Advocate Terms

These terms explain what it means to advocate for an animal using Pet Legacy Network. They add to our Terms of Service.

You take part voluntarily, and independently

You are a Pet Legacy Network user who chooses to participate as a volunteer advocate. You decide how, when, and how much you take part, and you can stop at any time. Using our tools does not make you an employee, agent, or authorized representative of Pet Legacy Network, or of any shelter, rescue, or other organization. If you ever do hold that kind of authorization, it is because that organization separately authorized you — not because you signed up here.

Advocacy is contribution, not custody

Helping an animal is a contribution. As an advocate you:

• do not take custody of the animal
• do not guarantee placement
• do not become responsible for the animal's outcome
• do not represent the shelter or rescue
• have no authority to approve an adoption, foster, rescue pull, or transport
• have no authority to change official shelter or rescue information
• may not announce an animal as safe without appropriate confirmation

You are not responsible for securing an animal's placement

Using Pet Legacy Network to advocate for an animal does not make you responsible for securing that animal's placement or outcome. Outcomes depend on the organization that has the animal, on adopters, fosters, veterinary providers, transporters, and on circumstances none of us controls. Your contribution matters even when the outcome is not what you hoped for.

You cannot speak for an organization

Unless a shelter, rescue, or Pet Legacy Network has separately authorized you to speak for it, do not present yourself as speaking on its behalf. When you reach out to someone about an animal, identify yourself as an independent volunteer advocate.

What you create is advocate-created content, not official information

Captions, graphics, videos, messages, emails, posts, comments, summaries, and outreach you create are advocate-created content. They are not official shelter, rescue, or Pet Legacy Network communications or official information, and should never be presented as if they were. You are responsible for what you create and send. (Ownership of your content is covered by our Terms of Service and is not changed here.)

Official information stays authoritative

The organization that has the animal remains the authority on its official status, deadlines, medical and behavioral information, eligibility, placement requirements, and outcomes. What you see here reflects what we received from that source, when we received it. Before you share time-sensitive information — a deadline, a hold, an availability, a medical detail — confirm it with the source organization so you are not passing on something that has changed.

Working with others

Joining an Animal Support Network for a specific animal, or an Advocate Coalition with other advocates, is a way to coordinate. It does not create custody, employment, agency, a commitment to place an animal, or responsibility for an animal's outcome — for you or for anyone else in the group.

When an animal has a deadline, do not rely on Pet Legacy Network alone

This platform depends on hosting, internet service, third-party systems, and email and messaging providers, so it will not always be available, current, or fast. A sync with a shelter's system can be delayed, and a message, email, or notification you send here can be delayed or never read. When an animal has an imminent deadline, treat Pet Legacy Network as one of your channels, not your only one: confirm the deadline, status, and any placement decision directly with the organization responsible for the animal, and use appropriate available communication channels when direct confirmation or timely action is needed.

Authorized access is not endorsement

Some organizations authorize us to receive their animal data. That authorization does not mean they endorse Pet Legacy Network, or that we speak for them, or that you do.

Respecting people

Follow our Acceptable Use terms. Treat shelter and rescue staff, adopters, fosters, and other advocates with respect, and use contact information only for the animal it was shared for.

You choose what you do in person — and you never have to

Advocating here is something you can do entirely from where you are. You are never required to transport an animal, foster or adopt one, handle an animal, visit a shelter or anyone's home, meet anyone in person, or take on any other real-world task simply because you advocate through Pet Legacy Network. Saying no to those things, or never taking them on at all, is a complete and normal way to be an advocate.

If you do decide to do something in person, that decision is yours. Follow the instructions and requirements of the organization or person responsible for the animal or the location, use your own judgment about what is safe and appropriate for you, and remember that being around animals and people you do not know carries real risks. An animal's history, temperament, or medical condition may not be fully known to anyone, including the organization that has it. Take on only what you are prepared and able to handle. The shelters, rescues, veterinary providers, transporters, fosters, adopters, and other advocates you deal with are independent of Pet Legacy Network. We do not control their decisions, requirements, availability, or conduct, and arrangements you make with them are between you and them.