Effective Date: October 15, 2026 Version: 1.0 Applies to: All Groomers who perform Services booked through the Platform, and all salon locations at which those Services are performed.
Article 1: Introduction and Scope
1.1 This document states the standard to which every Service booked through the Platform shall be performed: the confirmed scope performed completely, safely, and on time, with the Customer told what was done and what was found. It states the duties for each class of Service, for salon-based work the facility and equipment duties, and for the products applied to an animal.
1.2 This document applies to a Groomer in every participation mode: 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 those modes are defined in the Groomer Terms of Service. The standard of service does not vary by mode. Where this document states a facility duty, the duty falls on the operator of the facility at which the Service is performed; for a mobile or premises-based Marketplace Groomer, the duty applies to the Groomer's own work area and equipment.
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 Confirmed Scope: the service lines of an Appointment as confirmed before the Service begins: each Service, its quantity, its price, and its duration.
2.3 Standard Duration: the duration stated in the Service Catalog for a Service, against which Appointments are scheduled.
Article 3: The Confirmed Scope
3.1 The Confirmed Scope is the contract for the Appointment. The Groomer shall perform each Service in the Confirmed Scope completely and to the standard in Article 4, and shall not perform a Service that is not in the Confirmed Scope. There shall be no substitutions and no omissions.
3.2 Where the animal's condition at intake makes the Confirmed Scope impossible or unsafe to perform as booked: the standard case is a coat matted to the skin, on which a booked bath cannot be performed: the Groomer shall, before work begins: (a) explain the condition and the available options to the Customer; (b) obtain the Customer's consent to the revised scope and the revised price, including any surcharge under the Service Pricing and Surcharge policy; and (c) record the revised scope on the Appointment. Work performed outside the Confirmed Scope as revised under this clause is not billable, and a scope change first disclosed to the Customer at checkout grounds a claim under the Platform Service Guarantee.
3.3 The confirmed service type shall be set before an Appointment leaves scheduled status. Performance of an Appointment without a confirmed service type is a violation of this document.
Article 4: Standard of Performance, by Service Class
4.1 Bath services (Bath Only, Bath and Brush, and the bath component of any package) shall include: a complete wash with products appropriate to the animal's coat and skin; a full rinse, verified by touch: if residue is felt in the coat, the Groomer shall rinse again; ear cleaning; a nail trim, unless the Customer declined it and the declination is recorded; a sanitary trim where applicable; and drying to the breed standard. An animal handed to the Customer damp has not received a completed bath service.
4.2 Haircut services (Full Groom, Bath and Haircut, Deluxe Spa, and like Services) shall produce the cut stated in the Confirmed Scope, following the pet's grooming profile or the Customer's recorded instruction. The Groomer shall check blade and shear temperature against the Groomer's own skin before each use on the animal, as the Pet Safety and Handling standards require. A completed haircut service carries no clipper burn and no nicks; where skin irritation occurs despite the required checks, the Groomer shall record it in the Service Record and disclose it to the Customer at pickup, before the Customer discovers it.
4.3 Nail services, standalone or within a package, shall trim the nails to a safe length without cutting the quick. Where the quick is cut, the Groomer shall apply styptic at once, report the event under the Incident and Injury Reporting policy, and disclose it to the Customer at pickup, with what to watch for.
4.4 Add-on services: teeth brushing, de-shedding, flea bath, paw treatment, and every other add-on in the Service Catalog: shall be performed to the same standard as a standalone Service and recorded on the Appointment's service lines with their own durations. An add-on is a Service the Customer paid for, not an optional extra.
Article 5: Time
5.1 The Standard Duration is the scheduling commitment against which the Appointment was sold. The Service Catalog states sixty (60) minutes for most Services, ninety (90) minutes for Full Groom (Small), and one hundred twenty (120) minutes for the Full Spa Package. A Groomer who repeatedly exceeds Standard Durations degrades the schedule for every later Appointment; repeated overruns are a performance matter under the Groomer Conduct and Enforcement Policy.
5.2 An animal's time in a kennel or on a table ends at the end of the service window plus a thirty (30) minute pickup grace period, running from the pickup notification. Beyond that period, the Groomer or the location shall contact the Customer, and a manager shall approve any extended hold. An animal held for hours because no contact was made is a welfare failure, not a scheduling incident.
5.3 Drying is active and supervised at all times. Cage dryers run on timers with the Groomer in the room. An unattended heated dryer is a safety violation under the Pet Safety and Handling standards and is treated as such, not as a quality defect.
