Terms and Conditions

Animal Health Certificates, powered by PetAir

1. What these Terms cover

These are the terms and conditions which apply when you use our Animal Health Certificate (“AHC”) support service. The AHC support service is dedicated to supporting pet owners with the planning, preparation and coordination of AHC requirements for eligible travel with dogs, cats and ferrets from Great Britain to the EU. The service is provided subject to all applicable laws and regulations, including those relating to animal health, import and export controls, border controls, veterinary standards and consumer protection. The service includes support with travel timing, documentation requirements, checklist preparation and appointment coordination, but it does not guarantee that an AHC will be issued or that your pet will be permitted to travel.

2. Retaining a copy of these terms and conditions

These terms include important information - please read them carefully. We recommend that you save or print a copy of these terms for future reference. The version of these terms that applies to your booking is the version in effect at the time your order is confirmed. By making a purchase to use our AHC support service, you accept and agree to be bound and abide by these terms. If you do not agree to these terms, you must not proceed with purchasing AHC support services from us.

3. Information about us

3.1 Who we are. We are PetAir Ltd. We are part of the IVC Evidensia group of companies. If you have any questions or issues, please contact our customer support team using the contact details below.

3.2 Our company details. Our company details are as follows:

3.3 How to contact us. You can contact our customer support team by post, email or telephone as follows:

4. What this service is for

This service is designed to help owners of dogs, cats and ferrets travelling from Great Britain to the EU where an AHC is required. PetAir shall plan and coordinate the certification process. The final AHC appointment is carried out at a participating IVC Veterinary Practice with an Official Veterinarian, also known as an OV. An OV is a vet authorised to complete and sign AHCs.

5. Eligibility

5.1. AHC rules are time-sensitive. They may depend on a variety of factors including the travel destination, travel route, travel date, pet’s microchip and rabies vaccination history, and, for dogs, any tapeworm treatment requirements. As a result, it is critical to ensure that our AHC services are commissioned in a timely manner to avoid disappointment.

5.2 We reserve the right, in our absolute discretion, to refuse to provide services to any customer where we do not consider it possible to do so in a manner which would enable compliance with the relevant AHC rules and accept no liability arising from such refusal.

6. What is included

6.1 Unless we agree otherwise in writing, our standard services includes the following, which we will use reasonable endeavours to complete within the timeframe communicated to you following confirmation of your booking:

• PetAir’s review of the information you provide about your pet, travel date, route and destination.
• A tailored travel requirement checklist based on the information you give us.
• Guidance on key timings, including rabies vaccination timing, AHC appointment timing and tapeworm treatment timing for dogs where relevant.
• Coordination with a participating IVC practice with an available OV.
• Booking of the final AHC appointment at a participating IVC veterinary practice, subject to availability.

6.2 The fee which you pay to us for our services will also include the costs of the final appointment with the OV and the completion and issuance of the AHC (provided the OV is satisfied that the legal and clinical requirements have been met).

6.3 We will make reasonable efforts to book your final AHC appointment at a participating IVC veterinary practice that is convenient for you. Appointment availability depends on OV capacity, practice opening hours, your location, your travel date and whether your pet already meets the requirements. We cannot guarantee availability at your nearest practice. You may need to travel to another participating practice.

6.4 We aim to complete the service within a reasonable timeframe having regard to your travel date, OV availability and the information you provide. We do not guarantee specific service timeframes and shall not be liable for any delay caused by factors outside our reasonable control, including late or incomplete information provided by you.

7. What is not included

Unless we confirm otherwise in writing, our services and your fee do not include:

• Rabies vaccination.
• Microchipping.
• Tapeworm treatment or any other parasite treatment.
• Additional veterinary consultations, checks or treatments.
• Travel costs.
• Costs arising from any failures to follow our reasonable instructions (including costs for missed or rescheduled appointments).
• Repeat appointments caused by missing, incorrect or incomplete information.
• Replacement certificates where travel details change after the original Animal Health Certificate has been prepared or issued.
• Export Health Certificates or paperwork for countries outside of the EU
• Airline, ferry, rail, Eurotunnel, accommodation, travel agent or border charges.
• Costs arising from changes to your travel plans, route, destination or travel date.
• Any emergency or out-of-hours veterinary care.

