Acceptable Use Policy

Effective Date: May 20, 2026 Version: 1.1

1. Introduction

This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") outlines the standards of conduct for all users of the BreederHQ platform, including the web application, mobile applications, Marketplace, Client Portal, and all related services (collectively, the "Services"). This AUP supplements and is incorporated into the BreederHQ Terms of Service.

By using the Services, you agree to comply with this AUP. Violation of this policy may result in content removal, account suspension, or permanent termination.

Capitalized terms used in this AUP have the meanings given in the BreederHQ Legal Definitions Schedule, which is incorporated into this AUP by reference.

2. General Conduct Standards

2.1 Lawful Use

You must use the Services in compliance with all applicable federal, state, local, and international laws and regulations. You are responsible for understanding and complying with the laws of your jurisdiction.

2.2 Honest Representation

All information you provide on the platform must be truthful, accurate, and not misleading. This includes but is not limited to:

• Account registration information;
• Business and professional credentials;
• Animal descriptions, photos, health records, and pedigree data;
• Service descriptions, pricing, and terms;
• Pricing and terms of sale;
• Reviews and feedback;
• Communications with other users.

2.3 Respectful Communication

You must communicate with other users and BreederHQ staff in a respectful and professional manner. You may not engage in:

• Harassment, bullying, or intimidation;
• Threats of violence or harm;
• Discriminatory language or hate speech;
• Persistent unwanted contact after being asked to stop.

3. Animal Welfare Standards

3.1 Commitment to Animal Welfare

BreederHQ is committed to promoting responsible animal breeding, ownership, and care. All users must adhere to the following animal welfare standards:

Breeder/Seller Providers must:

• House, feed, and care for animals in accordance with applicable animal welfare laws and breed-specific best practices;
• Provide timely veterinary care for sick or injured animals;
• Not engage in inhumane breeding practices, including but not limited to overbreeding, breeding animals with known debilitating genetic conditions without disclosure, or breeding animals in poor health;
• Provide adequate socialization and enrichment for animals in their care;
• Comply with all applicable breeding regulations, including USDA licensing where required.

All users must:

• Not use the platform to facilitate animal fighting, cruelty, neglect, or abuse;
• Not use the platform to facilitate the trade of illegally obtained animals;
• Report suspected animal cruelty, neglect, or illegal activity to BreederHQ and appropriate authorities.

3.2 Breed-Specific Responsibility

Breeder/Seller Providers should breed with the goal of producing healthy animals and improving breed health and welfare. While BreederHQ does not prescribe specific breeding practices, we encourage:

• Health testing appropriate to the species and breed;
• Transparent sharing of health test results;
• Responsible breeding age and frequency;
• Consideration of genetic diversity.

3.3 Service Provider Conduct

Service Providers (Providers offering services rather than animals, including but not limited to farriers, trainers, veterinarians, groomers, transporters, pet sitters, and equine instructors) must, in addition to the general standards in this AUP:

• Perform contracted services with the degree of skill, care, and judgment customarily exercised by a member of the Service Provider's profession in the Service Provider's jurisdiction;
• Maintain at all times all professional licenses, permits, certifications, and insurance coverage required by applicable federal, state, and local law for the services rendered;
• Not perform or hold themselves out as authorized to perform any service for which the Service Provider lacks the required license or qualification under applicable law;
• Not handle, treat, transport, or restrain any animal in a manner that constitutes neglect, abuse, or cruelty under applicable animal-welfare law;
• Promptly notify the animal's owner of any injury, illness, or material event affecting the animal that occurs during the rendering of services;
• Respond to Buyer complaints and dispute resolution requests in good faith.

4. Listing and Content Standards

4.1 Permitted Content

You may post content that is:

• Relevant to animal breeding, care, management, sale, or services;
• Truthful and not misleading;
• Compliant with applicable laws;
• Respectful and professional in tone.