Article 6: Facility, Equipment, and Product Safety
6.1 Hygiene of the work area. For salon-based work, the operator shall keep grooming stations, tubs, kennels, and common animal areas clean and sanitized between Appointments. Tools that touch an animal: blades, shears, combs, brushes, nail trimmers: shall be cleaned and disinfected between animals. Towels and loops shall be laundered or replaced between animals. The same duties apply, for the Groomer's own equipment and work area, to a Marketplace Groomer working on a mobile basis or at premises the Groomer controls.
6.2 Equipment condition. The operator and each Groomer shall inspect dryers, clippers, tables, restraints, and kennels before use and shall remove from service any equipment that is damaged, overheats, or cannot be operated safely, recording the removal. Equipment taken out of service shall not return to use until repaired and re-inspected.
6.3 Product safety. The Groomer shall apply only products that are (a) intended for use on animals of the kind being groomed, (b) within their stated use period, and (c) used in accordance with their directions. The Groomer shall not apply a product the Customer has recorded as excluded for the pet, shall not apply a medicated or pesticide product except a Service offered in the Service Catalog, and shall record in the Service Record any adverse reaction observed during or after application. A product that causes repeated adverse reactions shall be withdrawn from use at the location pending review.
Article 7: Communication With the Customer
7.1 At intake, the Groomer shall confirm with the Customer the Confirmed Scope, the price including any surcharges under the Service Pricing and Surcharge policy, and the estimated completion time. Where the animal's condition differs from the booking: matting, weight tier, temperament: the conversation required by clause 3.2 happens at intake, before work starts.
7.2 At pickup, the Groomer shall report what was done, what was found (matting, skin condition, parasites, lumps, or other observations), any incident however minor, and the rebooking recommendation recorded in the Service Record. The Customer shall not first learn a fact about the Appointment from the invoice.
7.3 A finding that suggests veterinary attention shall be communicated as an observation with a recommendation to consult a veterinarian, in the terms the Pet Safety and Handling standards state. The Groomer shall not state a diagnosis.
Article 8: Animals in the Groomer's Care
8.1 Duty of care. While an animal is in the Groomer's custody, the Groomer holds the animal as a bailee and owes the duty of reasonable care stated in the Groomer Terms of Service: safe handling under the Pet Safety and Handling standards, sanitary conditions under Article 6 of this document, and supervision at all times the standards require it. The standard of performance in this document is part of that duty: a Service performed below standard on an animal in the Groomer's care is a failure of the duty of care as well as a quality failure.
8.2 Incident duties. An injury, escape, or medical-distress event during a Service shall be handled and reported under the Incident and Injury Reporting policy: work stops, the animal is secured, the manager or the Company is notified at once, the Customer is informed as that policy requires, and the report is filed before the end of the shift.
8.3 Cost of veterinary care. Where veterinary care is made necessary by the Groomer's failure to meet the standard in this document or the Pet Safety and Handling standards, the cost of reasonable emergency veterinary care is borne as the Incident and Injury Reporting policy provides and is not borne by the Customer. Where the need arises from a pre-existing condition of the animal and not from the Service, the cost is the Customer's. Treatment is never delayed while cost is allocated.
Article 9: Measurement and Quality Review
9.1 Performance against this document is measured by Service Record completeness, Customer reviews under the Service Reviews Policy, re-performance requests under the Platform Service Guarantee, and incident rates under the Incident and Injury Reporting policy. No single measure is conclusive; the measures are read together.
9.2 More than three (3) substantiated quality complaints against a Groomer in a rolling sixty (60) days, or any single willful deviation from Article 4 or clause 5.3, grounds enforcement under the Groomer Conduct and Enforcement Policy. A re-performance rate above ten percent (10%) of a Groomer's completed Appointments in a rolling sixty (60) days triggers a quality review by the location or program manager; the guarantee protects the Customer and does not substitute for supervision.
Article 10: Liability
10.1 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.
10.2 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).
10.3 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.
10.4 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 animal-in-care allocation in Article 8 of this document applies in full.
10.5 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 11: Indemnification
11.1 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.
11.2 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.
11.3 This article survives the termination of this document.
Article 12: Enforcement and Appeals
12.1 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.
12.2 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.
12.3 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.
12.4 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.
12.5 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 where a risk to the safety of a person or an animal arises.
12.6 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.
12.7 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 13: Term and Termination
13.1 This document takes effect when the Groomer is activated under the Groomer Onboarding and Qualification policy and continues until terminated under this article.
13.2 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.
13.3 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.
13.4 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.
13.5 The Definitions, Liability, Indemnification, Enforcement and Appeals (for measures taken before termination), Dispute Resolution, and General Provisions articles survive termination.
Article 14: Dispute Resolution
14.1 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 15: General Provisions
15.1 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.
15.2 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.
15.3 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.
15.4 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.
15.5 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.
15.6 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.
15.7 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.
15.8 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