Terms of Service

1. The Service

Best Friend is a nonprofit movement working to end animal shelter overcapacity. The Service shares information and tools that help people adopt, foster, transport, and volunteer for animals through local shelters and rescues; helps volunteers organize in their own communities; and offers ways to share the mission with others. The Service is free to use.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to submit any form or take part in any program on the Service. If you are between 13 and 18, you may browse the Service only with the permission of a parent or guardian. The Service is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their personal information. If a minor brings a claim, Section 19 applies only to the extent the law allows.

3. Our Nonprofit Status; No Donations

Best Friend is operated by Apollo Foundation Inc, a Wyoming nonprofit corporation recognized by the IRS as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. We do not currently accept donations or grants, and we never ask you for money to take part in the Service. We never ask for money by phone, text, social media, gift card, cryptocurrency, or payment app, and no volunteer or Local Leader may collect money in our name. If anyone asks you for money in Best Friend's name, it is not us — report it to team@best-friend.org and to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you want to give, give directly to your local shelter or rescue.

4. Adoption, Fostering, Transport, and Volunteering: We Connect, Others Decide

Plain English: We help you find shelters and rescues near you. We do not run them, we do not own the animals, and we do not approve adoptions. Every adoption, foster, drive, or volunteer shift is between you and that organization, on its rules.

(a) We are a connector only. The Service helps you find shelters, rescues, foster programs, transport coordinators, and other animal-welfare organizations ("Organizations"). We do not own, operate, supervise, or control any Organization, and we do not own, house, screen, or place any animal. Organizations are independent of us. Each Organization alone decides whether to approve an adoption, foster placement, drive, or volunteer role, and on what terms.

(b) Listings may be out of date. Information about Organizations and animals (including names, photos, descriptions, health, temperament, availability, and location) comes from the Organizations themselves or from third-party data sources. We do not verify it and cannot guarantee it is accurate, complete, or current. An animal shown may already be adopted. Always confirm directly with the Organization.

(c) Animals are unpredictable. Every animal, however gentle it seems, can bite, scratch, escape, carry illness or parasites, or behave in ways no one expected, and animals can cause allergic reactions or damage to property. Driving, handling, and caring for animals carries a risk of injury. You choose whether to adopt, foster, transport, or volunteer, and you knowingly accept these risks. Follow each Organization's instructions, health and safety requirements, and screening process, and consult a licensed veterinarian about any animal's health.

(d) Your arrangements are with the Organization. Any adoption agreement, foster agreement, fee, waiver, insurance requirement, or volunteer arrangement is solely between you and the Organization. Transport drivers are responsible for their own vehicles, licenses, and insurance and for obeying traffic laws. We are not a party to any of it and are not responsible for any Organization's decisions, fees, policies, or conduct.

(e) Release. YOU RELEASE THE RELEASED PARTIES (DEFINED IN Section 17) FROM CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF THE ACTS OR OMISSIONS OF ANY ORGANIZATION, ANY ANIMAL, OR ANY OTHER PERSON YOU LEARNED ABOUT OR DEALT WITH THROUGH THE SERVICE, INCLUDING ANY ADOPTION, FOSTER PLACEMENT, TRANSPORT, OR VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY. THIS RELEASE DOES NOT COVER CLAIMS CAUSED BY OUR OWN NEGLIGENCE, GROSS NEGLIGENCE, FRAUD, WILLFUL MISCONDUCT, OR VIOLATION OF LAW, AND IT APPLIES ONLY TO THE EXTENT THE LAW OF YOUR STATE ALLOWS.

(f) Not affiliated. Best Friend is independent. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any Organization we list, or by any other animal-welfare organization with a similar name, unless we say so expressly.

5. Local Leaders and Community Organizers

If you apply or are accepted to help organize Best Friend's work in your area ("Local Leader"), these terms also apply:

(a) You are a volunteer for charitable purposes only. You serve Apollo Foundation Inc's charitable mission, without pay and with no expectation of pay, and your volunteer work is not performed for any other organization, including any organization affiliated with us. Taking part does not make you our employee, agent, partner, or legal representative, and it creates no right to pay, benefits, or reimbursement unless a separate written agreement signed by us says otherwise. If you are also paid by us or by an affiliated organization, you may not volunteer to do the same kind of work you are paid for. Before you begin, you may be asked to accept a separate volunteer agreement.