Any vaccination, parasite treatment, additional medication, microchip placement or extra veterinary work required will be charged separately by the veterinary practice. Those charges are set by the veterinary practice and are payable directly to the practice. PetAir is not responsible for the amount, collection or refund of any such third-party charges.

8. Your responsibilities

You are responsible for:

• Providing us with your reasonable cooperation in order to enable us to administer the services to you.
• Following any reasonable instructions issued by us to you in order to administer the services.
• Ensuring that any documentation which you are required to provide is clear, accurate and complete. We cannot guarantee acceptance of any non-original documentation.
• Complying with the terms and conditions of the participating IVC veterinary practice when using their services.
• Giving us complete and accurate information. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Your full name, address and contact details.
• The name of the person travelling with the pet.
• Your pet’s species, breed, sex, age, colour and identifying details.
• Your pet’s microchip number and microchip date.
• Your pet’s rabies vaccination history.
• Any previous pet passport or AHC details where relevant.
• Your destination country.
• Your date of entry into the EU
• Your travel route, including any transit countries.
• Information as to whether your pet is travelling with you or within the permitted time window.
• Any onward travel plans.
• For dogs, whether you are travelling to a country requiring tapeworm treatment.

You must tell us straight away if anything changes, including your travel date, destination, route, pet details, vaccination status or who will be travelling with the pet. Changes may mean that your checklist, appointment date or AHC needs to be updated or replaced. If an AHC has already been prepared or issued, changes may require a new certificate and a new appointment. Additional charges may apply.

A failure to comply with your responsibilities may lead to a suspension or withdrawal of the services. We cannot accept any liability arising from any withdrawal, suspension or inability to deliver the services to you arising from such circumstances.

9. Owner and travel requirements

AHC rules require the correct owner or authorised person to be named on the certificate.

You must make sure that the person named on the travel documents is eligible to travel with the pet and that the pet is travelling with that person, and within the legally permitted time window.

The owner or authorised person will need to attend the OV appointment with evidence of ownership/authorisation and provide any required declaration confirming that the pet is not being moved for sale or transfer of ownership.

If the required person does not attend the appointment or if the information provided does not meet the legal requirements, the OV may be unable to issue the AHC.

10. Official Veterinarian decision

The OV is responsible for checking your pet, reviewing the supporting documents and deciding whether the AHC can legally and professionally be issued.

We can help plan, coordinate and prepare information, but we cannot override the OV’s clinical or professional judgement.

We accept no liability arising from a decision by an OV to not issue an AHC except where the non-issuance has been caused by a matter or activity over which we had sole responsibility as part of the service which was being provided to you by us. Where the OV declines to issue the AHC solely because of a failure in our coordination service, we will, at our option, either re-perform the relevant coordination steps at no additional charge or refund the fee paid for the service, less the value of any work already satisfactorily completed.

Examples of situations in which an OV may refuse to issue an AHC include:

• A failure to meet legal requirements (such as those relating to rabies vaccinations).
• The pet’s microchip or vaccination history being unclear or invalid.
• Required documents being missing, incomplete or inconsistent.
• The travel date, route or destination not matching the certificate requirements.
• The wrong person attending the appointment.
• The pet being unfit to travel.
  
  
  

If the OV cannot issue the certificate because of missing, incorrect or changed information, additional costs may apply if you need a further consultation once conditions have been met

11. Missed or late appointments

You must attend your scheduled OV appointment on time and bring all documents requested by PetAir or the veterinary practice.

If you miss the appointment, arrive late, attend the wrong practice, bring the wrong pet, or fail to bring the required documents, the OV may be unable to issue the AHC.

In these circumstances, your fee may not be refundable, and further charges may apply to rebook the appointment or issue a new certificate.

12. No guarantee of travel

12.1Purchasing this service does not guarantee that your pet will be allowed to travel.

