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PawShield Terms of Service

⚠️ IMPORTANT — NOT YET LEGALLY REVIEWED

This is a comprehensive draft written by an engineer. It is not legal advice and has not been reviewed by a lawyer. Before publishing:

  1. Have a Canadian consumer-law / e-commerce lawyer (ideally in Ontario

unless you incorporate elsewhere) review this end-to-end.

  1. Pay special attention to the liability section — pet-safety

products have elevated emotional-damages risk. What's drafted here is aggressive limitation language that a court may or may not enforce depending on how it's challenged.

  1. If you sell outside Canada, the governing law and **dispute

resolution** sections need a lawyer's view on conflict of laws.

  1. Confirm every promise (shipping times, refund window, replacement

terms) matches your actual operational practice.

These terms are a starting point. Don't ship without review.

Last updated: 2026-04-23 Effective date: (set when published)

1. Welcome

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of PawShield, a smart pet identification service operated by [Legal company name] ("PawShield," "we," "us," or "our"), located in [City, Province], Canada.

By purchasing a PawShield tag, creating an account, or otherwise using our services, you ("you," "user," or "customer") agree to these Terms. If you don't agree, please don't use PawShield.

These Terms work alongside our Privacy Policy (how we handle your information) and, where applicable, any order confirmation you receive when purchasing a tag. In case of conflict, these Terms govern unless the order explicitly says otherwise.

2. Who can use PawShield

To create an account, you must:

  • Be at least the age of majority in your province (18 in Ontario, most

provinces; 19 in BC, NB, NS, NFL)

  • Provide accurate, current information during signup
  • Keep one account per person (no shared or duplicate accounts)
  • Use PawShield only for lawful purposes

If you're creating an account on behalf of a business or organization (veterinary clinic, shelter, etc.), you represent that you have authority to bind that organization to these Terms.

3. What PawShield provides

PawShield sells physical smart pet ID tags (using QR codes and NFC technology) and provides a web-based service for managing pet profiles and receiving alerts when your tag is scanned.

3.1 What the service does

  • Tag activation — link a tag to your account and create a pet

profile

  • Finder-facing scan page — when someone scans your tag, they see

your pet's name, photo (if uploaded), medical notes (if provided), and a way to contact you

  • Alert notifications — we attempt to send you an email, SMS, and/or

web push notification when your tag is scanned (based on your opt-in preferences)

  • Dashboard — a web interface to manage your account, pets, tags,

and notification preferences

  • Lost mode — a visual emphasis on the scan page if you mark your

pet as lost, with optional reward display

3.2 What the service does not do

  • Not a tracker. PawShield tags are passive NFC + QR — they have

no battery, no cellular, no GPS. They cannot track your pet continuously. They only work when someone physically scans the tag.

  • Not a guarantee your pet will be found. We rely on strangers

voluntarily scanning the tag. If nobody finds your pet, or someone finds them but doesn't scan the tag, the service cannot help.

  • Not a medical service. Medical notes shown to finders are for

informational purposes; we don't verify them, and a finder or vet is not bound to act on them.

  • Not a rescue or recovery service. We don't dispatch anyone to

collect your pet. Recovery is between you and the finder.

4. Your account

4.1 Security

You're responsible for keeping your account credentials (email and password) secure. Don't share them. Use a unique password — we enforce a minimum strength but we can't stop you from reusing a password that's already been leaked elsewhere.

If you suspect your account has been compromised, email us immediately at support@pawshieldpet.net and change your password at Settings → Security.

4.2 Accuracy

You must provide accurate information when signing up and keep it updated. This isn't bureaucracy — if your phone number is wrong and a finder tries to reach you, the service breaks. If your pet's medical notes are outdated, a finder might give them food they're allergic to.

4.3 Sharing your account

Your account is for you alone. If multiple people in your household need to receive scan alerts (e.g. you and your partner), each person should enable push notifications on their own phone when they sign in — one account, multiple push-subscribed devices, supported natively.

Do not share your password or give anyone else access to your dashboard.

5. The physical tag

5.1 What you're buying

When you purchase a PawShield tag, you own the physical tag (the metal or silicone piece). The service — hosting the scan page, delivering notifications, maintaining the dashboard — is a separate ongoing thing provided by us.

5.2 Shipping

We aim to ship within 2 business days of your order. Delivery times vary by carrier and destination. For Canadian addresses, typical delivery is 3–7 business days from shipping.