(b) No authority to act for us. You may not sign agreements, accept money, make promises, or speak to the media on behalf of Best Friend, or open accounts in its name, without our prior written approval. You may say that you are a volunteer Local Leader working with Best Friend.

(c) Our name and materials. We grant you a limited, revocable, non-transferable right to use the Best Friend name, logo, and playbook materials only to carry out approved activities, in line with our brand guidelines. The right ends when you stop being a Local Leader or when we ask you to stop. Our playbooks, templates, and materials remain ours and are confidential unless we publish them.

(d) Your conduct. You will follow the law, each Organization's rules, and these Terms; treat people and animals with care; never collect money in our name; and handle anyone's personal information only as they expect and the law allows. Never share the name, location, or contact details of any person you help — especially anyone escaping abuse — with anyone, except as that person asks. We may end your role at any time.

6. Sharing Tools

The Service offers share links and tools that let you see how far something you shared has traveled. Share links may carry a code so we can count how often your share is opened; we describe what we measure in our Privacy Policy. Sharing earns no money, points, or prizes, and a share count is not a promise of any result. Share only with people you believe will welcome it, and never send bulk or unsolicited messages (including texts or automated calls) using our name or links.

7. Job and Role Applications

Submitting an application, video, or expression of interest is not an offer of work and creates no employment, contractor, or other relationship, and no promise of pay. Any role is offered only in a separate written agreement, which names the organization that would engage you — and that may be a different organization from the one whose site you applied on. We may share your application and video with the organizations we recruit alongside, which may be under common control with us, only to consider you for a role, and never to promote anything. If any automated or AI tool will review your video, we will tell you before you submit and ask for your consent. You may ask us to delete your video at any time; we will do so, and ask the organizations we shared it with to do so, within 30 days. Descriptions of a role or its potential are general and are not a promise of any income or result.

8. Not an Emergency or Crisis Service

The Service is not an emergency, crisis, or counseling service, and we do not monitor forms or messages in real time. We may not see what you send us for days, and sending it does not create any duty for us to respond or act. If you or anyone else is in danger, call 911 now. Domestic violence: National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-7233, or text START to 88788. Veterans: dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255. Anyone in crisis: call or text 988. These services are run by independent organizations; we list them for your convenience.

9. What You Send Us

When you submit information, messages, stories, photos, videos, or other content through the Service ("Your Content"), you confirm that it is accurate, that you have the right to share it, and that sharing it does not violate anyone's rights or any law. You keep ownership of Your Content. You give us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license — which we may sublicense to our service providers only to operate the Service — to host, store, copy, and display Your Content to operate the Service. We will publish or use Your Content publicly (including a story, photo, video, name, or likeness) only if you give separate, express permission for that use at the time, and you may withdraw that permission for future use at any time. You may not submit an identifiable image of a child without a parent or guardian's permission. We will never publish anything that reveals where a person lives or stays. We may remove any content for any lawful reason.

10. Calls and Texts

We call or text you only if you give separate permission on a form, by checking a box that is never pre-checked and is never required to use the Service. Message frequency varies, and message and data rates may apply. You can withdraw that permission at any time by replying STOP, or by telling us in any reasonable way, and we will honor it promptly.

11. Automated Access and Security

You may not: (a) use bots, scrapers, crawlers, or other automated means to access, copy, or collect content or data from the Service, except through interfaces we publish for that purpose (such as our APIs, feeds, sitemaps, and machine-readable files) and in line with our robots.txt file; (b) decompile, reverse-engineer, or attempt to derive the source code of the Service, except where applicable law expressly allows it despite this limit; (c) probe, scan, or test the security of the Service, or get around any access control, rate limit, or other security measure; (d) submit automated, fake, or bulk entries through any form; (e) introduce malware or otherwise interfere with the Service's operation; or (f) frame or mirror the Service. If you find a security problem, report it to team@best-friend.org and do not access, change, or keep data that is not yours. We will not pursue legal claims against good-faith security research that avoids harm to people and data, stops once it has shown the problem, and is reported to us promptly, even if it would otherwise break item (c).

