Terms & Conditions

These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern your access to and use of Pet Care USA's website, mobile applications, and pet care services (collectively, the "Services"). By accessing or using our Services, you agree to be bound by these Terms.

Acceptance Methods:

• Website Registration: By creating an account on our website
• Service Booking: By booking any pet care service through our platform
• Continued Use: By continuing to use our Services after being notified of changes to these Terms
• Written Agreement: By signing a separate service agreement with us

Eligibility Requirements:

To use our Services, you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Have legal capacity to enter into binding contracts
• Be the legal owner of the pet(s) receiving services or have authorization from the legal owner
• Provide accurate and complete information during registration
• Maintain the accuracy of your account information

Pet Care USA provides various pet care services through our network of certified pet care providers ("Providers"). The following definitions apply to our service offerings:

Service Categories:

• Dog Walking Services: Scheduled or on-demand dog walking, including GPS-tracked walks and post-walk reports
• Pet Sitting Services: In-home pet care visits for feeding, companionship, and basic care
• Overnight Pet Sitting: Extended care with overnight stays in your home
• Pet Boarding: Care provided in a Provider's home
• Pet Daycare: Daytime supervision and socialization
• Grooming Services: Bathing, brushing, nail trimming, and haircuts
• Training Services: Behavior modification and obedience training
• Veterinary Transport: Transportation to and from veterinary appointments

Provider Qualifications:

All Pet Care USA Providers undergo:

• Background checks and reference verification
• Pet first aid and CPR certification
• Service-specific training and orientation
• Ongoing quality assurance monitoring

Service Area:

Services are available in select areas across the United States. Availability varies by location and service type. We reserve the right to refuse service in areas where we cannot ensure quality or safety standards.

As a User of our Services, you have certain responsibilities to ensure safe and effective pet care:

Pet Health & Safety:

• Vaccination Requirements: Maintain current vaccinations as required by local laws and our policies
• Health Disclosure: Disclose all known health conditions, behavioral issues, allergies, and medications
• Emergency Contacts: Provide accurate emergency contact information and veterinary details
• Parasite Prevention: Ensure your pet is free from fleas, ticks, and other parasites
• Contagious Diseases: Notify us immediately if your pet shows signs of contagious illness

Home & Property:

• Safe Environment: Maintain a safe, clean environment for Providers
• Access Instructions: Provide clear access instructions, keys, or codes as needed
• Hazard Disclosure: Disclose any home hazards (alarms, aggressive animals, etc.)
• Equipment: Provide necessary pet care equipment (leashes, food, medications, etc.)
• Insurance: Maintain appropriate homeowner's or renter's insurance

Service Coordination:

• Accurate Information: Provide complete and accurate pet care instructions
• Schedule Adherence: Be available for scheduled meet-and-greets and service times
• Communication: Respond promptly to Provider communications
• Cancellation Notice: Provide adequate notice for cancellations as per our policy
• Payment: Maintain valid payment method on file and pay for services promptly

Prohibited Activities:

Users may not:

• Request services for pets they do not own or have authorization to care for
• Provide false or misleading information about their pets
• Ask Providers to perform services outside their scope of training
• Harass, threaten, or abuse Providers or Pet Care USA staff
• Use our Services for illegal purposes

Our booking and payment policies ensure fair and transparent transactions for all parties:

Booking Process:

1. Service Request: Submit service request through website, app, or phone
2. Provider Matching: We match you with an available, qualified Provider
3. Meet & Greet: Complimentary meeting with Provider (required for new clients)
4. Confirmation: Booking confirmed after meet-and-greet approval
5. Service Execution: Provider performs services as scheduled
6. Payment Processing: Automatic payment 24 hours after service completion

Cancellation Policy:

Service Type	Cancellation Notice	Charge
Regular Services	24+ hours	No charge
Regular Services	4-24 hours	50% of service fee
Regular Services	Less than 4 hours	100% of service fee
Holiday Services	7+ days	No charge
Holiday Services	Less than 7 days	100% of service fee
Overnight Stays	7+ days	No charge
Overnight Stays	Less than 7 days	50% of service fee

Payment Terms:

• Payment Methods: We accept major credit cards, debit cards, and ACH transfers
• Automatic Billing: Payment is automatically charged 24 hours after service completion
• Service Rates: Rates are subject to change with 30 days' notice
• Additional Charges: Additional fees may apply for:
  • Last-minute bookings (less than 24 hours notice)
  • Holiday services
  • Additional pets beyond the standard limit
  • Special care requirements
  • Extended service times
• Late Payments: Accounts 30+ days past due may be suspended until payment is received
• Refunds: Refunds are issued at our discretion and may be subject to processing fees

Gratuity:

Tipping Providers is optional but appreciated. You may add gratuity through our platform, which is passed directly to the Provider. Standard gratuity is 15-20% of the service fee.