4.2 Prohibited Content

You may NOT post, upload, or share:

• Fraudulent or deceptive content — false health records, altered photos, fabricated pedigrees, fake reviews, or any content intended to deceive;
• Illegal content — content that promotes or facilitates illegal activity, including illegal animal sales, trafficking, or smuggling;
• Animal cruelty content — images, videos, or descriptions depicting animal cruelty, fighting, neglect, or abuse;
• Harmful content — viruses, malware, or code designed to damage or disrupt the Services;
• Spam — unsolicited commercial messages, bulk postings, or repetitive content;
• Sexually explicit content — pornographic or sexually explicit material unrelated to legitimate animal breeding documentation;
• Stolen content — photos, text, or other content that infringes on another person's intellectual property rights;
• Personal information of others — private information about other individuals without their consent (doxxing);
• Discriminatory content — content that promotes discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or other protected characteristics.

4.3 Photo and Media Standards

Photos and media posted to the Services must:

• Accurately represent the animal or service being offered;
• Not be digitally altered in a way that misrepresents the appearance of an animal;
• Not include watermarks, overlays, or text that contains contact information intended to bypass platform communications;
• Not contain content that violates this AUP.

4.4 Credential and Document Standards

Any Provider attestation of a professional credential and any document uploaded in support of such an attestation must comply with §3.3 of the Terms of Service (Provider Attestations Regarding Credentials and Uploaded Documents). Without limiting that section, you may NOT:

• Attest to a credential you do not currently hold or that is not in good standing;
• Upload a document you did not receive from the named issuing body, or that has been altered, redacted, or amended in a manner that misrepresents the original;
• Re-upload a document after the underlying credential has lapsed, been suspended, or been revoked, without contemporaneously updating the attestation to reflect the change;
• Use another person's credential, credential number, or supporting document, regardless of consent;
• Attest to a credential on behalf of an entity (for example, a business) without authority to bind the entity;
• Cause or attempt to cause BreederHQ to display any credential, badge, indicator, or descriptor that misrepresents the Provider's standing with an issuing body, registry, or licensing authority.

4.5 AI-Assisted Content

Where you use AI Features to generate text, images, or other content that will be displayed on the Services, you must review and explicitly accept the generated content before publication. Content you have accepted constitutes Provider Content for all purposes under this AUP and the User Agreements, and you are solely responsible for its accuracy and compliance with this AUP. You may not publish AI-generated content you have not reviewed.

5. Marketplace-Specific Standards

5.1 Listing Accuracy

Marketplace listings must accurately represent:

• The species, breed, age, sex, and physical characteristics of any animal;
• Health testing status and results;
• Registration and pedigree information;
• The scope, methods, location, and pricing of any service;
• Pricing, including any additional costs;
• Availability and timeline;
• Terms of sale or service, including refund and guarantee policies.

5.2 Prohibited Listings

The following may NOT be listed on the Marketplace:

• Animals of species or breeds prohibited by law in your jurisdiction;
• Endangered or protected species without valid permits and documentation;
• Animals known to have serious contagious diseases without clear disclosure;
• Animals that are the subject of legal disputes or ownership claims;
• Counterfeit registration papers or pedigree documents;
• Services the Service Provider is not legally qualified to offer;
• Products or services unrelated to animal breeding, care, or services;
• Any item or service that violates applicable law.

5.3 Fair Business Practices

Providers must engage in fair and honest business practices:

• Do not engage in bait-and-switch tactics (advertising one animal or service, delivering another);
• Do not misrepresent breeding credentials, professional credentials, experience, or achievements;
• Do not pressure Buyers into rushed decisions or transactions;
• Do not manipulate reviews or feedback systems;
• Honor stated pricing, refund policies, and commitments.

6. Account Security and Integrity

6.1 Account Usage

• Each user must maintain only one account unless explicitly authorized by BreederHQ;
• You may not share your account credentials with others;
• You may not access other users' accounts without authorization;
• You may not create accounts for the purpose of evading a prior suspension or ban.

6.2 Platform Integrity

You may NOT:

• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Services, other accounts, or systems connected to the Services;
• Use automated tools, bots, scrapers, or scripts to access or collect data from the Services;
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any part of the Services;
• Interfere with or disrupt the Services, servers, or networks;
• Attempt to circumvent security measures, rate limits, or access controls;
• Exploit bugs or vulnerabilities (please report them to security@breederhq.com);
• Attempt to bypass Marketplace payment processing to avoid platform fees.

