Terms of Service

The short version

This plain summary is here to help you understand the terms. It is not a replacement for them, and the full terms below are what govern your use of Astray.

• Astray is a community tool that helps people report, find, and remember pets. We are not a pet-recovery service and we cannot promise that a lost pet will be found or returned.
• You are responsible for what you post and for how you act toward other people on Astray.
• If you arrange to meet someone to return a pet, you do so at your own risk. Meet in a safe, public place.
• Astray is not an emergency service. In an emergency, contact your local animal control, police, or a veterinarian.
• Paid visibility "boosts" raise how often a report is seen. They do not guarantee a reunion, and they are generally non-refundable once they start.
• You must be at least 18 to create an account.

1. Who we are and what these terms cover

Astray is operated by Astray Inc. ("Astray," "we," "us," or "our"), a Delaware corporation with a mailing address at 2045 W Grand Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60612.

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Astray website at astraypet.com and any related sites, features, and services (together, the "Service"). By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.

Our Community Guidelines are part of these Terms and are incorporated by reference.

2. What Astray is, and what it is not

Astray is a platform that lets members of a community post reports about lost and found pets, share updates and photos, message one another, and create memorials for pets who have passed. Our goal is to shorten the time between when a pet is lost and when it is found.

Astray is a tool, not a guarantee. We do not search for pets ourselves, we do not verify the identity of the people who use the Service, and we do not confirm that any pet, report, or account is genuine. We do not promise that a lost pet will be located or returned, that a found pet belongs to the person claiming it, or that any information posted is accurate.

Astray is not a veterinary, legal, or emergency service. If a pet or a person is in danger, contact your local animal control, animal shelter, police department, or a licensed veterinarian.

3. Eligibility and your account

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account or use the Service.

When you create an account, you agree to provide accurate information and to keep it current. You are responsible for keeping your password safe and for everything that happens under your account. Tell us right away if you believe your account has been used without your permission. You may not share your account, create an account for someone else, or hold more than one account without our permission.

We may suspend or close accounts that break these Terms or that we reasonably believe pose a risk to the community.

4. Using the Service

You may use Astray to report a lost or found pet, to respond to reports, to message other users about a pet, to create and view memorials, and to use other features we make available. You agree to use the Service only for these purposes and in a lawful, respectful way.

When you post a lost or found report, you agree that the information is truthful to the best of your knowledge and that you have the right to share any photos you upload.

5. Things you may not do

You agree that you will not:

• Post false, misleading, or fraudulent reports, or impersonate another person.
• Claim a pet that is not yours, or use the Service to steal, sell, or extort a pet or its owner.
• Harass, threaten, stalk, or endanger any person or animal.
• Post content that is unlawful, hateful, obscene, or that violates someone else's rights.
• Share another person's private information without their permission.
• Use the Service to send spam, advertising, or solicitations unrelated to a pet.
• Scrape, copy, harvest, or collect data from the Service, or access it through automated means, except as we expressly allow.
• Interfere with the Service, attempt to breach its security, or probe it for vulnerabilities.
• Use the Service in a way that violates any law or these Terms.

6. Your content

You keep ownership of the photos, text, and other material you post ("Your Content"). By posting Your Content, you give Astray a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, store, display, reproduce, and distribute it for the purpose of operating and promoting the Service. This license lasts for as long as Your Content is on the Service and for a reasonable period afterward to allow for backups and removal.

You are responsible for Your Content. By posting it, you confirm that you own it or have the right to share it, and that it does not break any law or these Terms. We are not responsible for content posted by users, and we do not endorse it.

Some content on Astray, such as lost and found reports and memorials, is public by design so that the community can help. You should assume that anything you post in a public area can be seen and shared by others. Your email address, phone number, and exact home location are not shown in public listings.

7. Safety and no guarantee of recovery

Please read this section carefully.

Astray connects people, but we do not vet or verify the people who use it. We do not run background checks and we cannot confirm anyone's identity or intentions. Any interaction you have with another user, online or in person, is your responsibility.

If you arrange to meet another user to hand over or collect a pet, meet in a safe, public, well-lit place, bring someone with you if you can, and trust your instincts. Do not share your home address, financial information, or other sensitive details unless you choose to. Be alert to scams, including anyone who asks for money to return a pet.

We do not guarantee that a lost pet will be found or returned, that a found pet will be reunited with its true owner, or that any report or message is accurate or made in good faith. Boosting a report does not change this.

