Terms of Service

1. Marketplace Platform

CritterRoute is a marketplace that connects pet owners and breeders with independent, third-party pet transporters. We do not employ transporters and do not provide transportation services ourselves. Transporters are independent business owners who set their own rates, schedules, and service terms.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to use this platform. By creating an account, you represent that you meet this requirement and that the information you provide is accurate and complete.

3. Transporter Verification

We require transporters to submit verification documents including a driver's license, proof of insurance, and USDA/APHIS registration where applicable. Our admin team reviews these documents, but verification is not a guarantee of the transporter's performance, reliability, or suitability. Pet owners are encouraged to review transporter profiles, ratings, and reviews before booking.

4. Bookings and Contracts

All transport agreements are made directly between the pet owner and the transporter. Our Booking Summary and digital contract tools are provided for convenience only. CritterRoute is not a party to any transport agreement and bears no responsibility for the fulfillment of any booking.

5. Subscriptions and Payments

Transporter subscriptions are billed on a monthly basis. Lister booking fees are charged as described on the Pricing page. All fees are non-refundable unless otherwise stated. Subscriptions may be cancelled at any time; access continues until the end of the paid period.

6. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

• Provide false or misleading information on your profile or listings
• Harass, threaten, or abuse other users
• Intentionally use the platform solely to bypass booking protections or avoid platform fees, including arranging off-platform transactions with users you first connected with through CritterRoute
• Use the platform for any unlawful purpose
• Attempt to manipulate ratings or reviews
• Scrape, crawl, spider, or otherwise extract data from the platform by automated means or otherwise
• Harvest, collect, or compile contact information, names, or any other user data for any purpose, including external marketing or solicitation
• Export, copy, or re-use transporter or lister profiles, contact details, or listing data outside of the platform
• Use any data obtained through the platform to build a competing product, populate a third-party database, or contact users outside of the CritterRoute platform
• Reproduce, duplicate, or copy any portion of the platform's branding, design, source code, or proprietary content
• Reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or otherwise attempt to derive the source code or underlying algorithms of the platform

6a. Intellectual Property

All content on the CritterRoute platform, including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, icons, images, interface design, and software, is the exclusive property of CritterRoute and is protected by applicable intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works of, publicly display, or in any way exploit any of our proprietary content without our express prior written permission. The CritterRoute name, logo, and related marks are trademarks of CritterRoute and may not be used in connection with any product or service without our prior written consent.

6b. Data Use Restrictions

User data accessible through the platform — including transporter profiles, contact information, listing details, and booking history — is provided solely to facilitate transport transactions between users. You expressly agree not to: (a) harvest or systematically collect user data from the platform; (b) use any such data for external marketing, advertising, or solicitation; (c) sell, license, or otherwise transfer user data to any third party; or (d) use user data to build, train, or improve any competing product or service. Violation of this section may result in immediate account termination and may expose you to legal liability.

7. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, CRITTERROUTE AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AND AFFILIATES SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE OF THE PLATFORM, ANY TRANSPORT ARRANGED THROUGH THE PLATFORM, OR ANY HARM TO OR LOSS OF ANY ANIMAL.

CritterRoute is not liable for any loss, injury, illness, death, or damage to pets during transport, or for any disputes between pet owners and transporters. Our total aggregate liability to you for any claim arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the platform shall not exceed the total fees paid by you to CritterRoute in the three (3) months immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim.

8. Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate any account that violates these Terms or that we determine, in our sole discretion, is harmful to the platform or its users.

9. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms. We will notify registered users of material changes by email.

10. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. CRITTERROUTE DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE PLATFORM WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS. YOUR USE OF THE PLATFORM IS ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK.

11. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless CritterRoute and its officers, directors, employees, contractors, agents, licensors, and suppliers from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, awards, losses, costs, expenses, or fees (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to: (a) your use of the platform; (b) your violation of these Terms; (c) your listings, profile content, or communications with other users; (d) any transport service you provide or receive; or (e) your violation of any third-party rights, including intellectual property rights.

12. Governing Law

These Terms and any dispute arising out of or relating to them or the platform shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. To the extent any dispute is not subject to arbitration, you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Texas.

13. Binding Arbitration

PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY — IT AFFECTS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS.

Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the platform (including the validity, breach, termination, enforcement, or interpretation thereof) shall be resolved exclusively by binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, rather than in court. The arbitration shall be conducted in Texas. Each party will be responsible for their own attorneys' fees. The arbitrator's award shall be final and binding and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction.

Class Action Waiver: YOU AND CRITTERROUTE AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR OR ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION.

Exceptions: Either party may seek emergency injunctive or other equitable relief in a court of competent jurisdiction to prevent irreparable harm pending arbitration. Claims of intellectual property infringement are excluded from arbitration.

14. Pet Injury / Loss Disclaimer

CritterRoute is a neutral marketplace and is not responsible for the health, safety, injury, illness, death, or loss of any animal during or in connection with any transport arranged through the platform. All liability for the care and safe delivery of animals rests solely with the transporter. Pet owners are solely responsible for ensuring their pet is fit for transport and for verifying that any transporter they engage is appropriately qualified and insured.

15. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Visit our Support page.