These Terms & Conditions ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Shelter OS platform (the "Service"), an animal welfare, rescue, adoption and shelter-management system. By creating an account, signing in, or otherwise using the Service, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and the Licensing Agreement below. If you do not agree, you may not use the Service.
Acceptance of Terms
By checking the acceptance box during sign-up or sign-in, you enter into a binding agreement with the operators of Shelter OS. If you are using the Service on behalf of an organization (such as a shelter or clinic), you represent that you are authorized to accept these Terms on its behalf.
Eligibility & Accounts
You must provide accurate, current, and complete information when registering and keep it up to date. You are responsible for safeguarding your credentials and for all activity under your account. Certain roles (Super Admin, Shelter Admin) are provisioned by administrators and are not available through self-registration. You must notify us promptly of any unauthorized use of your account.
Description of the Service
The Service provides tools for animal registration, medical and vaccination records, adoption applications, rescue coordination, lost & found matching, employee and foster management, donations, inventory, and related analytics. Features vary by user role and may change over time as the Service evolves.
Acceptable Use
You agree not to: (a) submit false, misleading, or fraudulent information (including fake rescue, adoption, or lost/found reports); (b) misuse animal, donor, or personal data; (c) attempt to gain unauthorized access to any account, data, or system; (d) upload malicious code or disrupt the Service; or (e) use the Service for any unlawful purpose or in violation of the rights of others.
Animal Welfare, Adoption & Rescue Disclaimer
Shelter OS is a coordination and record-keeping platform. It does not itself provide veterinary care, guarantee the health, temperament, or history of any animal, or guarantee the outcome of any adoption, rescue, foster, or discharge. Adoption approvals, discharges, and medical decisions are made by the relevant shelters, veterinarians, and users — not by the platform. Always seek qualified professional advice for the health and safety of animals in your care.
User Content & Data
You retain ownership of the content you submit (photos, descriptions, records). By submitting content, you grant the Service a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, store, display, and process that content solely to operate and improve the Service. You are responsible for ensuring you have the rights to any content you upload and that it does not infringe the rights of others.
Privacy
We collect and process personal information (such as your name, email, date of birth, and contact details) to provide the Service, including authentication, email verification, and role-appropriate features. We do not sell your personal data. Account activity may be logged for security and auditing. Use of the Service constitutes consent to this processing.
Licensing Agreement
Subject to your compliance with these Terms, you are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Service for its intended animal-welfare purposes. This license does not permit you to copy, resell, sublicense, reverse-engineer, or create derivative works of the platform, except as allowed by applicable law.
Third-party & open-source components
The Service is built with open-source software provided under their respective licenses, including React and Next.js. Map features use Leaflet and map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, provided under the Open Database License (ODbL). Those components remain the property of their respective owners and are used in accordance with their licenses.
Intellectual Property
The Shelter OS name, logo, design, and original software are the property of their owners and are protected by intellectual-property laws. Nothing in these Terms transfers ownership of the platform to you.
Termination
We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service if you violate these Terms or misuse the platform. You may stop using the Service at any time. Certain obligations (such as those relating to liability and intellectual property) survive termination.
Disclaimer & Limitation of Liability
The Service is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the operators of Shelter OS shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of, or inability to use, the Service.
Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by updating the effective date above. Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
Contact
Questions about these Terms or the Licensing Agreement can be directed to the platform administrators through your shelter or organization contact, or via the support channel provided within the Service.
By checking the acceptance box on the sign-up or sign-in screen, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to these Terms & Conditions and the Licensing Agreement.