Legal
Terms of Service
Effective October 1, 2026
Last updated September 2, 2026
01Introduction
These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the VetWise website, mobile application, and related services (together, the "Service") operated by VetWise Incorporated (Canada) and VetWise USA Inc. (United States) (together, "VetWise", "we", "us", or "our"). The Service includes: • Telemedicine consultations — on-demand consultations with licensed veterinarians for your pet; • After-hours call services — call answering, triage, and messaging provided on behalf of participating veterinary practices; • SMS notifications — automated text messages sent to you in connection with the Service; and • The website and application through which these services are accessed. These Terms apply to everyone who accesses or uses the Service, including pet owners, website visitors, and authorized users of participating veterinary practices. By creating an account, booking a consultation, or otherwise using the Service, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service. If you believe your pet is experiencing a life-threatening emergency, do not wait for a consultation — contact the nearest emergency veterinary hospital or call 911 immediately.
02Eligibility and Accounts
You must be at least 18 years old to create an account or book a consultation. You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information and to keep it up to date. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. Notify us promptly at info@getvetwise.com if you suspect unauthorized use of your account.
03Telemedicine Consultations
3.1 Nature of the service. A telemedicine consultation is conducted remotely by a veterinarian licensed in the jurisdiction where permitted by law to provide the service to you. The consulting veterinarian will assess the information you provide and may diagnose, recommend treatment, or prescribe medication where legally permitted and where the veterinarian determines it is appropriate. Consultations may involve written messages, images, audio, or video, depending on the service you book. 3.2 Your responsibilities. You are responsible for providing accurate and complete information about your pet, including its history, current condition, medications, and any relevant records or images. The quality of the consultation depends on the information you provide. You should contact your regular veterinary practice for follow-up care and share the records of any consultation with them. 3.3 Not an emergency service. The Service is not a substitute for in-person emergency care. If your pet's condition is urgent, worsening, or life-threatening, seek immediate in-person care. If symptoms worsen at any time, contact us at 1 (888) 243-1411 or seek emergency care. 3.4 No guaranteed outcome. Veterinary medicine is not an exact science. We do not guarantee any particular diagnosis, treatment outcome, or result from a consultation. 3.5 Record of consultation. We may record, transcribe, and document consultations as described in Section 6 and in our Privacy Policy. A record of your consultation may be shared with the veterinary practice on whose behalf the service is provided, or with your regular veterinary practice as you direct.
04Fees and Payment
4.1 Fees for consultations and other services are presented to you before you book. You will not be charged when you book; we will place an authorization hold on your payment method for the applicable amount. You will be charged after the consultation is completed (or as otherwise stated at booking). 4.2 You authorize VetWise and its payment processors to charge your payment method for all fees applicable to your use of the Service, and you represent that you are authorized to use the payment method provided. Payment processing is handled by third-party payment providers subject to their own terms and our Privacy Policy. 4.3 All fees are in the currency presented at booking. Applicable taxes may be added. If a charge is disputed, contact our care team at info@getvetwise.com. 4.4 Refunds. Where a refund is issued, it is limited to the amount you paid for the applicable consultation or service. Contact our care team at info@getvetwise.com regarding any refund request.
05SMS Notifications
When you provide your phone number in connection with the Service, we may send you automated text messages (for example, callback confirmations, queue updates, and follow-up reminders) on behalf of the participating veterinary practice or in connection with your consultation. Message and data rates may apply. You can opt out at any time by replying STOP; you will receive one confirmation message and no further messages. Full program details are in Section 16 (SMS Text Message Program).
06Recording, Consultation Data, and How We Use It
6.1 Recording and transcription. Calls, consultations, and other service interactions may be recorded and transcribed for quality assurance, safety, staff training, and documentation purposes, and as described in our Privacy Policy. Callers to our phone services will hear a brief notice that the call may be recorded. 6.2 Consultation Data. "Consultation Data" means recordings, transcripts, notes, messages, images, and related records generated in connection with a consultation or other service interaction. 6.3 License. To the extent you hold any rights in Consultation Data, you grant VetWise and its affiliates a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive, transferable license to use, reproduce, store, process, adapt, and create derivative works from Consultation Data: (a) to provide, operate, maintain, secure, and improve the Service; (b) for quality assurance, clinical safety, and staff training; and (c) to develop, train, evaluate, and improve products and technologies, including automated decision-making and machine-learning systems — provided that Consultation Data used under this subsection (c) is first De-identified as defined in Section 6.4. This license extends to our affiliates and to service providers acting on our behalf, who are bound by confidentiality and use restrictions consistent with these Terms. 6.4 De-identification. "De-identified" means Consultation Data from which identifying information has been removed using reasonable and documented measures, including removal of names, contact information, account identifiers, and other direct identifiers, such that the data cannot reasonably be expected to identify an individual, applying recognized de-identification standards and verification of the result. We will not attempt to re-identify De-identified data except to verify that it meets this standard or as required by law. 6.5 No sale of identifiable data. We will not sell or rent identifiable Consultation Data or your personal information. De-identified data may be used and retained as described in these Terms and our Privacy Policy. 6.6 Practice users. Where you use the Service on behalf of a veterinary practice, records are created on behalf of the practice and remain the practice's medical records. The license in Section 6.3 is the basis on which VetWise processes Consultation Data for the practice. A practice may direct that its Consultation Data be excluded from the uses in Section 6.3(c) by written notice to privacy@getvetwise.com; exclusion applies to interactions occurring after we receive the notice and does not apply to data already De-identified and in use.