Astray is not an emergency service and does not replace animal control, law enforcement, or a veterinarian.

Astray does not verify who owns a pet, and we do not mediate or resolve ownership, custody, or foster disputes. If people disagree about who a pet belongs to, that is for them to work out and, where needed, for animal control or the courts. We may remove reports tied to an unresolved dispute.

8. Paid features and billing

Astray is free to use. We also offer paid features, including visibility "boosts" that increase how prominently a report appears for a set period.

Payments are processed by our payment provider, Stripe. When you buy a paid feature, you authorize us and Stripe to charge your chosen payment method for the amount shown. Prices are listed at the time of purchase and may change going forward.

Paid features increase visibility only. They do not guarantee that a pet will be found or that a report will get a response. Because boosts are time-based promotional placements that begin right away, they are generally non-refundable once the promotion starts. We will consider a refund where a boost failed to run because of a technical problem on our side, where you were charged in error such as a duplicate charge, or where a refund is required by law. To request one, email hello@astray.pet from the address on your account.

9. Memorials

Astray lets users create memorials to remember pets who have passed. Memorials are a space for tribute and remembrance. Content you post in a memorial is subject to the same rules as the rest of Your Content, and we ask that all users treat these spaces with respect.

10. Reporting content and moderation

If you see content or behavior that breaks these Terms or our Community Guidelines, you can report it through the Service. We review reports and may remove content, hide reports, or suspend or ban accounts at our discretion. We are not obligated to monitor content, but we may do so, and we may remove anything we believe is harmful, unlawful, or against these Terms.

11. Our intellectual property

The Service, including its name, logo, design, text, and software, belongs to Astray or its licensors and is protected by intellectual property laws. "Astray," "Pawthentication," and our logos are trademarks of Astray Inc. You may not use them without our written permission.

We give you a limited, personal, non-transferable, revocable license to use the Service for its intended purpose. We keep all rights we do not expressly grant.

12. Third-party services

Astray relies on and links to services provided by others, including payment processing, mapping, email delivery, and security tools. We are not responsible for those services or for any third-party websites the Service may link to. Your use of them may be governed by their own terms and policies.

13. Copyright and takedown

We respect intellectual property rights. If you believe content on Astray infringes your copyright, send a notice to hello@astray.pet that includes: a description of the work, the location of the material on the Service, your contact information, a statement that you have a good-faith belief the use is not authorized, and a statement that the information in your notice is accurate. We may remove the material and, where appropriate, disable the account responsible.

14. Disclaimers

The Service is provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied. To the fullest extent allowed by law, we disclaim all warranties, including any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, secure, error-free, or that any pet will be found or returned. Any pet-care information shared by users or made available through the Service is general information only and is not professional, veterinary, or legal advice. Always consult a licensed veterinarian about your pet's health.

15. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent allowed by law, Astray and its officers, directors, employees, and agents will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of data, goodwill, or pets, arising out of or related to your use of the Service. This applies even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

To the fullest extent allowed by law, we are also not liable for any injury, loss, or damage arising from your interactions with other users or from meeting anyone in person through the Service.

To the fullest extent allowed by law, our total liability for any claim arising out of or related to the Service will not exceed the greater of the amount you paid us in the twelve months before the claim, or one hundred U.S. dollars ($100).

Some places do not allow certain limitations, so some of these may not apply to you.

16. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Astray and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of your use of the Service, Your Content, your interactions with other users, or your breach of these Terms.

17. Termination

You may stop using the Service and delete your account at any time through your account settings. We may suspend or end your access at any time if you break these Terms or if we reasonably believe it is necessary to protect the community or the Service. Sections that by their nature should survive termination will survive, including content licenses already granted, disclaimers, limitations of liability, and indemnification.

18. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the date at the top and, where appropriate, give notice through the Service. Your continued use after changes take effect means you accept the updated Terms.

19. Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Before filing any formal claim, you agree to first contact us at hello@astray.pet and try in good faith to resolve the matter for at least thirty days. Any dispute that is not resolved will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Cook County, Illinois, and you consent to their jurisdiction.

20. General

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and Community Guidelines, are the entire agreement between you and Astray about the Service. If any part is found unenforceable, the rest stays in effect. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of it. You may not transfer your rights under these Terms without our consent, and we may transfer ours in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.

21. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Reach us at hello@astray.pet, or write to Astray Inc., 2045 W Grand Ave, Ste B, Chicago, IL 60612.