Effective Date: October 15, 2026 Version: 1.0 Applies to: All Sellers who offer pet food, treats, or consumable Products through the Platform.
Article 1: Introduction and Scope
1.1 This Policy states the Seller's duties for pet food and treats: the labeling every listing shall carry, the claims a listing may and may not make, the registrations the Seller shall hold, and the storage, expiry, and safety duties that attach to a consumable Product. Pet food and treats are a restricted category under the Restricted Products Policy, and the platform rule for restricted Products is stated in the Prohibited and Restricted Products Policy, which is incorporated into this Policy by reference.
1.2 The labeling regime this Policy applies is the model regulations of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), as adopted by the states, together with the requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Company's regulatory position on labeling is stated in the AAFCO Pet Food Labeling. Where AAFCO model regulations, a state feed law, or an FDA requirement is more restrictive than this Policy, the more restrictive requirement controls.
1.3 If a provision of this Policy conflicts with the Terms of Use, this Policy controls for the subject it governs. If a provision of this Policy conflicts with the terms of a program in which the Seller participates, the program terms control for that program.
Article 2: Definitions
2.1 Account: the account a person or business establishes with the Company to use the Platform.
2.2 Adulterated: containing a poisonous or deleterious substance, filth, decomposition, or an unsafe additive, or prepared, packed, or held under unsanitary conditions.
2.3 Buyer: a person who purchases Products or Services through the Platform.
2.4 Company: All About Pawz, LLC, a Tennessee limited liability company.
2.5 Label: everything on the Product package and, for Platform purposes, everything on the listing page. Listing copy is labeling, as governed by the Product Claims Policy. A claim the package may not lawfully make shall not appear on the listing page.
2.6 Misbranded: bearing labeling that is false or misleading, or that omits a required element.
2.7 Order: a Buyer's purchase of Products or Services through the Platform, accepted in accordance with the Order Formation and Acceptance Policy.
2.8 Pet Food: any Product intended as nourishment for a companion animal, including complete diets, treats, edible chews, food toppers, and supplements mixed with or added to food.
2.9 Platform: the websites, applications, and services the Company operates under the name All About Pawz, including aapawz.com.
2.10 Products: goods offered for sale through the Platform.
2.11 Seller: a person or business the Company has accepted to offer Products or Services through the Platform.
2.12 Treat: a Product fed intermittently or for training or reward, and not as the sole diet. A Treat carries the same label elements as Pet Food; the nutritional adequacy statement differs as Article 3.5 states.
Article 3: The Eight Label Elements
3.0 Every listing for Pet Food shall show all eight elements of this Article, in structured listing data or in full-Label imagery legible at normal viewing size. The Seller shall upload imagery of the full Label, all panels. Imagery that omits the guaranteed analysis or the nutritional adequacy statement is an incomplete submission, and the listing shall not be published until the element is supplied.
3.1 Product name, with the flavor and percentage rules. (a) The 95% rule: a name in the form "Beef Dog Food" requires that at least 95% of the Product, excluding water, is beef. (b) The 25% rule: a descriptor such as "dinner," "entrée," "formula," "recipe," or "platter" requires that the named ingredient is at least 25% and less than 95% of the Product, and each named ingredient in the descriptor is itself at least 25% of the Product. (c) The "with" rule: a name in the form "Dog Food with Beef" requires at least 3% beef. (d) The "flavor" rule: a name in the form "Beef Flavor Dog Food" requires a detectable amount of beef flavor, and the word "flavor" shall appear with equal prominence to the named flavor.
3.2 Net quantity statement: the weight in U.S. and metric units, as stated on the principal display panel. A listing that states only a size description, or that omits the metric weight, does not satisfy this element.
3.3 Guaranteed analysis: the minimum and maximum nutrient guarantees required for the Product type, including crude protein minimum, crude fat minimum, crude fiber maximum, and moisture maximum, together with each additional guarantee the Label states. The figures on the listing shall match the figures on the package.
3.4 Ingredient statement: the ingredients in descending order of predominance by weight, stated by their AAFCO-defined names. The ingredient statement on the listing and on the Label shall be identical and in the same order.
3.5 Nutritional adequacy statement: one of: (a) the feeding-trial statement, that animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that the Product provides complete and balanced nutrition for the stated life stage; (b) the formulation statement, that the Product is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles or Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for the stated life stage; (c) a family-product statement; or (d) for Treats and snacks, the exemption statement: "This product is intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only."