07Content You Provide
7.1 The Service allows you to submit content, including messages, notes, and images of your pet ("Your Content"). You retain ownership of Your Content. Nothing in these Terms transfers ownership of Your Content to VetWise. 7.2 You grant VetWise and its affiliates a limited, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, store, and process Your Content solely (i) to provide the Service to you and the participating veterinary practice, (ii) as described in Section 6 with respect to Consultation Data, and (iii) as required by law. You represent that you have the right to submit Your Content and that it does not infringe the rights of any third party.
08Acceptable Use
You agree not to use the Service: • In any way that violates applicable law or regulation; • To submit false, misleading, or fraudulent information, including fraudulent booking or payment information; • To transmit material that is unlawful, defamatory, abusive, harassing, or otherwise objectionable; • To impersonate any person or entity; • To attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Service, its systems, or other users' accounts; • To interfere with or disrupt the Service or its infrastructure; • To misuse emergency or urgent-care channels.
09Intellectual Property
The Service and its original content, features, and functionality (excluding Your Content) are and will remain the exclusive property of VetWise and its licensors, and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other laws of Canada, the United States, and other countries. Our trademarks and trade dress may not be used in connection with any product or service without our prior written consent. You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works of the Service's content for commercial purposes without our express written permission.
10Participating Veterinary Practices
If you are a veterinary practice using the Service, your use is governed by these Terms together with any separate service agreement between your practice and VetWise. If a term of your service agreement conflicts with these Terms, your service agreement governs with respect to that practice relationship. You are responsible for your staff's compliance with these Terms and for any authorizations you give us to act on your behalf with your clients.
11Third-Party Links and Services
The Service may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not owned or controlled by VetWise. We have no control over, and assume no responsibility for, their content, privacy practices, or terms. We strongly advise you to read the terms and privacy policies of any third-party service you use.
12Termination
We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service for breach of these Terms, fraudulent or abusive conduct, or where required by law. If you wish to terminate your account, contact us at info@getvetwise.com or discontinue use of the Service. Sections that by their nature should survive termination — including Sections 6, 7, 9, 13, 14, 15, and 18 — will survive.
13Disclaimers
13.1 The Service is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. To the maximum extent permitted by law, VetWise disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. 13.2 We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free, or that results of using the Service will meet your requirements. 13.3 Telemedicine consultations involve inherent limitations, including the absence of in-person examination and reliance on the information you provide. Veterinary medicine involves judgment and uncertainty, and we do not guarantee any particular outcome. 13.4 Nothing in these Terms limits any right or remedy you have under applicable consumer protection legislation, including the Consumer Protection Act, 2002 (Ontario), or limits our liability for professional negligence or for any matter that cannot be limited or excluded by law.
14Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, in no event shall VetWise, its directors, officers, employees, contractors, or affiliates be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including loss of profits, data, or goodwill, arising from or relating to your use of or inability to use the Service, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. To the maximum extent permitted by law, VetWise's total aggregate liability arising from or relating to the Service or these Terms is limited to the amounts you paid to VetWise in the twelve (12) months preceding the event giving rise to the claim. This Section 14 does not apply to liability that cannot be limited or excluded by law, including liability for professional negligence.
15Indemnification
To the maximum extent permitted by law, you agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless VetWise and its affiliates, and their employees, contractors, and agents, from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of (i) your use of the Service, (ii) Your Content, or (iii) your breach of these Terms. This indemnity does not apply to the extent a claim arises from our professional negligence or our breach of these Terms.
16SMS Text Message Program
Program name and description: VetWise SMS Notifications — automated text messages sent to pet owners after they leave a callback request with VetWise's automated virtual receptionist, on behalf of participating veterinary clinics, and in connection with telemedicine consultations. Message frequency: Message frequency varies. You may receive a confirmation when you leave a callback request, follow-up questions, and callback/queue updates from clinic staff. Cost: Message and data rates may apply. How to get help: Reply HELP to any message, or email support@getvetwise.com. How to opt out: Reply STOP to any message at any time. You will receive a single confirmation message and no further messages will be sent. Carrier liability: Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. For information on how we handle data collected through SMS, see our Privacy Policy.
17Governing Law and Disputes
These Terms are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. You agree that any dispute arising from or relating to these Terms or the Service will be resolved in the courts of Ontario, and you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of those courts. Nothing in this section limits any rights you may have under applicable consumer protection legislation, including the right to bring a claim in your local jurisdiction where required by law.
18Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. If a revision is material, we will provide at least 30 days' notice before the revised Terms take effect, by posting a notice on the Service and updating the "Effective Date" at the top of these Terms. By continuing to access or use the Service after the revised Terms take effect, you agree to be bound by them. If you do not agree to the revised Terms, you should stop using the Service.
19General
If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect. Our failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver. These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any service agreement applicable to you, constitute the entire agreement between you and VetWise regarding the Service.
20Contact Us
If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us: • By email: info@getvetwise.com • By phone: 1 (888) 243-1411 • By mail (Canada): VetWise Incorporated, 2400 Guelph Line, Burlington, Ontario, L7P 4M7, Canada • By mail (USA): VetWise USA Inc., 1110 Brickell Ave., Suite 505, Miami, FL 33131, USA