Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using BreederCheck ("the Site"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, you must not use the Site. We reserve the right to modify these terms at any time. Continued use of the Site after modifications constitutes acceptance of updated terms.

2. Description of Service

BreederCheck is a free public service that provides access to USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) animal welfare inspection data. We aggregate, organize, and present publicly available government records to make them accessible and understandable for consumers. The Site includes facility search, inspection reports, violation details, compliance grades, and related informational content.

3. Important Disclaimer — Not Professional Advice

The information on this Site is provided for general informational purposes only. It should not be used as the sole basis for any purchasing decision, legal action, or business judgment. Specifically:

• We are not affiliated with the USDA, APHIS, or any federal, state, or local government agency.
• Our facility grades (A+ to F) are our own analysis of public data and do not represent official USDA ratings or endorsements.
• Inspection data may be incomplete or delayed. There may be a gap between when an inspection occurs and when it appears in our database.
• A high grade does not guarantee that a facility is currently in compliance or that animals are well-treated.
• A low grade does not necessarily mean animals are in immediate danger — it reflects historical compliance patterns.
• We strongly recommend visiting any breeder in person before purchasing an animal, regardless of their grade on this Site.

You assume all risk associated with using this information for any purpose. We are not responsible for any decisions you make based on data presented on this Site.

4. Data Accuracy and Sources

All breeder and facility data on this Site comes from the USDA APHIS public inspection reports, which are public domain under federal law (17 U.S.C. § 105). While we strive to present this data accurately:

• We make no warranties about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of the data.
• Data may contain errors introduced during USDA collection, our import process, or parsing of inspection report PDFs.
• Facility names, addresses, and other details may have changed since the data was last updated.
• For the most current and authoritative data, always verify with the official USDA Animal Care Public Search Tool.

5. Acceptable Use

You agree to use this Site only for lawful purposes. You may not:

• Use the Site for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable laws
• Engage in automated scraping, crawling, or bulk downloading of data without prior written permission
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our servers, databases, or systems
• Use the data to harass, threaten, defame, or intimidate any individual or business
• Misrepresent the data or our grades as official government ratings
• Interfere with the Site's operation or impose an unreasonable load on our infrastructure
• Use the Site to send spam, phishing messages, or distribute malware

6. Intellectual Property

The underlying USDA inspection data is public domain and not subject to copyright. However:

• The Site's design, code, CSS, JavaScript, layout, grading algorithms, and original content are protected by copyright and are the property of BreederCheck.
• The BreederCheck name and logo are our trademarks.
• You may link to our pages but may not reproduce our design, layout, or original content without permission.

7. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW:

• BreederCheck is provided "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.
• We shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of or inability to use the Site.
• We shall not be liable for any loss, injury, claim, liability, or damage related to your use of any facility, breeder, or service found through this Site.
• We shall not be liable for any errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in the data presented.

8. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless BreederCheck, its operators, affiliates, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, or expenses (including legal fees) arising from your use of the Site, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of a third party.

9. Third-Party Links

This Site may contain links to third-party websites, including USDA.gov, original inspection report documents, and advertiser websites. We are not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or terms of service of third-party sites. Access them at your own risk.

10. Data Correction Requests

If you believe any data on this Site is inaccurate, outdated, or unfairly presented, you may contact us at [email protected] with specific details. We will review your request and, where appropriate, update or correct the information. Note that we present data as published by USDA APHIS — we cannot alter official government records.

11. Termination

We reserve the right to restrict or terminate your access to the Site at any time, without notice, for any reason, including violation of these Terms.

12. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United States. Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the Site shall be resolved in the courts of the applicable jurisdiction.

13. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

14. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms at any time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. Your continued use of the Site after any changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

15. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms of Service, please email us at [email protected].