If your tag hasn't arrived 14 days after shipping, contact support@pawshieldpet.net and we'll investigate.

5.3 Defects and replacements

If your tag arrives damaged, doesn't work, or fails during normal use, we'll replace it free within the first 12 months of purchase.

After 12 months, replacements are available at a reduced cost (approximately half of new-purchase price). Email support@pawshieldpet.net with a photo of the damaged tag.

"Normal use" means wearing it on your pet's collar. Damage from chewing, crushing, dropping into a pool of acid, etc. is still eligible for replacement under the 12-month policy — we're not going to argue about how it happened. But extended replacement at no charge beyond 12 months is case-by-case.

5.4 Refunds

You can request a full refund within 30 days of receiving your tag, for any reason, by emailing support@pawshieldpet.net. We'll refund the purchase price to the original payment method; you're responsible for return shipping.

After 30 days, refunds are at our discretion.

6. The service (software side)

6.1 Availability

We aim for high availability but can't guarantee the service will be available 100% of the time. Outages may happen due to:

  • Our own maintenance (we'll announce planned maintenance in advance)
  • Third-party infrastructure issues (Cloudflare, Supabase, SendGrid,

Twilio, push providers — we're dependent on them)

  • Internet-wide problems beyond anyone's control

There is no Service Level Agreement (SLA). The service is offered on a best-effort basis.

6.2 Changes to the service

We may add, remove, or change features at any time. Significant changes (e.g. if we ever start charging for a feature that used to be free) will be communicated at least 30 days in advance.

We reserve the right to discontinue the service entirely with at least 90 days' notice, during which:

  • Your tag will continue to function for scans (redirecting to a

status page explaining the service ended)

  • You'll be given a way to export your scan history
  • We will not issue refunds for the tag purchase (you still own the

physical tag), but will refund any unused prepaid subscription time if we ever introduce subscriptions.

6.3 No subscription (current model)

As of the "last updated" date at the top of this document, PawShield operates on a one-time purchase model: you pay for the tag once and the service is included for the life of the tag (or the service, whichever is shorter).

If we introduce a paid subscription in the future, existing customers who bought before that date will continue to get core features (scan page + notifications) at no additional cost. New premium features may require a subscription.

7. Content you submit

7.1 What you can submit

You upload and enter:

  • Pet names, breeds, species
  • Pet photos
  • Medical notes
  • Your contact information (phone, email)
  • Custom messages for finders

7.2 License to us

When you upload content, you grant PawShield a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, display, and process that content solely to provide the service. We use it to:

  • Display your pet's profile on the public scan page
  • Deliver alerts and notifications to you
  • Store it for you in the dashboard

We do not get the right to:

  • Use your pet's photo for marketing (unless you separately give

permission)

  • Sell your content to third parties
  • Use your content after you delete your account

The license ends when you delete the content or your account.

7.3 Your responsibility for content

You're responsible for what you upload. Don't upload:

  • Content that isn't yours (someone else's photo, copyrighted material)
  • False or misleading medical information
  • Content that invades someone else's privacy
  • Illegal, hateful, or abusive content

We may remove content and/or terminate accounts that violate this.

7.4 Medical information disclaimer

Medical notes you provide are shown to finders for informational purposes only. PawShield does not verify them. A veterinarian or finder is not bound by what's in your notes. If your pet has severe medical needs, always ensure the notes are clear and current, and consider wearing additional identification (microchip, dog-tag-style engraved tag) as backup.

8. How finders use the service

When a stranger scans your tag, they can:

  • View your pet's public profile (name, photo, medical notes, species)
  • Tap a call button to phone you directly (only if you opted in to

SMS/contact sharing)

  • Tap a text button to SMS you
  • Tap "Pin this spot" to send you their precise location
  • Use a finder-contact form to send you a message (if implemented)

Finders do not create accounts, and we don't verify their identity. When they scan, we log the scan and send you a notification.

Important: by making a tag active and viewable by finders, you're implicitly agreeing that the pet profile data you uploaded may be viewed by any stranger who physically possesses the tag. If you don't want information to be public, don't put it in your pet's profile.