12.2 It is important to note that the issuance of AHCs will be dependent on your pet being deemed fit enough to travel safely – as assessed by various parties including an OV and border officials. Whilst our service is dedicated to supporting pet owners with the planning, preparation and coordination of AHC requirements, we cannot accept responsibility for decisions made by an OV, border officials, ferry operators, airlines, Eurotunnel, travel companies, overseas authorities or any other third party (except for where they result from a failure in service provision by us under these terms and conditions). Any refunds or compensation in respect of charges imposed by such third parties must be sought directly from the relevant third party.

12.3 We also cannot accept responsibility if your pet is refused travel because of incorrect, incomplete or late information provided by you, changes to your travel plans, rule changes, carrier requirements, missed appointments or documents that are not available when needed.

13. Travel rules can change

Pet travel rules can change and may vary by destination, route, carrier, travel date and your pet’s individual circumstances.

We use official guidance and the information available to us when preparing your checklist, but you remain responsible for checking your final travel requirements with your carrier, border authority and destination country before you travel including any applicable entry, transit, carrier and return requirements..

If rules change after you buy the service, you may be required to complete extra steps, appointments, documents and treatments. You may also be required to incur additional costs in order to ensure rule changes are complied with.

14. Payment

Payment is taken upfront through the website or approved payment link. The price for the standard service will be as displayed on the website at the time of your order. All prices are inclusive of VAT where applicable.

Your booking is not confirmed until payment has been received and we have written to you via email to confirm acceptance of your order. A binding contract between you and us is formed at the point we send you that confirmation email.

The price shown at checkout covers the services listed in clause 6 only. Any additional services such as veterinary treatments, vaccinations, parasite treatments, repeat appointments and replacement certificates will be charged separately.

15. Cancellations and refunds

The service we provide is personalised and time-sensitive in nature. As a result, we may incur costs, allocate resources, and commence preparatory work shortly after a booking is confirmed.

Customers may cancel a booking before any work has commenced by providing written notice to us.

Refunds will be assessed as follows:

• Before PetAir has started any work: you may be entitled to a full refund.
• After PetAir has reviewed your information, prepared your checklist, contacted practices or started coordination: a partial refund may be offered, less the value of work already carried out.
• After the AHC appointment has been booked: a partial refund may be offered, depending on the notice given and any practice costs already incurred.
• After the AHC appointment has taken place: no refund.

If we cannot provide the service because no suitable OV appointment is available: we will offer a refund for any part of the service not provided.

To request a cancellation or refund, please contact us using the details set out in clause 3.3. We will acknowledge your request within 5 working days and process any applicable refund within 14 days of confirming entitlement.

16. Termination

16.1 We may terminate your booking and cease providing the services immediately by written notice to you if:

(a) you fail to comply with any material obligation under these terms;
(b) you provide false, misleading or incomplete information; or
(c) it becomes impossible or impracticable for us to provide the services for any reason.

16.2 You may terminate your booking at any time by giving us written notice. Cancellation and refund terms under clause 15 shall apply.

16.3 Upon termination for any reason:
(a) you shall pay all fees and charges due for services provided up to the date of termination;
and (b) we shall have no further obligation to provide the services.

16.4 Where we terminate under clause 16.1, no refund shall be due to you. Where we terminate for any other reason, we will refund any fees paid for services not yet provided.

Your statutory cancellation and refund rights are not affected by this clause.

17. Limitation of liability

17.1 Nothing in these terms limits or excludes liability where it would be unlawful to do so, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or fraudulent misrepresentation or any liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable consumer protection legislation.

17.2 Subject to clause 18.1, our liability to you (whether it arises in contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise) for any damages, losses, claims, costs or expenses arising out of the supply of our services shall not exceed the total sums paid by you under your agreement with us.

17.3 . Subject to clause 17.1 above, we are not liable to you or any party connected with you (whether such liability arises in contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise) for any loss of profit or business, loss of or damage to data, loss of anticipated savings or interest, loss of or damage to goodwill (in each case whether direct or indirect) or for any indirect, special or consequential damages, losses, claims, costs or expenses of any kind.

