Nutzungsbedingungen

This English translation is provided for convenience. Only the German version is legally binding.

§ 1 Scope, Provider

These terms govern the use of the platform honestdog.de (the "Platform") of HonestDog GmbH, Am Hauptbahnhof 6, 53111 Bonn, registered with the commercial register of the Bonn District Court under HRB 27011 ("HonestDog"). By registering or using the Platform, the user accepts these terms. Statutory consumer rights remain unaffected by these terms.

§ 2 Description of Services

HonestDog operates an online platform that helps people looking for a dog to find responsible breeders and shelters. For this purpose, HonestDog provides in particular profiles, listings and litter announcements, a search function, a messaging function, as well as guides and tools.

HonestDog is not a party to the contracts concluded between users. HonestDog is neither a seller, a broker in the legal sense, nor a representative of either party. The purchase or adoption contract for a dog is concluded exclusively between the interested party and the breeder or shelter. No payment processing between users takes place via the Platform.

Use of the Platform is free of charge for people looking for a dog. There is no entitlement to a successful match. The information provided on the Platform, including AI-generated content (e.g. breed information), does not replace professional advice, in particular veterinary or legal advice.

§ 3 Registration, User Account

Registration is required to use certain functions. When registering, the user is obliged to provide all information truthfully and completely. There is no entitlement to the creation or use of a user account.

The user must keep their access credentials confidential and protect them against access by third parties. The user account is personal and non-transferable. Registration requires a minimum age of 18.

§ 4 User Obligations, Content

The following applies to all content posted by the user – in particular listings, profiles and messages: only lawful content may be published. Misleading statements about dogs or breeding are prohibited. The user must comply with animal welfare regulations, including – where required for commercial breeding – the permit under Section 11 of the German Animal Welfare Act (TierSchG).

Promoting torture breeding (Qualzucht) is prohibited in accordance with the standards published by HonestDog. Links to competing auction or classifieds sites for the sale of dogs, as well as harassment or spam via the messaging function, are also prohibited.

HonestDog is entitled, but not obliged, to review content, including using automated or AI-assisted procedures. There is no general obligation to monitor.

§ 5 Rights of Use in Content

The user grants HonestDog a simple (non-exclusive), worldwide and free license to the content they post to host, reproduce, technically adapt (e.g. resize or crop images), display and promote the content on and for the Platform. This includes use in HonestDog's own marketing channels (e.g. social media) with the aim of promoting the listing or the Platform.

The license ends with the deletion of the respective content; this does not apply to legally required retention and to content that has already been lawfully distributed as part of marketing measures. The user warrants that they hold the necessary rights to the content posted.

§ 6 Special Terms for Breeders and Shelters (Business Users)

Breeders and shelters are subject to verification. This includes in particular the verification of identity, – where applicable – the permit under Section 11 TierSchG, as well as any club or association membership. Document checks may be carried out with AI assistance; details are set out in the Privacy Policy.

Paid services (in particular credits, cost-per-lead and featured placements) are governed by the respective service description of the offer and are billed via the payment provider Stripe. Prices result from the respective offer description. Invoicing is carried out electronically.

For business users, Regulation (EU) 2019/1150 (P2B Regulation) applies additionally: changes to these terms are communicated to business users in advance in text form with a notice period of at least 15 days; this period is extended where changes require adaptations on the part of the business user. The restriction, suspension or termination of a business account only takes place with a statement of reasons on a durable medium; termination generally takes place with a notice period of 30 days, unless there are legal or security-related grounds or repeated violations.

Internal complaint management: complaints can be sent to info@honestdog.de and are processed promptly and individually. Given the size of HonestDog (micro-enterprise within the meaning of Recommendation 2003/361/EC), the formal mediation obligations of the P2B Regulation do not apply; nevertheless, HonestDog is open to an amicable resolution of disputes.

§ 7 Ranking and Visibility (Art. 246d EGBGB, Art. 5 P2B Regulation)

The order in which breeders or listings are displayed in the results is determined by the following main parameters and their relative weighting: (1) relevance to the search query (breed, region or distance), (2) quality and completeness of the profile including verification status, (3) activity and responsiveness (e.g. response rate and response time), and (4) recency of the listing.

In addition, breeders can book featured placements ("Featured") that increase visibility. Such paid placements are marked as such. There is no purely paid ranking of organic results beyond the marked featured placements.

§ 8 Moderation, Reporting Procedure and Complaints (Digital Services Act)

As part of the notice-and-action procedure under Art. 16 DSA, anyone can report suspected illegal content (e.g. fraudulent or animal-welfare violating listings) to info@honestdog.de, stating the URL and a reason. HonestDog reviews incoming reports promptly and, where justified, takes appropriate measures (removal, restriction, suspension).

Affected users receive a statement of reasons under Art. 17 DSA and can respond to or contest the measure via info@honestdog.de. The single point of contact for authorities and users under Art. 11 and 12 DSA is info@honestdog.de (German/English).

HonestDog qualifies as a micro or small enterprise. Certain additional platform obligations of the DSA (Section 3, e.g. the internal complaint-handling system under Art. 20) therefore do not apply.

§ 9 Availability; Changes to the Service

HonestDog endeavors to ensure reasonable availability of the Platform but does not guarantee 100% availability. HonestDog reserves the right to further develop features of the Platform. Material changes to these terms are announced in advance; for business users, § 6 applies.

§ 10 Liability

HonestDog is liable without limitation for intent and gross negligence, for injury to life, body or health, and under the Product Liability Act. In the case of simple negligence, HonestDog is only liable for the breach of material contractual obligations (cardinal obligations), the fulfillment of which is essential to the proper performance of the contract and on the observance of which the user may regularly rely; in this case, liability is limited to foreseeable, contract-typical damage.

HonestDog is only liable for the content of users or third parties within the scope of the statutory liability for hosting services. HonestDog assumes no liability for the conclusion and performance of contracts between users.

§ 11 Term, Termination

The user can delete their user account at any time. HonestDog may terminate the usage relationship for good cause. The termination provisions for business users under § 6 remain unaffected.

§ 12 Consumer Dispute Resolution

Pursuant to Section 36 of the German Consumer Dispute Resolution Act (VSBG), HonestDog is neither willing nor obliged to participate in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer arbitration board.

§ 13 Final Provisions

The law of the Federal Republic of Germany applies, excluding the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG). Mandatory consumer protection provisions of the state in which the consumer has their habitual residence remain unaffected. The place of jurisdiction for merchants is Bonn. Should individual provisions of these terms be or become invalid, the validity of the remaining provisions remains unaffected. The contract language is German; any English translation serves for information only.