9. SMS-specific terms (CASL)

For customers who opt in to SMS alerts:

  • You consent to receive transactional text messages from PawShield
  • Messages are sent only when triggered by a scan of your tag or by

you explicitly (test messages)

  • Standard message and data rates from your mobile carrier may apply
  • You may opt out at any time by replying STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, or

in French ARRÊT to any message

  • Opting out of SMS does not affect email or push notifications —

those are controlled separately

  • If you change your phone number, re-confirm your SMS consent under

your new number. We'll attempt to preserve your preferences but CASL requires consent to be tied to the specific number.

10. Acceptable use

Don't use PawShield to:

  • Harass, threaten, or deceive anyone
  • Use scan data to track people (the service is for pets, not people)
  • Bypass our rate limits, security measures, or technical restrictions
  • Reverse-engineer, decompile, or exploit vulnerabilities in our

software (if you discover a security issue, email security@pawshieldpet.net and we'll reward responsible disclosure)

  • Resell tags you bought from us as part of a commercial scheme

without prior written permission

  • Upload malware, viruses, or content designed to compromise others
  • Violate any applicable law

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these rules.

11. Service termination

11.1 You can cancel

You can delete your account at any time from Settings → Delete Account. We'll wipe your data per the Privacy Policy's deletion provisions. Your physical tag will reset to an unused state; you can re-activate it later or pass it on to someone else.

11.2 We can terminate

We may suspend or terminate your account if:

  • You violate these Terms
  • You don't pay for a tag (chargeback, etc.)
  • Your use of the service creates significant legal or security risk
  • We suspect fraud (e.g. buying tags to use in a way that violates the

Terms)

We'll notify you by email at the address on your account. You'll have an opportunity to fix the issue where that's feasible. If termination is for a serious or irreparable violation, it may be immediate.

If we terminate your account for violation, we'll still let you export your scan history (30-day window) and refund unused prepaid items.

12. Intellectual property

12.1 Ours

PawShield's name, logo, website design, tag design (the physical form factor), code, and branding are our intellectual property. You don't get a license to use them for your own purposes by being a customer.

12.2 Yours

Your account and pet content is yours. See §7.2 for the limited license you grant us to operate the service.

12.3 Feedback

If you send us suggestions or feedback about PawShield, we can use those ideas without owing you anything. This doesn't include your personal data — feedback means ideas and suggestions about the product.

13. Third parties

PawShield depends on third-party providers including Cloudflare, Supabase, Twilio, SendGrid, and web push services (Google, Apple, Mozilla). Their service affects ours:

  • If one of them has an outage, our service may be affected
  • Their terms of service apply to the data they handle on our behalf
  • We're not responsible for their separate acts or omissions beyond

the limits of our direct control over the data we entrust to them

When you use PawShield, you're implicitly interacting with these providers through our software. See our Privacy Policy for the full list.

14. Disclaimers and limitation of liability

This is the section that lawyers will want to review most carefully. What follows is aggressive protection language appropriate for a pet-safety product. Canadian consumer protection law may limit some of these clauses in specific circumstances.

14.1 "As-is" disclaimer

PawShield is provided "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" without warranties of any kind, express or implied, to the fullest extent permitted by law. We specifically disclaim:

  • Warranties of merchantability
  • Warranties of fitness for a particular purpose
  • Warranties that the service will be uninterrupted, timely, secure,

or error-free

  • Warranties that notifications will always be delivered, or delivered

within a specific time

  • Warranties that scans will always be logged, or that location data

will be accurate

The service can and will occasionally fail. That's the nature of distributed internet-connected software.

14.2 Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, PawShield is not liable for:

  • Indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages

(lost profits, lost data, emotional distress, etc.) arising from use of the service

  • Any failure to recover a lost pet, including due to:

- Nobody finding and scanning the tag - Finder unable or unwilling to contact you - Notification delivery delay or failure - Technical issues with the service - Events outside our reasonable control (carrier outages, ISP issues, natural disasters, acts of government)

  • Actions of finders or third parties — we cannot control or be

responsible for what a finder does with information shown on the scan page

  • Medical outcomes related to medical notes shown on the scan page

Our total cumulative liability to you for any claim arising from or related to PawShield is limited to the greater of:

  • The amount you paid PawShield in the 12 months preceding the claim, or
  • CAD $100

This limitation applies even if the remedy fails of its essential purpose, even if the liability results from our negligence, and even if we've been advised of the possibility of such damages.

14.3 Specifically about lost-pet outcomes

We understand that losing a pet is emotionally devastating. We built PawShield to help. But we cannot guarantee outcomes.