12. Acceptable Use

You will not use the Service to: break any law; harm, harass, threaten, or deceive anyone; impersonate any person or organization, or misstate your connection to us; submit anyone else's personal information without their permission; send spam; or post content that is unlawful, infringing, defamatory, hateful, or sexually explicit. We may suspend or end your access if you break these rules.

13. Intellectual Property; Copyright Complaints

The Service — including our name, logos, text, design, and software — belongs to us or our licensors and is protected by law. We grant you a limited, personal, revocable right to view and use the Service for its intended purpose. No other right is granted. Other organizations' names and marks belong to their owners and appear here only to identify them. To report content you believe infringes your copyright, send a notice to our copyright agent at team@best-friend.org or by mail to 312 W 2nd St #2577, Casper, WY 82601. It must include: your physical or electronic signature; identification of the copyrighted work; identification of the material and where it appears on the Service; your contact details; a statement of your good-faith belief that the use is not authorized; and a statement, under penalty of perjury, that your notice is accurate and that you are the owner or authorized to act for the owner. We remove infringing material and end the access of repeat infringers.

14. Partner Links and Disclosures

Some links on the Service are partner links: when you sign up with or buy from certain partners, we may receive a payment, at no extra cost to you. Our partner disclosures (best-friend.org/legal) are part of these Terms. We do not accept payment to list, rank, or recommend any shelter, rescue, or animal-welfare organization. Where a link is a partner link, we say so next to it. Any purchase you make from a partner is between you and that partner, on that partner's terms and prices.

15. Third Parties

The Service links to, and connects you with, websites, organizations, and services that we do not own or control, including animal shelters, rescues, and other animal-welfare organizations, partner companies, and social-media platforms. We are not responsible for their content, policies, availability, decisions, or conduct, and we do not endorse them unless we say so expressly. Your dealings with them are solely between you and them, on their terms.

16. Disclaimers; No Professional Advice

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, ACCURACY, AND UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE OPERATION. Information on the Service is general information only. It is not veterinary, medical, behavioral, legal, tax, or financial advice, and it does not replace advice from a qualified professional who knows your situation. Goals, timelines, and results described on the Service are aims, not promises or predictions.

17. Limitation of Liability

In these Terms, the "Released Parties" are Best Friend and its officers, directors, members, employees, volunteers, contractors, agents, licensors, successors, and assigns.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW: (A) THE RELEASED PARTIES WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOST PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, OR GOODWILL, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SERVICE OR THESE TERMS, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THEIR POSSIBILITY; AND (B) THE RELEASED PARTIES' TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SERVICE OR THESE TERMS WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF $100 OR THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM AROSE. These limits apply to every theory of liability, and even if a remedy fails of its essential purpose. They do not limit liability that the law does not allow to be limited, such as liability for gross negligence, willful misconduct, or fraud where that rule applies.

18. Indemnity

You will indemnify the Released Parties against third-party claims, and the resulting losses and reasonable legal fees, to the extent caused by (a) Your Content or (b) your violation of these Terms or of the law. This does not apply to the extent a claim results from a Released Party's own negligence or misconduct. We will notify you promptly of any such claim, and we will not settle it in a way that admits fault on your behalf without your consent.

19. Disputes: Individual Arbitration; Class Waiver

Plain English: Before any case, tell us about the problem in writing and give us 60 days to fix it. If that fails, the dispute goes to individual arbitration — not court, not a class action, no jury. Small-claims court always stays open. You can opt out of arbitration within 30 days of first accepting these Terms. If we ever change this section, you can refuse the change.

(a) Talk to us first. Before starting an arbitration or court case, the party with the dispute must send the other a written notice describing it, the relief sought, and how to reach them (to us: team@best-friend.org; to you: the email you gave us). Both sides will try in good faith to resolve it for 60 days, including by a phone or video call if either side asks. This step is required before any case is filed, and deadlines to sue are paused while it runs.

(b) Binding individual arbitration. Except as stated below, any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service will be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, by one arbitrator, in English. Hearings will take place by videoconference or in the county where you live. For claims you bring as a consumer, we will pay any AAA filing fee above $25 and the arbitrator and administrative fees the AAA rules require us to pay. We will not seek our attorneys' fees or costs from you in arbitration unless the arbitrator finds your claim frivolous or brought for an improper purpose, and nothing here limits any right you have by law to recover attorneys' fees and costs. The arbitrator decides all questions about the scope, validity, and enforceability of this arbitration agreement, except that a court decides whether this arbitration agreement was ever formed and any question about paragraph (c) or (d).

