Terms of Use

Effective date: August 11, 2026

These Terms of Use (“Terms”) govern your use of independentvet.com and the Independent Vet map, forms, content, and related services (collectively, the “Site”). By using the Site, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site.

Questions may be sent to info@independentvet.com.

Purpose of the Site

Independent Vet is an informational and editorial resource intended to help people discover veterinary practices that may be independently owned. We gather information from public sources, practice websites, community reports, owner submissions, corporate records, and other evidence. Our methodology and definition of independent ownership are explained on the Independent Vet List Methodology page.

Our classifications reflect editorial judgments based on the information reasonably available to us. They are not legal determinations about a practice’s ownership structure.

No Veterinary or Professional Advice

The Site does not provide veterinary, medical, legal, financial, employment, investment, brokerage, or other professional advice. It is not a substitute for consulting a qualified professional or independently investigating a veterinary practice.

If an animal may be experiencing an emergency, contact a veterinarian or an appropriate emergency service directly. Do not rely on the Site to determine whether a practice is open, available, qualified, or able to provide a particular service.

Listing Accuracy and No Endorsement

Practice ownership, personnel, services, hours, addresses, affiliations, and operating status can change without notice. Although we work to improve accuracy, we do not guarantee that any listing is complete, current, or error-free.

The presence, absence, verification, claim status, or placement of a practice does not constitute an endorsement, accreditation, recommendation, condemnation, or guarantee of clinical quality. Users should confirm important information directly with the practice and appropriate licensing or regulatory authorities.

To report a suspected error, use the map’s reporting tools or email info@independentvet.com.

Submissions, Reports, and Claims

When submitting practice information, reports, corrections, or claims, you represent that:

• The information is accurate to the best of your knowledge and is not deliberately misleading.
• You have the right and authority to provide it.
• Your submission does not violate another person’s privacy, confidentiality, intellectual-property, or other rights.
• If you claim or speak on behalf of a practice, you are an owner or an authorized representative of its owners.
• You will not submit patient medical information, payment-card information, passwords, or other unnecessary sensitive information.

You retain ownership of original material you submit. You grant Independent Vet a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to review, verify, reproduce, edit for clarity or length, publish, display, archive, and otherwise use the submission as reasonably necessary to operate and improve the Site and its listings. This license continues for material incorporated into listing history or editorial records, subject to the privacy rights described in our Privacy Policy.

We may contact you to verify a submission. We may accept, reject, edit, investigate, postpone, or remove any submission or listing in our editorial discretion. Submission does not guarantee publication, verification, or any particular classification.

The claim form identifies information, such as an approved practice message or social-media link, that may be displayed publicly. Contact information supplied only for verification is handled as described in the Privacy Policy.

Permitted Use

You may use the Site for lawful personal, informational, and internal business purposes consistent with these Terms. You may link to public Site pages in a way that does not falsely suggest sponsorship, endorsement, or affiliation.

Automated Access and Data Use

Except with our prior written permission, you may not use bots, crawlers, scrapers, scripts, browser automation, or other automated means to systematically access, monitor, copy, collect, extract, download, or harvest content or data from the Site.

You may not use Site content or data to reconstruct all or a material part of the Independent Vet database; create or enrich a competing directory, marketing database, lead list, or commercial data product; train, test, validate, or improve an artificial-intelligence or machine-learning system; or republish, license, sell, mirror, or otherwise commercially exploit the Site’s compiled data or editorial classifications.

You may not evade or attempt to evade rate limits, access controls, robot exclusions, security measures, or other technical restrictions. General-purpose search engines may index public pages solely for inclusion in publicly available search results, provided they follow our robots instructions and do not use the indexed material for the prohibited purposes above.

Public facts may not themselves be owned by Independent Vet. These restrictions apply to access to and use of the Site and to the Site’s protected selection, organization, verification work, original content, editorial classifications, and compilation.

Prohibited Use

Unless we give prior written permission, you may not:

• Interfere with the Site, introduce malicious code, probe for vulnerabilities, overload infrastructure, or disrupt another person’s use.
• Impersonate another person or practice, submit fraudulent claims, or misrepresent your authority or affiliation.
• Use Site information to harass, threaten, discriminate against, or unlawfully contact a person or practice.
• Remove attribution, copyright, trademark, or other proprietary notices.
• Use the Site for unlawful, deceptive, or abusive purposes.

Intellectual Property and Third-Party Materials

Independent Vet and its licensors retain their rights in the Site’s original content, branding, graphics, design, code, editorial classifications, and compilation. No rights are granted except the limited permission to use the Site under these Terms.

The map uses OpenStreetMap data and other third-party software or content subject to their respective licenses and terms. Third-party names and marks belong to their respective owners. Use of a third party’s name does not imply affiliation with or endorsement by that party.

Privacy

Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and retain information. By submitting information, you acknowledge that policy.

Third-Party Websites and Services

The Site may link to veterinary practices, social networks, map providers, public records, and other third-party resources. We do not control and are not responsible for their content, availability, security, products, services, or privacy practices. Visiting or dealing with a third party is at your own discretion and risk.

Site Availability and Changes

We may change, suspend, restrict, or discontinue any part of the Site; correct or remove content; or limit access when reasonably necessary for maintenance, security, legal compliance, abuse prevention, or editorial reasons. We do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free availability.

Disclaimers

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Site is provided “as is” and “as available” without warranties of any kind, express or implied. We disclaim implied warranties of accuracy, completeness, reliability, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and non-infringement. Nothing in these Terms excludes a warranty or right that applicable law does not permit us to exclude.

Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Independent Vet will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages; lost profits, opportunities, data, or goodwill; veterinary outcomes; decisions made in reliance on a listing; or conduct of a practice, user, or third party arising from or related to the Site.

Where liability cannot lawfully be excluded, it will be limited to the greatest extent permitted by applicable law. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain exclusions or limitations, so parts of this section may not apply to you.

Responsibility for Misuse

You are responsible for your use of the Site and your submissions. To the extent permitted by law, you agree to be responsible for claims, losses, or reasonable costs arising from your intentional misuse of the Site, fraudulent submission, violation of another person’s rights, or material breach of these Terms.

Applicable Law

These Terms are subject to applicable United States law and any mandatory consumer-protection laws that apply to you. Nothing in these Terms limits rights that cannot lawfully be waived.

Changes to These Terms

We may revise these Terms as the Site changes. Revised Terms become effective when posted with a new effective date. Your continued use of the Site after that date constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms to the extent permitted by law.

Contact

Questions about these Terms may be sent to info@independentvet.com.