Last updated: April 10, 2026
1. Definitions
For purposes of these Terms and Conditions, the following definitions apply:
- "Business Day(s)" means Monday through Friday, excluding U.S. federal holidays.
- "Certificate(s)" means the health certificate(s) required for pet travel from the United States to the intended destination.
- "Customer" means the veterinary clinic that has contracted with GVL for PTCS. The Customer is GVL’s sole point of contact and contracting party under these Terms.
- "GVL" means GlobalVetLink, L.C..
- "International" means travel from the United States to any destination outside the United States and its territories.
- "PTCS" means the Pet Travel Consulting Service, provided by GVL’s Pet Travel Consultant Team pursuant to the level set forth at https://www.globalvetlink.com/pet-travel-concierge-service/ .
2. Scope of Service
The Pet Travel Consulting Service (PTCS), provided by GVL’s Pet Travel Consultant Team, provides guidance and assistance with obtaining the Certificates required for pet travel from the United States to the intended destination communicated to GVL by Customer. PTCS supports International travel as defined herein, as well as travel to Hawaii and Guam.
Please note:
- PTCS does not include pet travel logistics, such as transport arrangements, flight bookings and/or management, permits/licenses, or quarantine coordination.
- All entry and exit fees, permits, quarantine arrangements, examinations, taxes, and other travel-related requirements are the sole responsibility of the Customer.
- PTCS communicates exclusively with the Customer. It is the sole responsibility of the Customer to relay all necessary information between the animal owner and GVL. GVL does not communicate directly with animal owners under any circumstances.
3. Service Timeline
PTCS Request Form
PTCS requires up to 1 Business Day, from the PTCS team’s receipt of a completed PTCS request form (available at https://www.globalvetlink.com/pet-travel-concierge-service/), to review pet health records and provide:
- A travel eligibility assessment to determine if the animal meets the applicable requirements to travel to the intended destination.
- An order for the costs of PTCS and related optional services for the Customer to accept.
- Next steps and required documentation from Customer.
- Suggested IHC appointment date range(s) for health certificate preparation(s) and issuance based on the requirements of the applicable destination.
Order Confirmation Requirement
Upon completion of the travel eligibility assessment, GVL will provide the Customer with an order containing the cost breakdown and pricing for the requested PTCS. The Customer must confirm the acceptance of the order within 10 Business Days of receiving the order. If the Customer fails to confirm the acceptance of order within this 10 Business Day period, the order will be automatically cancelled at no charge to the Customer. Should the Customer wish to proceed with travel after an order has been cancelled pursuant to the previous sentence, a new PTCS request form must be submitted and the travel eligibility assessment process will restart from the beginning, which may result in updated pricing, revised timelines, and additional fees (in the event expedited processing fees apply).
4. Shipping Labels
Shipping labels may be added to any PTCS level at the time of order, or at any point before the IHC appointment. GVL’s current shipping label provider is FedEx and the label type used is priority overnight. This applies for documents that are required to be physically endorsed by the USDA, often due to a wet ink signature requirement by a receiving country. The shipping provider may be changed at any time at GVL’s sole discretion.
It is the responsibility of the Customer to confirm the animal owner’s preferred shipping address and to communicate it to GVL. GVL and Customer email addresses are configured to receive FedEx auto-generated tracking notifications.
GVL is not liable or responsible for shipping delays, lost packages, or other variables outside GVL’s control. The current cost of the FedEx label is $75 USD per label, which is subject to change at any time in the event the shipping provider prices change.
5. USDA Endorsement
USDA endorsement fee(s) are passed along to Customer at GVL’s cost, which fee(s) are set by USDA APHIS.
The USDA endorsement fee is invoiced to the Customer up-front with the cost of the PTCS. Additional USDA endorsements can be added on after the PTCS order has been accepted.
In the event a PTCS order is cancelled before the time of USDA APHIS endorsement, a credit in the amount of the purchased USDA endorsement fee can be requested to be credited to the Customer who placed the PTCS order.
6. Billing and Payment Terms
Payment Terms
- Payment Methods: An active payment method (ACH or credit card) must be on file with GVL at all times.
- Full Payment Required: The PTCS fees and any applicable optional add-ons are incurred in full at the time Customer accepts the order. Invoices shall be distributed at the end of the month following the placement of the order and payments will be automatically processed in full using the payment method on file, which shall occur on or before the 10th day of the following month.
- Additional Costs: If changes in regulations necessitate additional services or the Customer adds services after the order is accepted, the Customer will be notified of the additional costs and invoiced for those services.
- Schedule Changes: Modifications made by Customer to the travel timeline after the schedule has been finalized may result in additional fees, including charges for overnight shipping labels, if needed.
- Multi-Pet Discount: In the event the PTCS request form lists multiple pets, for country destinations that allow multiple pets of the same species to be listed on a single health Certificate or where multiple different species can be listed on one health Certificate, GVL may offer a discount as reflected in the pricing order.
Non-Payment
Failure to maintain a valid payment method when due may result in suspension of PTCS services, including withholding of prepared Certificates, until all outstanding balances are paid in full.
7. Cancellations
No-Charge Cancellations
Customers may request a cancellation of a PTCS order within 5 Business Days of accepting the order to avoid any charges or to receive a full refund.
Cancellation Fees
Customers who cancel a PTCS order after 5 Business Days of accepting the order may request a refund of any non-used USDA endorsement and shipping fees only. All other PTCS fees are non-refundable.