7. Intellectual Property

7.1 Respect for IP Rights

You must respect the intellectual property rights of BreederHQ and other users. You may not:

• Copy, reproduce, or distribute BreederHQ's proprietary content, software, or designs;
• Use another user's photos, content, or data without their permission;
• Use BreederHQ's name, logo, or trademarks without written permission;
• Scrape or harvest data from the Services for use outside the platform.

7.2 DMCA and Takedown Requests

If you believe your intellectual property has been used on the platform without authorization, contact legal@breederhq.com with:

• Identification of the copyrighted work;
• Identification of the infringing material and its location on the Services;
• Your contact information;
• A statement of good faith belief that the use is unauthorized;
• A statement under penalty of perjury that the information is accurate.

8. Reporting Violations

8.1 How to Report

If you become aware of a violation of this AUP, please report it to:

• Email: legal@breederhq.com
• In-app: Use the report/flag feature on listings or messages (where available)

8.2 Investigation

BreederHQ will review reports and investigate alleged violations. We may request additional information from the reporting party or the reported user. During an investigation, we may temporarily restrict the reported user's account or content.

8.3 Confidentiality

BreederHQ will make reasonable efforts to protect the identity of users who submit reports, but may be required to disclose this information in connection with legal proceedings.

8.4 Credential Dispute and Suspension of Display

Where BreederHQ receives a report from any source that a Provider's displayed credential or uploaded supporting document is false, inaccurate, expired, revoked, or otherwise inauthentic (a "Credential Dispute"), BreederHQ may, in its sole discretion and without prior notice to the Provider:

• Suspend public display of the disputed credential and supporting document pending the Provider's response;
• Notify the Provider of the report and request that the Provider respond within fourteen (14) days with documentary evidence supporting the credential;
• If the Provider does not respond within fourteen (14) days, or if the Provider's response does not, on its face, address the report, continue to suspend display indefinitely or remove the credential and supporting document entirely;
• Maintain a record of the report, the Provider's response (if any), and the action taken; and
• Decline to adjudicate the underlying truth of the report. BreederHQ does not investigate, evaluate, or rule on whether the disputed credential is in fact valid. BreederHQ's only role is to suspend display in response to a credible report and to require the Provider to respond.

Suspension of display under this section is an exercise of platform discretion and does not constitute a determination by BreederHQ that the credential is invalid. The Provider remains responsible for the accuracy of any Credential Attestation under §3.3 of the Terms of Service.

9. Enforcement

9.1 Enforcement Actions

BreederHQ reserves the right to take enforcement action for violations of this AUP, including but not limited to:

9.2 Appeals

If you believe enforcement action was taken in error, you may appeal by contacting legal@breederhq.com within thirty (30) days of the action. Include your account information and an explanation of why you believe the action was unwarranted. BreederHQ will review appeals and respond within a reasonable timeframe.

9.3 Discretion

BreederHQ retains sole discretion in determining what constitutes a violation of this AUP and what enforcement action is appropriate. BreederHQ is not required to provide advance warning before taking enforcement action for severe violations.

9.4 Repeat Credential-Fraud Offenses

Three (3) substantiated Credential Disputes against the same Provider within twenty-four (24) months constitute a Severe violation warranting permanent account termination. "Substantiated" means either (a) the Provider's response did not address the report and BreederHQ removed the credential, or (b) the Provider withdrew the credential rather than responding.

10. Cooperation with Authorities

BreederHQ may cooperate with law enforcement, regulatory agencies, and animal welfare organizations in connection with:

• Suspected criminal activity;
• Suspected animal cruelty or welfare violations;
• Court orders, subpoenas, or other legal process;
• Investigations related to fraud or consumer protection.

11. Modifications

BreederHQ may update this AUP from time to time to reflect changes in our Services, legal requirements, or community standards. Material changes will be communicated to users via email or platform notification at least thirty (30) days before taking effect. Continued use of the Services after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated AUP.

12. Contact

For questions regarding this Acceptable Use Policy, contact:

BreederHQ LLC Email: legal@breederhq.com

By using BreederHQ, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Acceptable Use Policy.