Critical to understand:

  • The tag relies on someone else finding your pet and scanning it
  • If no one scans, the service cannot help
  • If notification delivery fails for any reason (your phone is off,

carrier outage, service failure), you may not know the scan happened

  • The service is a tool that dramatically improves the odds of a

reunion compared to no tag at all — but it's not a guarantee

We strongly recommend:

  • Complementary protection — a microchip (implanted by your vet)

is the gold standard for lost-pet recovery alongside a visible tag

  • Keep your account updated — outdated phone numbers, emails, or

pet photos make the service less effective

  • Test your alerts — use the "Send me a test" buttons in settings

periodically to confirm your notification channels work on your current devices

14.4 Jurisdiction-specific limits

Ontario and Quebec residents: Consumer protection laws in your province may override some provisions of this section. To the extent they do, the rest of this section still applies.

Quebec residents specifically: Under the Consumer Protection Act (Quebec), certain consumer rights cannot be waived. Nothing in these Terms waives those rights.

15. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless PawShield, its officers, employees, and partners from claims, damages, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from:

  • Your use of the service
  • Your violation of these Terms
  • Your violation of any law or third-party right
  • Content you upload (e.g. someone sues us because you uploaded their

photo without permission)

This survives termination of your account.

16. Governing law and dispute resolution

16.1 Governing law

These Terms and any disputes arising from them are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles.

(Adjust if you incorporate in a different province.)

16.2 Informal resolution first

Before filing a claim, you agree to try to resolve the issue with us directly. Email support@pawshieldpet.net with a description of the problem. We'll make a good-faith effort to resolve it within 30 days.

16.3 Courts

Any unresolved legal claim must be filed in the courts of the Province of Ontario (or, for small-claim matters in any other Canadian province, the small claims court of that province). You and we both consent to the jurisdiction of those courts.

16.4 No class actions (to the extent permitted by law)

You agree to bring claims only in your individual capacity, not as a plaintiff or class member in a class or representative action. This may not be enforceable in all circumstances under Canadian law; where it is not, the rest of this section still applies.

16.5 Time limit

Any claim against PawShield must be filed within 1 year of when you learned or should have learned of the facts giving rise to the claim. After that, you forever waive the claim. This is shorter than some provincial limitation periods — if the province's minimum limit is longer, that longer period applies.

17. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms as the product evolves. For material changes:

  • We will update the "Last updated" date at the top
  • We will notify account holders by email at least 30 days before

the change takes effect

  • Continuing to use the service after the effective date means you

accept the changes. If you don't accept, you can close your account before the effective date.

Non-material changes (typo fixes, clarifications) may not trigger notification.

18. Miscellaneous

18.1 Entire agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any order confirmations, are the entire agreement between you and PawShield regarding the service.

18.2 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the rest of these Terms continue to apply. The unenforceable provision will be modified only to the minimum extent needed to make it enforceable while preserving the intent.

18.3 No waiver

Our failure to enforce any part of these Terms in a specific instance does not waive our right to enforce it in other instances.

18.4 Assignment

You cannot transfer your account or any rights under these Terms without our written permission. We may transfer our rights and obligations (e.g. in case of acquisition, restructuring) on prior notice to you.

18.5 No agency

Nothing in these Terms creates a partnership, joint venture, agency, franchise, or employment relationship between you and PawShield.

18.6 Force majeure

We're not liable for failure to perform due to events outside our reasonable control: natural disasters, war, terrorism, riots, embargoes, governmental actions, internet/network outages, pandemic, strikes, or supplier failures.

19. Contact

Service and support

Email: support@pawshieldpet.net

Legal and terms

Email: legal@pawshieldpet.net

Postal mail

PawShield
[Your mailing address]
[City, Province  Postal Code]
Canada

Quick summary (not legally binding — read the full Terms above)

  • You buy a physical tag; we provide the software service for scans

and alerts. Both are a one-time purchase today.

  • Ship within 2 business days; 30-day refund window; 12-month

replacement warranty.

  • You're responsible for keeping your info accurate.
  • What you upload (pet photos, medical notes) is yours; we only use

it to run the service.

  • SMS is opt-in; reply STOP or ARRÊT to unsubscribe.
  • The service isn't a guarantee your pet will be found — it's a tool

that dramatically improves the odds.

  • Our liability is limited to what you paid us or $100, whichever is

greater.

  • Disputes are handled under Ontario law.

This summary is for convenience. The Terms above are what you're actually agreeing to.