To ensure clarity and manage expectations, please note the following limitations of our services:

Services We Do Not Provide:

• Veterinary Medical Care: Our Providers are not licensed veterinarians and cannot diagnose or treat medical conditions
• Grooming Medical Procedures: We do not perform anal gland expression, dental extractions, or other medical grooming procedures
• Behavioral Therapy: While we offer basic training, we do not provide therapy for severe behavioral issues without special arrangement
• House Sitting: Our overnight pet sitting focuses on pet care, not house security or maintenance
• Pet Transportation: Beyond veterinary appointments, we do not provide general pet transportation services
• Emergency Response: We are not a 24/7 emergency response service (see separate emergency policy)

Pet Restrictions:

We reserve the right to refuse service for:

• Pets with a history of unprovoked aggression toward people or other animals
• Pets with untreated contagious diseases
• Wild or exotic animals not typically kept as domestic pets
• Pets that are pregnant or in heat (for group services)
• Pets that have not been spayed/neutered (for group daycare/boarding)

Environmental Limitations:

• Extreme Weather: Services may be modified or canceled during severe weather conditions for safety
• Unsafe Conditions: Providers may refuse to enter homes with unsafe conditions (structural issues, hoarding, etc.)
• Access Issues: Services may be canceled if Providers cannot access your home despite following provided instructions
• Uninhabitable Conditions: Providers may leave if home conditions become unsafe during service

Provider Discretion:

Providers have discretion to:

• Refuse to walk pets in extreme weather conditions
• Use alternative walking routes for safety reasons
• End walks early if a pet becomes ill, injured, or uncontrollable
• Refuse to handle pets that become aggressive during service

This section outlines the limitations of our liability and the insurance coverage we maintain:

Insurance Coverage:

Pet Care USA maintains the following insurance coverage:

• General Liability: $2,000,000 per occurrence
• Care, Custody & Control: $1,000,000 coverage for injury to pets in our care
• Veterinary Care Reimbursement: Up to $1,000 for service-related injuries (subject to $250 deductible)
• Bonding: $10,000 honesty bond for theft by employees or Providers
• Workers' Compensation: As required by state law

Limitation of Liability:

To the fullest extent permitted by law:

• Our total liability for any claim related to our Services is limited to the amount you paid for the specific service giving rise to the claim
• We are not liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages
• We are not liable for acts or omissions of Providers beyond our reasonable control
• We are not liable for loss or injury resulting from:
  • Your failure to provide accurate information
  • Your pet's pre-existing health conditions
  • Extreme weather or natural disasters
  • Theft or damage to your property
  • Injury to third parties caused by your pet

Indemnification:

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Pet Care USA, its affiliates, and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from:

• Your use of our Services
• Your pet's actions or behavior
• Your breach of these Terms
• Your violation of any laws or third-party rights
• Damage to property caused by your pet

Assumption of Risk:

You acknowledge and accept that:

• Pet care involves inherent risks, including injury, illness, or escape
• We cannot guarantee complete prevention of all risks
• You assume all risks associated with pet care services
• You are responsible for maintaining appropriate insurance coverage

All intellectual property rights in our Services are owned by or licensed to Pet Care USA:

Our Intellectual Property:

• Trademarks: "Pet Care USA," our logo, and related marks are our trademarks
• Copyrights: All website content, software, designs, text, graphics, and logos are protected by copyright
• Proprietary Information: Our business methods, processes, and systems are trade secrets
• Service Materials: Service guides, training materials, and documentation are our property

License Grant:

We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to:

• Access and use our Services for personal, non-commercial purposes
• Download and print portions of our content for personal reference
• Use our platform to book and manage pet care services

Restrictions:

You may not:

• Copy, modify, or create derivative works of our Services
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble our software
• Use our trademarks without written permission
• Scrape, crawl, or use automated means to access our Services
• Use our Services for any commercial purpose without authorization

Provider Materials:

Providers retain ownership of photos and videos taken during services but grant us license to use them for service verification, quality assurance, and promotional purposes (with client consent for promotional use).

We prefer to resolve disputes amicably. This section outlines the process for dispute resolution:

Governing Law:

These Terms and any disputes will be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict of law principles.

Informal Resolution:

Before initiating formal proceedings, you agree to:

1. Notify us in writing of the dispute at legal@petcareusa.com
2. Provide detailed information about the dispute
3. Participate in good faith negotiations for at least 30 days

Arbitration Agreement:

Arbitration details:

• Administrator: American Arbitration Association (AAA)
• Rules: Consumer Arbitration Rules
• Location: Virtual or in Wilmington, Delaware
• Fees: We will pay arbitration fees for claims under $10,000
• Small Claims: You may bring claims in small claims court instead
• Class Action Waiver: You waive any right to participate in class actions

Time Limitation:

Any claim must be brought within one (1) year after the cause of action arises, or it will be permanently barred.

Severability:

If any provision of these Terms is found invalid or unenforceable, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

Either party may terminate the service relationship as outlined below:

By You:

You may terminate your account at any time by:

• Emailing support@petcareusa.com with your termination request
• Using the account closure feature in your account settings
• Ceasing to use our Services (though your account will remain active)

Upon termination:

• All scheduled services will be canceled (cancellation fees may apply)
• You will be charged for any completed services
• Your account information will be retained as required by law
• You will no longer have access to your account or service history

By Us:

We may suspend or terminate your account:

• Immediately: For violation of these Terms, illegal activity, or safety concerns
• With Notice: For non-payment, with 14 days to cure
• At Our Discretion: For any reason with 30 days' notice

Survival:

The following provisions survive termination of these Terms:

• Intellectual Property
• Liability Limitations
• Indemnification
• Dispute Resolution
• Any other provisions that by their nature should survive

Data Retention:

We retain your account data for 7 years after termination for legal and tax purposes. Service records are retained for 5 years. You may request deletion of your personal data, subject to legal requirements.