Effective Date: October 15, 2026 Version: 1.0 Applies to: All Veterinarians who conduct consultations through the Platform.
Article 1: Introduction and Scope
1.1 This Policy states the standard for the clinical record of every consultation conducted through the Platform: the required contents of the record, the time within which the record shall be completed, the integrity rules that govern corrections, and the rights of access to the record. The record is the Veterinarian's professional record. Documentation is the Veterinarian's professional duty first and a Platform requirement second.
1.2 Licensure, the veterinarian-client-patient relationship, and medical record-keeping are governed by the law of the state in which the patient is located. This Policy does not authorize any practice that the law of that state forbids, and where this Policy and that law differ on a clinical matter, the stricter rule prevails.
1.3 No provision of this Policy promises a clinical outcome. 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 Veterinarian 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 Client: the person who holds authority over the Patient and who engages the Veterinarian for a Consultation through the Platform.
2.3 Clinical Record: the record of a Consultation maintained under this Policy, including the clinical note, the consent record, and any addendum.
2.4 Company: All About Pawz, LLC, a Tennessee limited liability company.
2.5 Consultation: a veterinary telemedicine encounter between a Veterinarian and a Client conducted through the Platform.
2.6 Patient: the animal that is the subject of a Consultation.
2.7 Platform: the websites, applications, and services the Company operates under the name All About Pawz, including aapawz.com.
2.8 SOAP Note: the clinical note for a Consultation, organized in the Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan sections stated in Article 3.
2.9 VCPR: a veterinarian-client-patient relationship, as defined by the law of the state in which the Patient is located.
2.10 Veterinarian: a veterinarian licensed in the state in which the Patient is located whom the Company has accepted to provide veterinary services through the Platform.
Article 3: Required Contents of the Clinical Note
3.1 Every completed Consultation requires a finalized SOAP Note containing each of the following sections (a) Subjective: the history as the Client reported it: the chief complaint in the Client's words, onset, duration, prior treatments, and the Client's answers to the Veterinarian's questions. The Subjective section records the Client's account faithfully, including any part of the account that the assessment does not adopt.
(b) Objective: what the Veterinarian observed through the remote examination: the Patient's demeanor, visible symptoms, gait as seen on camera, respiratory effort, and anything the Client demonstrated at the Veterinarian's direction. The Objective section shall also record what could not be assessed through the medium, including any examination element: such as palpation or auscultation: that the remote encounter did not permit. A note that records a remote encounter as if it were an in-person examination is not a compliant note.
(c) Assessment: the Veterinarian's clinical assessment, including the urgency classification and the differential diagnoses considered. The Assessment shall show the reasoning, including what was ruled out and why, and not the conclusion alone.
(d) Plan: the recommendations; each prescription written, with the prescription reference that links the note to the prescription record; recheck instructions with timeframes; referrals to in-person care where made; and the signs the Client was told to watch for. A Plan that states a recheck without stating the conditions that make a recheck necessary is not a compliant Plan.
3.2 The Clinical Record for a Consultation shall also include the consent record obtained under the Telemedicine Consent and the session times for the Consultation.
Article 4: Completion Timing and Payout
4.1 The Veterinarian shall finalize the SOAP Note, with the finalization time recorded, within 48 hours of the end of the Consultation.
4.2 A completed Consultation without a finalized note after 48 hours is flagged, and payout for that Consultation is held until documentation is complete, as provided in the Vet Consult Fees and Payouts (Vet Fees and Payouts Policy). The hold releases when the note is finalized. The hold is not a penalty; the Company does not pay for an undocumented medical encounter.
4.3 A pattern of late finalization is a reliability matter under the Vet Conduct and Enforcement (Vet Conduct and Enforcement Policy). The 48-hour period is a ceiling, not a target.
Article 5: Integrity of the Record
5.1 The following are falsification and a violation of this Policy: copying a prior note without Consultation-specific content; finalizing a note for a Consultation that did not occur; and recording a finalization time other than the actual time of finalization.
5.2 The Veterinarian may use a personal template for the structure of a note. Every clinical fact in a note shall be specific to the Consultation the note records.
