VetCompass Terms of Use

Last Updated: May 22, 2025

Welcome to VetCompass. VetCompass is an online platform operated by Celestialboom, Lda. Celestialboom, Lda is a registered company responsible for developing and maintaining the VetCompass platform and its services. We may refer to VetCompass and Celestiaboom, Lda as "us", "we", or "our" throughout this document.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: VETCOMPASS PROVIDES VETERINARY TRIAGE GUIDANCE ONLY. IT IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL VETERINARY ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT. THE SERVICE DOES NOT CREATE A VETERINARIAN-CLIENT-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP (VCPR). IN THE EVENT OF A MEDICAL EMERGENCY OR IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR ANIMAL'S HEALTH, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR VETERINARIAN OR AN EMERGENCY VETERINARY CLINIC IMMEDIATELY.

1. Acceptance of Terms and Changes

• 1.1 Acceptance: By accessing or using any VetCompass services (including but not limited to our website, or other digital platforms – collectively, the "Platform" or "Services"), you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Use ("Terms") and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with these Terms, you must not use our Services.
• 1.2 Changes to Terms: We reserve the right to modify or update these Terms periodically in our sole discretion. We will notify you of significant changes, for instance, by updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page or through other communication channels. Your continued use of our Services after any such changes constitutes your acceptance of the new Terms. Any changes to the Terms of Use take immediate effect. It is your responsibility to review these Terms regularly.

2. User Eligibility

• 2.1 Age Requirement: You must be at least 18 years old, or the age of legal majority in your jurisdiction, to create an account and use our Services.
• 2.2 Accuracy of Information: By using our Services, you represent and warrant that all information you provide to VetCompass, including information about yourself and your animal(s), is accurate, current, and complete, and that you will maintain and promptly update your information to keep it accurate, current, and complete.
• 2.3 Intended Use: The Services are intended for personal, non-commercial use by animal owners or caretakers to obtain preliminary triage guidance regarding an animal's condition.

3. Scope and Nature of Services

• 3.1 Triage Guidance: VetCompass provides a platform to help users assess the urgency of a potential veterinary situation for their animal(s) based on information provided by the user. The guidance offered is for informational and preliminary assessment purposes only.
• 3.2 Not Veterinary Advice: You acknowledge and agree that VetCompass:
  • Does not provide veterinary diagnoses.
  • Does not offer veterinary treatment advice.
  • Does not prescribe medications.
  • Is not a substitute for a consultation with a qualified veterinarian.
  • Use of the Services does not establish a Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR).
• 3.3 User Responsibility: You are solely responsible for your animal's health and well-being. The triage guidance provided by VetCompass should not be used to disregard, delay, or avoid seeking professional veterinary advice or treatment. Always consult with a licensed veterinarian for any health concerns or before making any decisions related to your animal’s medical care.
• 3.4 Service Coverage: These Terms apply to all Services provided by us, including the VetCompass mobile application (if any), website, and any additional digital platforms and services, including future services we may develop.

4. License Grants

• 4.1 User License: Subject to your compliance with these Terms, we grant you a personal, revocable, non-exclusive, non-sublicensable, and non-transferable license to access and use our Services during the Term. This license is strictly for the Permitted Use as defined in these Terms (i.e., for personal, non-commercial use to obtain triage guidance for your animal).
• 4.2 Data License: You grant VetCompass an irrevocable, royalty-free, fully paid-up, worldwide license to access, collect, store, disclose, and use any data, information (including animal symptoms and history), records, and files that you load, transmit to, or enter into our Services ("User Data") for the purposes of:
  • Making our Services available to you, including providing triage guidance.
  • Developing, improving, and optimizing our Services, including our triage algorithms and AI models (if applicable).
  • Creating anonymized and aggregated data for research, statistical analysis, and to improve veterinary knowledge (this data will not personally identify you or your animal).
  • Complying with applicable laws and regulations.
  • Complying with reasonable audit and data retention policies.

5. User Account

• 5.1 Registration: To access certain features of the Services, you will need to create an account. This will typically require your name, email address, and preferred language. You may need to verify your email to access our Services. We may request additional, relevant information in the future to improve our Service delivery.
• 5.2 Account Security and Responsibility:
  • 5.2.1 User Information Protection: You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account login information (e.g., password) and are strictly prohibited from sharing it with anyone else. You are solely responsible and liable for all activities that occur under your account.
  • 5.2.2 Security Obligations: You agree to immediately notify VetCompass of any unauthorized use of your account or any other suspected breach of security. You can contact us via email at support@vetcompass.com (or your updated support email) with any security concerns.
  • 5.2.3 Liability and Account Management: VetCompass will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to comply with these security obligations, including theft or voluntary disclosure of your User Information, or misuse of your User Information by third parties. We reserve the right to disable, suspend, or terminate your account at our sole discretion if we suspect misuse, a violation of these Terms, or potential security risks, without prior notice or liability.