Australia and New Zealand Exception
Due to extended timelines for Australia and New Zealand destinations, no-charge cancellations will be accepted up to 30 calendar days after Customer’s acceptance of the order. Cancellation fees (as described above) apply to cancellations made after 30 calendar days from the date of the acceptance of the order.
8. Expedited Processing
PTCS request forms submitted 10 calendar days or less before the travel date are subject to an expedited processing fee of $200. Notwithstanding Section 7 above, expedited orders are not eligible for any refunds.
9. Certificate Reissuance
In the event a Certificate needs to be reissued for any reason not solely attributable to GVL (ex. mistakes in the information provided by Customer, a change of travel dates, etc.), the first Certificate reissuance will be provided at a $50 charge plus GVL’s add-on fees (ex. USDA endorsements, shipping labels, etc.). Any additional Certificate reissuances would be provided at the original cost of the service, including add-on fees.
10. Accuracy of Information
Customer is solely responsible for the accuracy and completeness of all information provided to GVL, including but not limited to pet health records, vaccination history, microchip numbers, travel dates, and destination details. GVL is not liable for errors, delays, denied entry, or any other adverse outcomes resulting from inaccurate, incomplete, or untimely information provided by the Customer.
Customer is further responsible for ensuring that all information received from the animal owner is accurate and complete before transmitting it to GVL. GVL has no obligation to independently verify information received from the Customer.
11. Liability Disclaimer
Customer acknowledges and agrees that GVL prepares health Certificates for International travel (or travel to Hawaii or Guam) based on the information provided to GVL by the Customer and the destination country entry requirements published on the country and/or USDA websites at the time of Certificate preparation.
Whether or not a Certificate requires or receives USDA endorsement, GVL’s responsibility is limited solely to the accurate preparation of the Certificate based on information provided by the Customer and destination country requirements available on the country and/or USDA websites at the time of Certificate preparation.
In the event that a pet traveling on a GVL-prepared Certificate encounters travel or other document-related issues at the time of travel or upon or after arrival in the destination country, resulting in fines, penalties, delays, denied entry, quarantine, or other additional costs (“Additional Costs”), Customer acknowledges and agrees that such Additional Costs shall be the sole responsibility of the Customer, and that GVL shall have no liability for any Additional Costs or issues that arise after Certificate preparation and/or endorsement.
12. Regulatory Changes
GVL is not liable for regulatory changes that occur after Certificate preparation, during transit, or upon arrival at the destination. GVL is also not liable for changes not yet published in publicly available country or USDA websites.
If GVL becomes aware of regulatory changes that affect an active PTCS order prior to Certificate completion, GVL will notify the Customer. Any additional services necessitated by such changes may result in additional fees.
13. Indemnification
Customer agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless GVL, its parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, and contractors from and against any and all claims, demands, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from or related to:
- Inaccurate, incomplete, or untimely information provided by the Customer or the animal owner;
- Customer’s failure to communicate requirements, instructions, or information to the animal owner;
- Any claims brought by an animal owner or third party related to the PTCS, Certificate preparation, or pet travel outcomes;
- Customer’s breach of these Terms and Conditions; or
- Customer’s violation of any applicable law, regulation, or government requirement.
14. Limitation of Liability
In no event shall GVL’s total aggregate liability under these Terms and Conditions, whether in contract, tort, strict liability, or otherwise, exceed the total fees paid by the Customer for the specific PTCS order giving rise to the claim.
In no event shall GVL be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of profits, loss of data, business interruption, travel costs, quarantine fees, or costs arising from denied entry, regardless of the cause of action or the theory of liability, even if GVL has been advised of the possibility of such damages.
15. Force Majeure
GVL shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performance resulting from causes beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to: acts of God; natural disasters; pandemics or epidemics; government actions, shutdowns, or regulatory changes; USDA processing delays or system outages; airline policy changes or flight cancellations; shipping carrier delays or failures; labor disputes; power failures; internet or telecommunications failures; cyberattacks; or any other event beyond GVL’s reasonable control.
In the event of a force majeure, GVL will make commercially reasonable efforts to resume performance as soon as practicable and will notify the Customer of any material delays.
16. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution
These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Iowa, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.
Any dispute, controversy, or claim arising out of or relating to these Terms and Conditions, or the breach, termination, or validity thereof, shall be resolved through binding arbitration administered in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association. The arbitration shall take place in Ames, Iowa, and shall be conducted by a single arbitrator. The decision of the arbitrator shall be final and binding upon the parties, and judgment upon the award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to prevent irreparable harm.
17. Amendments
GVL reserves the right to modify these Terms and Conditions at any time. Customers will be notified of material changes via email or through GVL’s platform. Continued use of the PTCS after the effective date of any modifications constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms and Conditions. It is the Customer’s responsibility to review the Terms and Conditions periodically for updates.
18. Severability
If any provision of these Terms and Conditions is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction or arbitrator, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect. The invalid provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable while preserving the parties’ original intent.
19. Entire Agreement
These Terms and Conditions, together with any applicable order forms, invoices, and GVL’s Master Service Agreement (if applicable), constitute the entire agreement between GVL and the Customer with respect to the PTCS and supersede all prior or contemporaneous communications, representations, or agreements, whether oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof. In the event of any conflict, the order of precedence is (i) the applicable order, (ii) these Terms and Conditions and (iii) the Master Services Agreement; solely with respect to PTCS.
Contact
For questions or concerns regarding these Terms and Conditions, please contact the Pet Travel Consultant Team directly at pettravel@globalvetlink.com.