17.4 Nothing in these terms affects your statutory rights as a consumer.

18. We may make changes to these terms

We may make minor amendments or changes to these terms from time to time which where required in order to facilitate compliance with the law. We recommend that you check them each time you use our service to make sure that you are aware and understand the terms that apply at that time. If we need to make a major amendment to these terms, we will contact you via email (or SMS or post) to explain the changes and will give at least 30 days' notice of those changes

19. Data protection and information sharing

To provide this service, PetAir will need to collect and share information about you, your pet and your travel plans with participating IVC veterinary practices and relevant service providers.

This may include your name, contact details, address, pet details, microchip number, vaccination history, travel date, destination and appointment information.

Your information will be handled in accordance with applicable data protection laws and the relevant privacy notices and policies provided by PetAir and/or the participating veterinary practice.

20. Complaints

If you are unhappy with the service, please contact PetAir as soon as possible so we can try to resolve the issue.

We may need to speak to the participating veterinary practice to investigate your complaint.

Complaints relating to the clinical judgement of the OV or veterinary treatment provided by the practice may need to be handled by the veterinary practice directly.

21. Intellectual Property Rights

21.1 All intellectual property rights in and to the PetAir platform and service, and any related content, features, software, designs, trademarks, and documentation (collectively, the “Materials”) are and shall remain the exclusive property of PetAir or its licensors. No rights shall be transferred to you.

21.2 Subject to these terms and conditions, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, and royalty-free license to access and use the service on the PetAir platform solely for your personal, non-commercial use.

21.3 You agree not to use any content, features, or components of the PetAir platform in any way that infringes or violates our intellectual property rights or those of any third party. This includes, but is not limited to, copying, reproducing, modifying, distributing, reverse engineering, or creating derivative works from any part of the PetAir platform. You further agree not to use the PetAir platform’s content or functionality in a way that misrepresents ownership, removes proprietary notices, or breaches any applicable intellectual property laws.

22. Events outside our control

We are not responsible for delays or failure to provide the service where this is caused by events outside of our reasonable control.

This may include illness, staff absence, OV unavailability, practice closure, IT failure, ferry or airline disruption, border disruption, government rule changes, severe weather, civil unrest, disease outbreak, terrorist act, failure or shortage of power supplies or other events that affect travel or veterinary availability.

23. Reservation of rights

23.1 If we do not insist immediately that you do anything you are required to do under these terms, or if we delay in taking steps against you in respect of your breaking your agreement with us, that will not mean that you do not have to do those things and it will not prevent us taking steps against you at a later date.

24. Severability

Each of the paragraphs of these terms operates separately. If any court or relevant authority decides that any of them are unlawful, the remaining paragraphs will remain in full force and effect.

25. Rights of third parties

This agreement is between you and us. No other person shall have any rights to enforce any of its terms and shall have no rights against us or any other IVC Evidensia group company.

26. Assignment

26.1 We may transfer our rights and obligations under these terms to another organisation. We will always tell you in writing if this happens and we will ensure that the transfer will not affect your rights under the agreement.

26.2 You may only transfer your rights or your obligations under these terms to another person if we agree to this in writing.

27. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and the parties can bring legal proceedings in respect of this agreement in the courts of England and Wales exclusively, unless you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, in which case you or we can bring legal proceedings in respect of this agreement in either the Scottish courts or Northern Irish courts respectively, or the courts of England and Wales.

28. Notices

Any notice given under these terms must be in writing and may be sent by email or post to the contact details set out in clause 3.3 (in the case of notices to us) or to the email address or postal address you provided when placing your order (in the case of notices to you). Notices sent by email shall be deemed received on the next business day after sending. Notices sent by post shall be deemed received two business days after posting.

29. Survival

Clauses 17, 19, 21, 24, 25, 27 and this clause 29, together with any other provision which by its nature is intended to survive, shall continue in full force and effect after the termination or expiry of these terms.

30. Entire agreement

These terms, together with any order confirmation issued by us, constitute the entire agreement between you and us in relation to the services and supersede all prior discussions, representations, understandings and agreements (whether written or oral) relating to the services. You acknowledge that you have not relied on any statement, promise, representation, assurance or warranty made or given by or on behalf of us which is not set out in these terms.