3.6 Feeding directions: directions appropriate to the Product and to the life stage claimed. Directions for a maintenance Product shall not be applied to a growth formula.
3.7 Name and address of the manufacturer or distributor: the responsible party. The Seller's store name does not satisfy this element unless the Seller is the responsible party.
3.8 Calorie content statement: metabolizable energy in kcal/kg and per common unit, such as per cup, per piece, or per chew, as the Label states it.
Article 4: Claims
4.1 "Complete and balanced" shall be stated only where the substantiation in Article 3.5 supports it: formulation, feeding trial, or family-product qualification. A listing shall not state "complete and balanced" for a Treat whose Label carries the intermittent-feeding statement in Article 3.5(d); the contradiction is misbranding.
4.2 A term with an AAFCO or FDA definition: including "natural," "organic," "human grade," and "fresh": shall be used only where the Product meets that definition.
4.3 No disease claims. A listing shall not state that a food or Treat treats, cures, mitigates, or prevents disease. A Product making such a claim without drug approval is prohibited under the Prohibited Products Policy, and the listing is removed, not corrected in place. A structure/function statement shall be worded as such and shall carry the substantiation Article 4.4 requires.
4.4 A claim such as "vet recommended," "vet formulated," or "clinically proven" shall be supported by substantiation the Seller can produce on demand. Where the manufacturer made the claim, the Seller shall hold the manufacturer's substantiation, not only the manufacturer's marketing material.
4.5 The Seller shall enter claims in the listing exactly as the claims appear on the Label. A claim that appears in the listing and not on the Label is an unsubstantiated claim governed by the Product Claims Policy.
Article 5: Registration and Sourcing
5.1 Most states require Pet Food products, and in many jurisdictions the facilities or distributors of such products, to be registered with the state feed control official before distribution in the state, with renewal and tonnage fees as the state law provides, as stated in the State Feed Registration. The Seller shall hold the registrations for every state into which the Seller ships, shall keep each registration current, and shall produce the registration numbers on the Company's request. An expired registration is treated as no registration.
5.2 The Seller shall source Pet Food from legitimate manufacturers or distributors and shall keep the supply-chain evidence: invoices, distributor agreements, and authorization letters: that the Invoice Evidence for Appeals requires. Diverted product, meaning genuine product sold outside the manufacturer's authorized channel with an undocumented storage history, shall not be listed where the Seller cannot document the product's source and storage history.
5.3 A private-label or white-label Seller shall hold the Label responsibility in writing from the manufacturer. The Seller of record remains responsible for the listing; an arrangement with a manufacturer does not transfer that responsibility.
5.4 Imported Pet Food is subject to the same eight elements and to FDA import requirements. A translated Label shall carry every element; translation does not create compliance the original Label lacked.
Article 6: Storage, Expiry, and Safety Duties
6.1 The Seller shall store Pet Food under conditions that preserve the Product as labeled, and every storage and handling representation in a listing shall be truthful. Freeze-dried and raw Products carry the same eight elements; "raw" is not an exemption from labeling.
6.2 The Seller shall not list or ship expired, opened, resealed, damaged, or visibly Adulterated food or Treats. Expiry is determined by the date printed on the package.
6.3 The Seller shall maintain lot and expiry records for every consumable Product, sufficient to identify the units a recall covers.
6.4 The Seller shall not repackage bulk Product into retail packaging without manufacturer authorization and fully compliant labeling carrying all eight elements.
6.5 On a contamination report, an illness report, or a recall notice, the Seller shall stop sale immediately, quarantine the inventory: every lot, until the scope is established: notify the Company within twenty-four (24) hours with lot numbers and inventory counts, and cooperate with the recall under the Product Recall Policy (Sellers) (Product Recall Policy (Sellers)). During a recall the Seller shall not destroy, return to the supplier, or liquidate the inventory; disposition follows the recall instructions.
6.6 A supplement mixed with food, fed as food, or marketed with nutrition claims is evaluated as Pet Food for labeling purposes under this Policy.
Article 7: Records
7.1 The Seller shall keep the records this Policy requires: Label records, registration numbers, sourcing evidence, substantiation files, and lot and expiry records: for the period the Selling Terms of Service requires, and shall produce the records on the Company's request, including in an investigation or an appeal under Article 10.