6. Service Features and Disclaimers

• 6.1 Triage Guidance Disclaimer:
  • Important: All triage guidance, suggestions, and information provided by VetCompass are supportive tools only, based on the information you provide. They are not definitive medical opinions.
  • You must exercise your own judgment and are solely responsible for deciding whether and when to seek professional veterinary care for your animal.
  • VetCompass is not liable for any decisions you make regarding your animal’s health or care, or for the outcome of any animal's condition, based on the use of our Services.
• 6.2 Information Provided: Information presented through the Services is for general informational and triage guidance purposes only. It is not intended to replace, and should not be interpreted as, professional veterinary judgment, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult current veterinary references, guidelines, and a licensed veterinarian for any health concerns.
• 6.3 Emergency Situations: In any situation you perceive as an emergency, or if your animal is experiencing severe symptoms, do not rely solely on VetCompass. Contact your veterinarian or an emergency veterinary clinic immediately.

7. Subscription and Fees (If Applicable)

• 7.1 Subscription Model: Access to certain features or the entirety of our Services may be subject to subscription fees. If applicable, subscription terms, including pricing and payment, will be managed through Stripe or other designated payment processors as indicated at the time of subscription.
• 7.2 Changes to Fees: Pricing and terms for subscriptions may change. We will provide reasonable notice of any such changes.
• 7.3 Usage Limits: We reserve the right to impose usage limits on certain features, even within paid plans, in cases of exceptionally high, abusive, or non-standard usage, potentially without prior notice, to ensure fair access and service stability for all users.
• 7.4 Third-Party Reliance: Due to our reliance on third-party services (e.g., cloud hosting, AI services) for certain features, service availability and performance may be affected by the performance or availability of those third-party services.

8. Third-Party Links

• 8.1 External Content: Our Services may contain links to third-party websites, resources, or services that are not owned or controlled by VetCompass. We are not responsible or liable for the content, services, products, availability, or practices of these external sites or resources. Accessing and using such third-party links is at your own risk, and you should review their terms and privacy policies.

9. Unlawful or Prohibited Use

• 9.1 Restrictions: You agree not to use the Services to:
  • Violate any applicable local, state, national, or international laws or regulations.
  • Infringe on the intellectual property rights of VetCompass or any third party.
  • Post, transmit, or share any content that is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, libelous, invasive of another's privacy, hateful, or racially, ethnically, or otherwise objectionable.
  • Post, transmit, or share any content that is misleading or false, especially regarding animal symptoms or conditions if it could lead to harmful misinterpretation of triage.
  • Attempt to use the Services for any commercial purposes not explicitly authorized by VetCompass.
  • Collect or store personal information about other users without their express consent.
  • Impersonate any person or entity or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity.
  • Attempt to gain unauthorized access to, interfere with, damage, or disrupt any parts of the Services, the server on which the Services are stored, or any server, computer, or database connected to the Services, including attempting to bypass our security features.
  • Transmit any viruses, worms, defects, Trojan horses, or any items of a destructive nature.

10. Data Protection

• 10.1 Privacy: We are committed to protecting your privacy and your animal's information. We strive for compliance with applicable data protection laws, such as the GDPR. Our servers are primarily located in Europe, though data may be processed by third-party services in other locations as described in our Privacy Policy. We will only collect, use, and share data as outlined in our Privacy Policy.
• 10.2 User Data Rights: You have rights regarding your personal data, such as requesting access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data, as detailed in our Privacy Policy and in accordance with applicable law. We will respond to such requests promptly and in compliance with GDPR or other relevant data protection laws.

11. Contact Rights

• 11.1 Communication: We reserve the right to contact you via your registered email address, in-app notifications, or other contact methods you provide during registration. Communications may include service updates, information about new features, important notices regarding your account or these Terms, or compliance matters. You can typically manage your communication preferences within your account settings or by following unsubscribe links, where applicable.

12. General Provisions and Disclaimer of Warranties

• 12.1 Platform Usage: Your use of our Services is at your sole risk. The Services are provided on an "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" basis.
• 12.2 No Warranties: To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, VetCompass expressly disclaims all warranties, representations, and conditions of any kind, whether express or implied, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, and non-infringement. We make no warranty that the Services will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, error-free, or that any guidance provided will be accurate, complete, or reliable for your specific situation. No advice or information, whether oral or written, obtained by you from VetCompass or through the Services shall create any warranty not expressly stated in these Terms.

13. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, VetCompass and its officers, directors, employees, agents, partners, and licensors shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits or revenues, whether incurred directly or indirectly, or any loss of data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses, resulting from:

• (a) Your access to or use of or inability to access or use the Services;
• (b) Any triage guidance or information provided by the Services, or your reliance thereon;
• (c) Any decisions made or actions taken (or not taken) by you in relation to your animal’s health based on information or guidance obtained from the Services;
• (d) The outcome of any animal's condition, regardless of whether VetCompass guidance was sought or followed;
• (e) Any conduct or content of any third party on the Services;
• (f) Unauthorized access, use, or alteration of your transmissions or content. In no event shall VetCompass's aggregate liability for all claims relating to the Services exceed the greater of one hundred Euros (€100) or the amount you paid VetCompass, if any, in the past six months for the Services giving rise to the claim. The limitations of this subsection shall apply to any theory of liability, whether based on warranty, contract, statute, tort (including negligence), or otherwise, and whether or not VetCompass has been informed of the possibility of any such damage, and even if a remedy set forth herein is found to have failed its essential purpose.

14. Termination

These Terms of Use commence on the day you first use our Services and will continue in force until terminated by either party.

• By Us: We may terminate or suspend your access to these Services, at our sole discretion, at any time and with immediate effect, with or without prior notice to you, for any reason or no reason, including, without limitation, if you breach these Terms.
• By You: You may terminate these Terms of Use at any time by discontinuing your use of the Services and, if you have an account, by requesting deletion of your User Account via email to support@vetcompass.com (or your updated support email). We will endeavor to process account deletion requests within sixty (60) days of your request. Upon termination, all licenses and rights granted to you in these Terms will immediately cease. Provisions that by their nature should survive termination shall survive (including, without limitation, ownership provisions, warranty disclaimers, indemnity, and limitations of liability).

15. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless VetCompass and all of its officers, directors, affiliates, partners, employees, agents, successors, and assigns (collectively, the "Indemnitees") from and against any and all liabilities, claims, demands, recoveries, losses, damages, fines, penalties, or other costs or expenses (including, but not limited to, reasonable legal and accounting fees), asserted by third parties against the Indemnitees arising out of or relating to:

• (a) Your breach of any warranties, conditions, representations, or obligations under these Terms of Use or any documents referenced herein.
• (b) Your violation of any applicable law (including privacy laws) or the rights of a third party (including, without limitation, privacy or intellectual property rights).
• (c) Your User Data, or your use of the Services in violation of these Terms.
• (d) Any decisions you make regarding your animal's health or care based on information obtained from the Services.

16. Feedback

• 16.1 Feedback Submission: We welcome and encourage user feedback, comments, and suggestions for improving our Services ("Feedback"). You can submit Feedback by emailing us at support@vetcompass.com (or your updated support email) or using any feedback forms within the Platform.
• 16.2 Feedback License: By submitting Feedback, you grant VetCompass a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, fully paid-up, transferable, and sub-licensable license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, publicly perform, and display such Feedback for any purpose, including for platform improvement, without any obligation or compensation to you. This license applies to all intellectual property rights related to the Feedback.
• 16.3 Feedback Expectations: We appreciate constructive and professional feedback. All submissions will be reviewed by our team. However, not all feedback may result in immediate platform changes or responses.

17. General

The failure of VetCompass (Celestialboom, Lda) to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not constitute a waiver of future enforcement of that right or provision. The waiver of any such right or provision will be effective only if in writing and signed by a duly authorized representative of Celestialboom, Lda. Except as expressly set forth in these Terms, the exercise by either party of any of its remedies under these Terms will be without prejudice to its other remedies under these Terms or otherwise. If for any reason a court of competent jurisdiction finds any provision of these Terms invalid or unenforceable, that provision will be enforced to the maximum extent permissible, and the other provisions of these Terms will remain in full force and effect. These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and VetCompass regarding the Services and supersede all prior agreements and understandings.

18. Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms of Use, please contact us at: Email: vetcompass@vetcompass.io (or your specific VetCompass support email) Website: vecompass.io, Celestialboom, Lda

19. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

• 19.1 Legal Jurisdiction: These Terms of Use and your use of the VetCompass Platform are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Portugal, without regard to its conflict of law principles.
• 19.2 Court Jurisdiction: Any legal action or proceeding arising under these Terms of Use will be brought exclusively in the courts located in Porto, Portugal, and the parties irrevocably consent to the personal jurisdiction and venue in such courts. This applies except where restricted by applicable law in your jurisdiction of residence.
• 19.3 User Responsibilities: You are responsible for ensuring that your use of the Platform is compliant with all laws applicable to you and your animal in your jurisdiction.
• 19.4 Alternative Dispute Resolution: In accordance with Portuguese Law no. 144/2015, of September 8, users resident in Portugal may be able to pursue Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) for consumer disputes. The available ADR entity is: Centro de Informação de Consumo e Arbitragem do Porto (CICAP), Rua Damião de Góis, 31, Loja 6, 4050-225 Porto, Portugal (Website: http://www.cicap.pt). This is without prejudice to your right to seek recourse through the courts.