about a pet's health as a diagnosis. The Groomer shall record observations in the Service Record and shall recommend that the Customer consult a veterinarian, as provided in the Pet Safety and Handling standards.
Article 6: Animals in the Groomer's Care
6.1 Duty of care. While an animal is in the Groomer's custody: from acceptance at intake until return to the Customer: the Groomer holds the animal as a bailee and owes the animal and the Customer the duty of reasonable care: the care that a competent groomer exercises for an animal entrusted to the groomer's keeping, including safe restraint, safe equipment, continuous supervision as the Pet Safety and Handling standards require, and protection from other animals, hazards, and escape.
6.2 Incident duties. If an animal is injured, bites or is bitten, escapes, or shows signs of medical distress while in the Groomer's custody, the Groomer shall stop work, secure the animal, notify the manager or the Company at once, and file an incident report before the end of the shift in which the event occurred, as provided in the Incident and Injury Reporting policy. Failure to report is a violation separate from the event itself.
6.3 Cost of veterinary care. (a) Where veterinary care is made necessary by the Groomer's negligence or by a breach of the Pet Safety and Handling standards, the cost of reasonable emergency veterinary care is borne as provided in the Incident and Injury Reporting policy and, for a Marketplace Groomer, the Groomer Services Agreement: the animal is treated first, and the Groomer bears the cost. (b) Where veterinary care is made necessary by a pre-existing condition of the animal and not by the Groomer's conduct, the cost is the Customer's. (c) Nothing in this clause delays treatment: where delay would endanger the animal, care is authorized first and cost is allocated afterward.
Article 7: Fees and Payment
7.1 Compensation of a contractor Groomer, including commission, is governed by the Groomer Compensation and Commission Terms. Prices charged to Customers are governed by the Service Pricing and Surcharge policy. A fee or rate exists only if stated in the governing document; no other charge of any kind is payable.
7.2 All payment for Services booked through the Platform flows through the Platform. The Groomer shall not accept cash or any other direct payment from a Customer for a booked Service, shall not maintain a separate register for booked Services, and shall not omit a booked Service from the Platform's records. A Customer's direct payment to the Groomer for Platform-booked work is a conduct violation under the Groomer Conduct and Enforcement Policy.
7.3 The Groomer shall not set prices. Discounts and surcharges are governed by the Service Pricing and Surcharge policy; a price the Groomer states without authority under that policy is not authorized, and the Company is not bound by it.
Article 8: Customer and Pet Data
8.1 The Groomer receives Customer and pet data: names, contact details, handling profiles, vaccination status, and Appointment notes: solely to perform the Groomer's assigned Appointments. The Groomer's data duties are stated in the Customer and Pet Data Handling policy, and the Privacy Policy governs the Company's handling of personal information.
8.2 The Groomer shall not copy, export, or remove Customer lists or pet records from Platform systems, and shall not solicit a Customer of the Platform for services outside the Platform during the Groomer's participation and for twelve (12) months after it ends.
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 Animals in care. 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. The allocation of responsibility for an animal in the Groomer's care: the bailee's duty of care, the incident duties, and the cost of veterinary care made necessary by the Groomer's negligence as against a pre-existing condition: is stated in Article 6 of this document, in the Pet Safety and Handling standards, and in the Service Liability and Waiver Policy, and those provisions apply in full notwithstanding the cap in clause 9.2 where the law so requires.
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; (b) the Groomer's Services, listings, or User Content; (c) injury to an animal, or damage to property, arising out of the Groomer's performance or non-performance of Services, except to the extent caused by the Company's own negligence; (d) the Groomer's violation of any law or of the rights of any person; and (e) 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, 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, in whole or in part; (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. The application of these measures to Groomers is stated in the Groomer Conduct and Enforcement Policy.
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 or is revoked, or where a risk to the safety of a person or an animal arises. The Company may hold disbursements to the Groomer while an investigation under this article is pending, and shall release amounts not required to satisfy the Groomer's obligations when the investigation closes.
11.6 A Customer complaint about a Service is addressed first under the Platform Service Guarantee: re-performance or refund, handled at the location: and, if not resolved there, under the Dispute Resolution Policy.
11.7 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.
11.8 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 Groomer accepts it under clause 1.4 and continues until terminated under this article. Separation from the Platform is administered under the Groomer Offboarding and Separation Policy.
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, data, 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, Fees (for accrued amounts), 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 performance of Services booked through 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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