Effective Date: October 15, 2026 Version: 1.0 Applies to: All Veterinarians who apply to participate in, or who participate in, veterinary services through the Platform.
Article 1: Introduction and Scope
1.1 This document governs the verification of a Veterinarian's licenses: what the Company verifies, against what source, on what cycle, and the consequences of a failed, incomplete, or lapsed verification. Licensure is the foundation on which every other veterinary document in this series rests; a Consultation or prescription through the Platform is authorized only on the basis of a verified license.
1.2 A license number stated by an applicant is a claim, not evidence. Verification is the Company's confirmation of that claim against the records of the issuing state board. No Veterinarian shall conduct a Consultation, hold availability, or appear in the directory for a state until each license claimed for that state has been verified under this document.
1.3 Licensure and the VCPR are governed by the law of the state where the patient is located. No verification under this document authorizes practice that the law of that state forbids.
1.4 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 Veterinarian 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 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 Good Standing: the status of a license that the issuing state board treats as active and unrestricted, not expired, lapsed, suspended, revoked, surrendered, probationary with practice restrictions, or subject to interim restrictions.
2.3 License Record: the record the Company maintains for each state license held by a Veterinarian, stating the license number, the licensing state, the expiry date, and the verification status of that license.
2.4 Primary Source: the issuing state board's own records, consulted through the board's public lookup or by direct confirmation from the board.
2.5 Verification: the Company's confirmation of a license against the Primary Source under Article 3.
2.6 Veterinarian: a licensed veterinarian the Company has accepted to participate in veterinary services through the Platform, and, for Articles 3 and 4, a person who has applied for that participation.
Article 3: What Is Verified
3.1 For each state license the applicant claims, the Company shall confirm from the Primary Source (a) that the license number exists and names the applicant;
(b) that the license status is active and unrestricted, and not expired, lapsed, suspended, revoked, probationary with practice restrictions, or retired;
(c) the expiry date of the license, which the Company shall record on the License Record as confirmed by the board and not as stated by the applicant; and
(d) the presence or absence of board disciplinary actions, with the full record of any action found, for the credentialing decision governed by the Credentialing and Background Standards.
3.2 Verification is per state and per license. Verification of a license in one state establishes nothing about a license in another state. A Veterinarian licensed in three states carries three License Records and three verifications.
3.3 Where a board's public lookup is unavailable, incomplete, or ambiguous, the Company shall obtain direct confirmation from the board and shall record the confirmation, including the person spoken to, the date, and the matter confirmed. The Company shall retain, for each verification, evidence of the board record consulted, which is at minimum a dated copy of the board lookup result or the record of direct confirmation. The applicant's own statement is not evidence of licensure.
3.4 The standard in this article does not change with the method of verification. Whether verification is performed by Company personnel or by a verification service engaged by the Company, each license shall be confirmed against the Primary Source.
Article 4: Verification Outcomes and the Veterinarian's Duties
4.1 License verification is a condition that precedes credentialing under the Credentialing and Background Standards and activation under the Vet Onboarding and Activation. No application proceeds past a failed or incomplete verification.
4.2 Verification has three outcomes (a) Verified. Each claimed license is confirmed active and unrestricted. The Company creates the License Records with verified status and the board-confirmed expiry dates, and the application advances.
(b) Discrepancy. The board record does not match the claim, including a wrong number, a name mismatch, or an expired license described as current. The application pauses, and the Company shall make one written request for correction or explanation, to which the applicant shall respond within fifteen (15) days. A discrepancy that is corrected and verified does not bar the application; a pattern of discrepancies is grounds to close the application.
(c) Failed. The license is suspended, revoked, restricted, or does not exist. The application is declined, and the Company shall state the reason in writing, citing the board record. The applicant may apply again when the underlying facts change; a reinstated license supported by a clean board record is assessed as a new application.
4.3 Partial verification is permitted. Where an applicant claims licenses in two states and one verifies and the other does not, the verified license proceeds and the unverified license does not. The Veterinarian shall not accept Consultations for patients located in a state for which no verified License Record exists.