(c) Class action and jury waiver. TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, YOU AND BEST FRIEND EACH WAIVE ANY RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL AND TO BRING OR TAKE PART IN ANY CLASS, COLLECTIVE, CONSOLIDATED, OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION. The arbitrator may award relief only to the individual party seeking it, and only as needed for that party's individual claim. If this paragraph (c) is found unenforceable as to any claim, that claim (and only that claim) will be decided in court, after all arbitrable claims are arbitrated.

(d) Mass filings. If twenty-five (25) or more similar demands are filed by or with the help of the same or coordinated counsel, the AAA's Mass Arbitration Supplementary Rules and fee schedule will apply. Any limitations period for each demand is paused from the date the demand is filed until it is resolved. Nothing in this paragraph lets either side delay paying fees that the AAA rules or applicable law require.

(e) Exceptions. Either side may bring an individual claim in small-claims court, and either side may ask a court for an injunction to stop misuse of its intellectual property or confidential information. Nothing in these Terms waives any right to seek public injunctive relief that the law does not allow to be waived; any such claim will be decided in court, and stayed until all arbitrable claims are resolved.

(f) Your right to opt out. You may opt out of this arbitration agreement by emailing team@best-friend.org or writing to us at the address in Section 23 within 30 days after you first accept these Terms, stating your name and that you opt out of arbitration. Opting out does not affect any other part of these Terms.

(g) Changes to this section. If we change this section, the change will not apply to any claim that arose, or any dispute noticed under paragraph (a), before the change takes effect. You may also reject the change by emailing or writing to us within 30 days after it takes effect; the version you last agreed to will then continue to apply to you.

(h) Governing law and venue. These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Wyoming and the Federal Arbitration Act, without regard to conflict-of-laws rules. Any claim that proceeds in court (other than in small-claims court) must be brought in the state or federal courts located in Natrona County, Wyoming, and both sides consent to their jurisdiction. This choice of law does not take away protections of your state's consumer laws that cannot be waived by contract.

20. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms. We will post the new version here with a new "Last updated" date. For a material change, we will give at least 30 days' notice by posting it on the Service and, if we have your email for an ongoing program, by email. A change applies only from its effective date and never to a claim that arose before it. If you submit a form or take part in a program after that date, you accept the change when you agree to it on that form. Changes to the arbitration section follow Section 19(g).

21. Ending Your Use

You may stop using the Service at any time. We may suspend or end your access to any part of the Service if you break these Terms or if we need to protect people, animals, or the Service. Sections that by their nature should continue after your use ends — including Section 13, Section 16, Section 17, Section 18, Section 19, and Section 22, and any release, license, or confidentiality term in these Terms — continue.

22. General

Electronic communications. You agree that we may give you notices, agreements, and other communications electronically — by email or by posting them on the Service — and that these satisfy any legal requirement that they be in writing. Clicking to accept or checking a box has the same effect as a handwritten signature. You may request a paper copy of these Terms at no charge by writing to team@best-friend.org.

Interpretation. Headings and plain-language summaries are for convenience only and do not change the meaning of these Terms. "Including" means "including without limitation." These Terms will not be read against either party because that party drafted them.

Severability. If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, it will be limited or removed only to the minimum extent necessary, and the rest of these Terms stays in full effect, except as Section 19 provides otherwise.

Entire agreement; assignment; waiver. These Terms, with the documents they incorporate, are the entire agreement between you and us about the Service. We may assign these Terms, including to a successor organization; you may not assign them without our written consent. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of it. Neither side is responsible for delays caused by events beyond its reasonable control.

Third-party beneficiaries. The Released Parties may enforce Section 17, Section 18, and Section 19, and any claim by or against them arising out of these Terms or the Service is subject to Section 19. Otherwise, these Terms create no rights for anyone other than you and us.

23. Contact

Apollo Foundation Inc · team@best-friend.org · 312 W 2nd St #2577, Casper, WY 82601