5.3 A correction to a finalized note shall be made by a dated addendum. A finalized note shall not be altered without a visible record of the alteration, and the addendum shall state what it adds or corrects.
Article 6: The Client's Portion, Access, and Correction
6.1 The Client receives the Assessment and Plan portions of the note: the Veterinarian's conclusions and the actions the Client is to take. The full note is handled in accordance with the Telemedicine Data Handling (Telemedicine Data Handling Policy).
6.2 The note shall be written so that the Client can understand the Plan and a later reviewer: a licensing board, a covering veterinarian, or the Veterinarian at a later date: can understand what occurred. Language that serves neither audience does not satisfy this Policy.
6.3 A Client may request correction of a factual error in the Clinical Record through support@aapawz.com. A correction is made by addendum under Article 5.3; the original entry is not deleted.
Article 7: Ownership, Company Access, and Retention
7.1 The Clinical Record is the Veterinarian's professional record, created to satisfy the Veterinarian's record-keeping duty under the law of the state in which the Patient is located. Session-scoped documentation held through the Platform exists for that duty and for the Company's payout verification; it is not a longitudinal pet health record, and the Company shall not use it for any secondary purpose.
7.2 The Company's access to the Clinical Record is limited to operations and audit: verifying that documentation exists and is complete for payout purposes, investigating a complaint or an incident, and complying with a legal obligation. The Company does not direct the clinical content of a note.
7.3 Clinical Records shall be retained for the periods stated in the Regulatory Record Retention and in the record-keeping law of the state in which the Patient is located, whichever requires the longer retention. Personal data in the Clinical Record is handled in accordance with the Telemedicine Data Handling (Telemedicine Data Handling Policy).
Article 8: Liability
8.1 Clinical responsibility. The Veterinarian bears responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the Clinical Record and for the clinical decisions the record reflects. The Company does not practice veterinary medicine and does not direct the Veterinarian's clinical judgment. 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. No provision of this Policy is a promise of a clinical outcome.
8.2 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.
8.3 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 Veterinarian 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).
8.4 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 Veterinarian owes for fees, refunds, or other amounts under the Company's documents; or (d) liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
8.5 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 Veterinarian 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 Veterinarian's breach of this Policy; (b) the Veterinarian's Services, consultations, records, or content; (c) the Veterinarian's violation of any law or of the rights of any person; and (d) taxes for which the Veterinarian is responsible under the Company's documents.
9.2 Procedure. The Company shall give prompt written notice of a claim under this Article. The Veterinarian shall control the defense with counsel reasonably acceptable to the Company. The Company may participate in the defense at its own expense. The Veterinarian 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 Veterinarian shall cooperate with an investigation and shall produce the records this Policy requires the Veterinarian to keep.
10.2 Notice. If the Company determines that the Veterinarian 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. The Company may suspend the Veterinarian's participation immediately where a license has lapsed or a safety risk arises.
10.3 Opportunity to cure. Where a violation is capable of cure, the Veterinarian 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. Falsification of a Clinical Record cannot be cured.
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) hold payout for an undocumented Consultation; (c) cancel a booking; (d) suspend the Account or program participation, in whole or in part; (e) terminate this Policy and the Account; and (f) exercise any other right or remedy available under the Company's documents or at law.
10.5 Appeal. The Veterinarian 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 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 Veterinarian is accepted to provide veterinary services 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 Veterinarian materially breaches this Policy, engages in fraud, or becomes ineligible to participate.
11.3 Termination by the Veterinarian. The Veterinarian may terminate this Policy on thirty (30) days' written notice to support@aapawz.com, provided the Veterinarian has no booking 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, record-keeping, and indemnification obligations: survive until satisfied; and (c) the Company shall disburse amounts owed, less amounts the Company may set off under the Company's documents, 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. Record-retention duties under Article 7.3 survive termination until satisfied.
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 Veterinarian at the email address in the Account. An amendment that materially increases the Veterinarian'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 Veterinarian does not accept an amendment, the Veterinarian'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 Veterinarian 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 Veterinarian 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. The practice of veterinary medicine under this Policy is governed by the law of the state in which the patient is located.
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 Veterinarian 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 Veterinarian 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 Veterinarian.
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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