4.4 The Veterinarian shall maintain each license in Good Standing, shall renew each license before its expiry date, and shall provide evidence of renewal or of any change in license status to the Company within five (5) business days of the renewal or change. Submission of false or misleading evidence of licensure is a material breach of this document that is not capable of cure.
Article 5: Re-Verification and Monitoring
5.1 Each License Record is re-verified on a recurring cycle: no less frequently than every twelve (12) months, and again thirty (30) days before the license expiry date recorded on the License Record.
5.2 If a renewal has not been confirmed by the expiry date, the License Record status becomes expired on that date and the Veterinarian ceases to be bookable for patients in that state on that date. No grace period applies to practice on an expired license.
5.3 Between re-verification cycles, the Company monitors board actions where board reporting is available and checks license status quarterly. A board action identified between cycles, including a suspension, restriction, or probation, triggers suspension under the Vet Suspension, Deactivation, and Reinstatement document on the day the action is identified. The Veterinarian's separate duty to report a board action within five (5) business days, stated in the Veterinarian Eligibility and Participation document, is not displaced by the Company's monitoring.
5.4 A failed re-verification is treated as an initial failure for the affected state: the License Record for that state is suspended, existing bookings for patients in that state are re-routed or cancelled with notice to the client, and verified licenses in other states are unaffected.
Article 6: The Patient-State Rule
6.1 A Veterinarian who holds an active, verified license in one state and not in another shall not accept Consultations for patients located in the other state, regardless of where the Veterinarian is physically located. The law of the state where the patient is located governs the encounter, as stated in the Patient-State Determination and Consult Routing document. Practice in a state without a verified License Record showing an active, unexpired license is a material breach of this document.
Article 7: Records
7.1 For each verification and re-verification, the Company shall retain: the board source consulted; the date and time of the check; the license number and status as the board reported them; the expiry date; any disciplinary history found; and the identity of the person who performed the verification. The Company shall also retain the license number as stated by the applicant, including where it differs from the board-confirmed number, because the record of a discrepancy distinguishes an error from a fabrication.
7.2 Verification records are retained for the duration of the participation relationship and for seven (7) years thereafter.
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 Veterinarian 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 the Veterinarian owes for fees, chargebacks, or refunds 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.
8.5 The Company is not a veterinary practice and does not provide veterinary services. Verification of a license confirms the board record of that license; it is not a Company representation about a Veterinarian's clinical competence, and it does not transfer the Veterinarian's professional responsibility to the Company.
8.6 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 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 document; (b) the Veterinarian's services, consultations, listings, or User 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 this document.
9.2 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 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 Veterinarian shall cooperate with an investigation and shall produce the records this document requires the Veterinarian to keep.
10.2 If the Company determines that the Veterinarian 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 Veterinarian 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, the submission of false evidence of licensure, 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) 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.
10.5 The Company shall suspend the Veterinarian immediately, without prior notice and without a cure period, where a license lapses, expires, is suspended, or is revoked, as provided in the Vet Suspension, Deactivation, and Reinstatement document, and may suspend immediately where a risk to the safety of a person or an animal arises. The Company may hold disbursements to the Veterinarian while an investigation under this article is pending, and shall release amounts not required to satisfy the Veterinarian's obligations when the investigation closes.
10.6 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.
10.7 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 Veterinarian applies for or is accepted into participation and continues until terminated under this article.
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 Veterinarian materially breaches this document, engages in fraud, or becomes ineligible to participate.
11.3 The Veterinarian may terminate this document on thirty (30) days' written notice to support@aapawz.com, provided the Veterinarian has no Order, 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, 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.
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 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 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 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. 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. The practice of veterinary medicine under this document is governed by the law of the state in which the patient is located.
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 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 The Veterinarian 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 Veterinarian.
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 on the ground that the party prepared this document. The English-language text controls over any translation.
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