Article 8: Liability
8.1 Exclusion of certain damages. 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 Policy, even if the party has been advised of the possibility of those damages.
8.2 Cap. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company's total liability arising out of or relating to this Policy shall not exceed the greater of (a) the amounts the Seller paid to the Company under this Policy in the twelve months before the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) one hundred dollars ($100).
8.3 Carve-outs. This Article does not limit (a) a party's indemnification obligations under this Policy; (b) liability for fraud or willful misconduct; (c) amounts the Seller owes for Orders, fees, chargebacks, or refunds under this Policy; or (d) liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
8.4 Essential purpose. 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 Duty. The Seller 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 Seller's breach of this Policy; (b) the Seller's Products, listings, or content, including product liability claims, intellectual property infringement claims, and product recall costs; (c) the Seller's violation of any law or of the rights of any person; and (d) taxes for which the Seller is responsible under the Company's documents.
9.2 Procedure. The Company shall give prompt written notice of a claim under this Article. The Seller shall control the defense with counsel reasonably acceptable to the Company. The Company may participate in the defense at its own expense. The Seller 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 Survival. This Article survives the termination of this Policy.
Article 10: Enforcement and Appeals
10.1 Investigation. The Company may investigate any suspected violation of this Policy. The Seller shall cooperate with an investigation and shall produce the records this Policy requires the Seller to keep.
10.2 Notice. If the Company determines that the Seller has violated this Policy, 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 Opportunity to cure. Where a violation is capable of cure, the Seller 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. No cure period applies to the shipment of expired or Adulterated food.
10.4 Measures. 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; (d) suspend the Account, in whole or in part, and suppress a listing for a state in which the Seller holds no registration until the registration is produced; (e) terminate this Policy and the Account; and (f) exercise any other right or remedy available under this Policy or at law.
10.5 Appeal. The Seller 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.
10.6 Disbursement holds. The Company may hold disbursements to the Seller while an investigation under this Article is pending, and shall release amounts not required to satisfy the Seller's obligations when the investigation closes.
10.7 No waiver by delay. 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 Term. This Policy takes effect when the Seller is accepted to offer Products through the Platform and continues until terminated under this Article.
11.2 Termination by the Company. The Company may terminate this Policy and the Account on thirty (30) days' written notice for any reason, and immediately on written notice if the Seller materially breaches this Policy, engages in fraud, or becomes ineligible to participate.
11.3 Termination by the Seller. The Seller may terminate this Policy on thirty (30) days' written notice to support@aapawz.com, provided the Seller has no Order or investigation outstanding.
11.4 Effect of termination. On termination: (a) the rights granted under this Policy 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 Policy, within thirty (30) days, except amounts held in connection with an open investigation or dispute.
11.5 Survival. 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 Policy, or to the relationship it governs, is governed by the Dispute Resolution Policy, which is incorporated into this Policy by reference.
Article 13: General Provisions
13.1 Amendments. The Company may amend this Policy by posting the amended Policy in the Document Center and giving notice to the Seller at the email address in the Account. An amendment that materially increases the Seller'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 Seller does not accept an amendment, the Seller's remedy is to terminate under Article 11 before the amendment takes effect.
13.2 Notices. Legal notices under this Policy 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 Seller 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 Seller shall keep the email address in the Account current.
13.3 Governing law. This Policy 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 Policy shall be brought in the state or federal courts located in Shelby County, Tennessee, and the parties consent to personal jurisdiction there.
13.4 Severability. If any provision of this Policy is held unenforceable, the provision shall be enforced to the fullest extent permitted, and the remaining provisions continue in full effect.
13.5 Entire agreement. This Policy, together with the documents it incorporates by reference, is the entire agreement between the Company and the Seller for the subject it governs and supersedes every prior or contemporaneous statement, communication, or agreement on that subject, whether written or oral.
13.6 Assignment. The Seller shall not assign this Policy 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 Policy to an affiliate or in connection with a sale of all or part of its business, on notice to the Seller.
13.7 Waiver. A waiver of any provision of this Policy is effective only in writing and only for the instance stated. No waiver is a waiver of any other provision or instance.
13.8 Interpretation. Headings are for convenience only. "Including" means "including without limitation." This Policy shall not be construed against a party as its drafter. The English-language text controls over any translation.
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