Effective Date: October 15, 2026 Version: 1.0 Applies to: All Groomers who provide grooming Services through the Platform, and all managers who review a Grooming Record.
Article 1: Introduction and Scope
1.1 This document governs the Grooming Record: what a Grooming Record contains, when the record is written, the separate customer-visible and internal notes the record carries, the duty of each Groomer to use the record of the prior Appointment in the care of the animal at the next Appointment, and the retention and protection of the record. Continuity of care is a duty under this document. The next Groomer to serve an animal: who may never have met the animal: shall be able to determine from the record the coat history, the behavior, the matting trend, and the service that was performed and that succeeded.
1.2 The Grooming Record is also evidence. An incident investigation under the Incident and Injury Reporting Policy, a liability dispute under the Service Liability and Waiver Policy, a Guarantee Claim under the Platform Service Guarantee, and an enforcement matter under the Groomer Conduct and Enforcement Policy each read the Grooming Record. An incomplete record impairs the care of the animal and the determination of each of those matters.
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, 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 this document, comprising the fields stated in Article 3, the service detail, any photographs, the customer-visible notes, and the internal notes.
2.6 Handling Profile: the standing record of an animal's handling requirements maintained under the Pet Safety and Handling Standards.
Article 3: Contents of the Grooming Record
3.1 Every completed Appointment carries exactly one Grooming Record, linked to the Appointment and to the Groomer who performed the Service, and stating the start time, the completion time, and the duration. An Appointment is not complete without its Grooming Record, as the Appointment Operations Policy provides.
3.2 The Groomer shall record in every Grooming Record, for every Appointment: (a) coat condition; (b) skin condition; (c) matting level; (d) behavior notes; and (e) a summary of the Services performed. No field in this clause may be left empty.
3.3 The service detail records which Services were actually performed, stated for each Service in the Appointment. Where matting, a skin condition, or an injury is recorded, a photograph shall be attached to the record. A matting level or skin observation recorded without a photograph, where a photograph was required by this clause, is an incomplete record.
3.4 The Groomer shall write the Grooming Record on the day of the Service. A record written more than forty-eight (48) hours after completion is recorded as late. Repeated late or incomplete records are a performance matter under the Groomer Conduct and Enforcement Policy.
Article 4: Customer-visible Notes and Internal Notes
4.1 The customer-visible notes are the Customer's copy of the record: what was done, the condition found, and the recommendation for the next visit, stated in plain language that is professional and factual. Customer-visible notes shall contain no commentary about the Customer.
4.2 Internal notes and behavior notes are internal to the Company: handling cautions, behavioral observations, and the handoff from one Groomer to the next, including the technique that succeeded for the animal. Internal notes are not shown to the Customer. Internal notes shall contain no personal remark about the Customer; the internal record concerns the animal and the Service.
4.3 Health matters are recorded as observations and never as diagnoses, as the Pet Safety and Handling Standards provide. The record states what was observed: the location, the size, and the character of a lump, a lesion, or another finding: visit after visit, so that a change over time is visible in the record.
Article 5: Continuity of Care
5.1 The Groomer assigned to an Appointment shall read the Grooming Record of the animal's most recent prior Appointment before the Appointment begins, and shall read the Handling Profile as the Appointment Operations Policy and the Pet Safety and Handling Standards require. Reading the prior record is a condition of beginning the Service and not a courtesy.
5.2 Where the records show that an animal's matting has worsened from visit to visit, the Groomer shall raise coat care with the Customer: brushing technique, the frequency of the grooming schedule, and whether the style the Customer requests can be maintained on that schedule: and shall record that conversation in the Grooming Record. A Groomer shall not substitute a shave-down for the requested service without that conversation and the Customer's consent, recorded as the Service Standards Policy provides.
5.3 The Groomer shall record in the Grooming Record a recommendation for the next visit, stating the recommended date or interval and the recommended Service, based on the Groomer's professional judgment for that animal. The recommendation is the input to rebooking under the Rebooking and Retention Policy.
5.4 Where a Grooming Record states a matter that changes how the animal shall be handled, the Groomer shall update the Handling Profile on the same day, so that the lesson of one Appointment is a precaution at every later Appointment.
5.5 The Company shall make the Grooming Record available: (a) to the Customer, as to the customer-visible notes and the record of Services performed for the Customer's animal; and (b) to each Groomer assigned to a later Appointment for the same animal, as to the full record including internal notes. Availability to a successor Groomer under clause (b) is a duty of the Company under this document, because continuity of care depends on it. A Groomer's separation from the Platform does not remove or restrict a record the Groomer wrote; records are handed over on separation as the Groomer Offboarding and Separation Policy provides.
Article 6: Retention and Protection of the Record
6.1 A Grooming Record is retained for seven (7) years from the date of the Appointment. Retention of records across the Platform is also governed by the Regulatory Record Retention; where that document states a longer period for a record, the longer period applies.
6.2 A Grooming Record shall not be edited after seven (7) days from the Appointment, except by manager action with the reason recorded. The original content of an edited record is preserved in the record's history. The seven (7) day period exists for genuine corrections of fact; after that period the record is the history of the Appointment and shall not be revised.
6.3 Access to a Grooming Record and to the customer and animal data it contains is governed by the Customer and Pet Data Handling Policy. A Groomer shall not copy a Grooming Record to a personal device or a personal account, and shall not retain a Grooming Record after separation from the Platform.
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, including the contents of a Grooming Record the Groomer wrote; (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.
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.
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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