Effective Date: October 15, 2026 Version: 1.0 Applies to: All Groomers and location managers involved in Services booked through the Platform, for every injury, bite, escape, medical-distress event, and near-miss involving an animal in the Platform's care.
Article 1: Introduction and Scope
1.1 This document governs the reporting, classification, investigation, and cost allocation of incidents involving animals in the Platform's care. Reporting is mandatory. Under the Groomer Terms of Service, failure to report an incident is a violation separate from the event itself: the event may have been nobody's fault; the failure to report is always somebody's fault.
1.2 Incident reports are how patterns surface: the Groomer with repeated quicked nails in a month, the dryer with a faulty thermostat, the intake process that keeps missing bite histories. An unreported incident is a pattern that stays invisible until it becomes a serious injury. Every person who handles an animal under the documents of this section: the Marketplace Groomer acting as an independent contractor, the Salon Groomer acting as a salon service provider under the salon program terms, and the Company salon employee, as defined in the Groomer Terms of Service: is bound by this document in the same terms.
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. Medical Distress and Red Flag bear the meanings given in the Pet Safety and Handling standards.
2.2 Incident: any event within Article 3, including a near-miss.
2.3 Incident Report: the record of an Incident, stating the staff member involved, the Appointment, the animal, the severity, a factual description in the order events occurred, and the action taken.
2.4 Severity: the classification of an Incident under Article 5: low, medium, high, or critical.
Article 3: Reportable Events
3.1 Each of the following is reportable (a) any break of skin, bleeding, clipper burn, or irritation caused during a Service: including a quicked nail that stopped bleeding within a minute;
(b) any bite or attempted bite, by or against the animal: the attempt is reportable, because the next attempt may connect;
(c) any escape from a kennel, table, leash, or the facility, whether recovered in seconds or not;
(d) any Medical Distress event, as defined in the Pet Safety and Handling standards; and
(e) any near-miss: the dryer left running and caught, the tether that frayed but held, the gate left unlatched with no escape. A near-miss is reported as the injury it nearly was; near-misses are the least expensive lessons available to a salon.
3.2 A Customer complaint alleging an injury to an animal is a reportable event from the moment the complaint is received, whether or not any member of staff observed anything. The complaint determines that an investigation happens; the investigation determines what occurred.
Article 4: The Procedure, in Order
4.1 Immediately: the Groomer shall stop work, secure the animal, notify the manager or, for a Marketplace Groomer working alone, the Company, and provide first aid within the Groomer's training under the Groomer Onboarding and Qualification policy: styptic and pressure for bleeding, wound covering, keeping the animal calm and still. First aid is what the training covers; the Groomer shall not improvise veterinary care.
4.2 The same shift: the Groomer shall file the Incident Report before the end of the shift in which the event occurred, without exception for minor events. The description states facts in order: what happened, when, and what was done: and states no conclusions and no excuses.
4.3 The Service Record for the Appointment carries the event in its behavior notes, and Customer-facing facts are recorded in the customer-visible notes. The Service Record and the Incident Report state the same event and shall not diverge.
4.4 Informing the Customer. For low and medium Severity, the Customer is informed at pickup: what happened, what was done, and what to watch for. For high and critical Severity, the Customer is contacted by telephone immediately, not at pickup, and in any event within two (2) hours. No person shall state to a Customer that nothing happened where something did.
Article 5: Severity
5.1 Severity is assigned at filing and confirmed by the manager, whose confirmation is recorded. The levels are (a) low: minor irritation, no broken skin, no veterinary attention needed, including a quicked nail stopped with styptic. Low Severity is reported in full; the level does not excuse the report.
(b) medium: broken skin, a quicked nail with extended bleeding, a bite without puncture, or an escape recovered on the premises.
(c) high: a puncture wound, a laceration, a bite breaking skin, an escape off the premises, or any event requiring veterinary attention.
(d) critical: a life-threatening injury, or death.
5.2 A high or critical Severity Incident triggers automatically: immediate investigation by the manager; Customer contact within two (2) hours under clause 4.4; payment of reasonable emergency veterinary costs under Article 6; and a conduct review under the Groomer Conduct and Enforcement Policy. A critical Incident additionally triggers the Company's incident response and the preservation of all records: no record is edited and none is deleted, and the evidence stands as it was made.
5.3 Inflation and deflation of Severity are each violations of this document. Recording a puncture wound as low to avoid an investigation is concealment in substance. Recording a minor irritation as high to force a refund is manipulation. The manager's confirmation duty in clause 5.1 exists to prevent both.
Article 6: Who Bears the Cost of Veterinary Care
6.1 The duty while the animal is in care. An animal in the Groomer's custody is held as a bailee under the duty of reasonable care stated in the Groomer Terms of Service and the Pet Safety and Handling standards. The cost rules in this article follow that duty: cost follows cause.
6.2 Care made necessary by the Service. Where the Service caused the injury: where the Groomer's negligence, or a breach of the Pet Safety and Handling standards or the Service Standards, made veterinary care necessary: the cost of reasonable emergency veterinary care, documented by invoice, is borne by the party responsible under clause 6.4 and is not borne by the Customer. This is the Platform Service Guarantee operating as designed; payment under this clause is not an admission of legal liability beyond the service relationship. The animal is treated first; allocation follows.
6.3 Care made necessary by a pre-existing condition. Where veterinary care is made necessary by a pre-existing condition of the animal and not by the Service: a disclosed seizure disorder presenting during the Appointment, a cardiac event with no service cause: the cost is the Customer's, under the emergency authorization in the Service Liability and Waiver Policy. A pre-existing condition disclosed at intake does not transfer responsibility for a new injury: an animal with a heart condition that is nicked by a clipper was still nicked by a clipper, and clause 6.2 governs the nick. The intake record is the evidence on which causation is determined. Where a Customer's non-disclosure of a known bite history contributes to an Incident, the Customer's guarantee claim for the bite-related costs fails as the Service Liability and Waiver Policy provides: but emergency care for the animal is still provided and paid for in the first instance under clause 6.2, because the animal did not choose its owner.
6.4 As between the Company, the salon operator, and the Groomer. The Customer never pursues the individual Groomer for veterinary costs. The party that engaged the Customer: the Company or the salon operator for a salon Appointment, and the Marketplace Groomer for the Marketplace Groomer's own Appointment: stands between the Customer and the individual Groomer on money, always. Recovery from the responsible Groomer follows the Groomer's engagement terms and the Groomer Compensation and Commission Terms and, for a Marketplace Groomer, the Groomer Services Agreement.
6.5 Refund of the Service fee. For a high or critical Severity Incident, the Appointment's Service fee is refunded in full, in addition to the veterinary costs borne under clause 6.2. The Customer does not pay for the Appointment at which the Customer's animal was hurt.
Article 7: Investigation, Patterns, and Retention
7.1 The manager investigates each Incident: within twenty-four (24) hours for high and critical Severity, and within seventy-two (72) hours for medium Severity. The investigation interviews the staff involved, reviews the Handling Profile and the Service Record, and records findings in the Incident Report. The investigation answers three questions: what happened, why it happened, and what changes so that it does not happen again.
7.2 Incident records are retained for seven (7) years. Location staff shall not delete an Incident record.
7.3 Patterns are reviewed monthly: by Groomer, by injury type, by location, and by equipment: and the review feeds the performance process in the Groomer Conduct and Enforcement Policy. Repeated quicked nails by one Groomer in a month present as a training issue; repeated clipper burns at one location in a month present as an equipment issue. The pattern review is the mechanism by which reports become prevention.
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 owed for veterinary costs, refunds, or fees under this document; or (d) liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
8.4 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. The cost allocation in Article 6 of this document: veterinary care made necessary by negligence in the Service as against care made necessary by a pre-existing condition: applies in full and is the operative animal-in-care rule for Incidents.
8.5 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 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, including failure to report an Incident; (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, concealment of an Incident, 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) 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.
10.5 The Company may suspend the Groomer immediately, without prior notice and without a cure period, where a risk to the safety of a person or an animal arises, or where a qualification or license relied on for activation lapses.
10.6 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.
10.7 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 11: Term and Termination
11.1 This document takes effect when the Groomer is activated under the Groomer Onboarding and Qualification policy and continues until terminated under this article. The retention duty in clause 7.2 survives termination.
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 Appointment, 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, 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 as its drafter. The English-language text controls over any translation.
Related articles