Website Terms

1. About these Website Terms

1.1 Dog Access Mark is the independent standards body responsible for the UK National Dog Access Scheme.

1.2 Dog Access Mark is a trading name of MEEKOL LIMITED, a private limited company registered in England and Wales under company number 10736702. In these Website Terms, references to “Dog Access Mark”, “we”, “us” and “our” mean MEEKOL LIMITED trading as Dog Access Mark.

1.3 These Website Terms apply whenever you access, browse, search, submit information to, or otherwise use this website or any online service operated through it.

1.4 By using the website, you agree to comply with these Website Terms. If you do not agree with them, you should not use the website.

1.5 Nothing in these Website Terms removes or restricts any right or remedy that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

2. Purpose and status of Dog Access Mark

2.1 Dog Access Mark helps people understand a business’s dog access status before they go.

2.2 The National Dog Access Register provides information about participating businesses, including their current recorded Dog Access Mark status and other information supplied, confirmed or maintained through the Scheme.

2.3 Dog Access Mark is an independent scheme. It is not a government department, statutory regulator, licensing authority, law-enforcement body or court.

2.4 Inclusion in the National Dog Access Register, use of a Dog Access Mark sticker or status as a Verified Business does not amount to government approval, statutory certification or general regulatory approval.

3. Permitted use of the website

3.1 You may use the website for lawful personal, informational and business purposes consistent with the purpose of Dog Access Mark.

3.2 You must not use the website:

1. for any unlawful, fraudulent, deceptive or malicious purpose;
2. to impersonate another person, business or organisation;
3. to submit information you know to be false, fabricated or materially misleading;
4. to interfere with, damage, overload, disrupt or compromise the website or its security;
5. to attempt to gain unauthorised access to any account, database, administration area, verification process or system;
6. to introduce malware, malicious code, automated attack traffic or other harmful material;
7. to scrape, harvest, copy or systematically extract substantial parts of the National Dog Access Register or website content for unauthorised republication, resale, profiling or creation of a competing database;
8. to use automated systems to collect data from the website at a scale or frequency that interferes with normal operation or bypasses restrictions;
9. to bypass technical restrictions, rate limits or security measures;
10. to misuse a Dog Access ID, QR code, secure verification link or other Scheme identifier; or
11. in any way reasonably likely to damage the integrity, security or proper operation of Dog Access Mark.

3.3 We may use reasonable technical, legal or administrative measures to prevent, investigate or respond to misuse.

3.4 We may restrict or block access where reasonably necessary for security, legal compliance, protection of the Scheme or prevention of abuse.

4. National Dog Access Register information

4.1 We take reasonable steps to maintain the National Dog Access Register, but business information and access policies can change between verification, re-verification and updates notified to us.

4.2 Participating businesses remain responsible for keeping information they provide to Dog Access Mark complete, accurate and current.

4.3 Information displayed may include business-supplied information, information confirmed through Dog Access Mark processes and administrative information generated through the Scheme.

4.4 The presence of a business on the National Dog Access Register does not mean that Dog Access Mark continuously inspects or monitors that business or its day-to-day operation.

4.5 We may correct obvious errors, update records, qualify information, suspend a listing, remove a listing or change the displayed verification state where reasonably necessary to preserve accuracy, security or Scheme integrity.

4.6 A register entry is intended to help you Know Before You Go. It is not a promise that circumstances at a premises cannot change after the information was last verified or updated.

4.7 Where access is particularly important to your circumstances, you may also wish to check the current position directly with the business before travelling.

5. Dog Access Mark statuses

5.1 The approved Dog Access Mark statuses are:

• Dogs Welcome
• Dogs Welcome With Restrictions
• Pet Dogs Not Permitted, with the secondary wording Assistance Dogs Welcome

5.2 A status communicates the participating business’s recorded dog access position within the Scheme. It does not guarantee that every dog will be admitted in every circumstance.

5.3 Businesses may apply reasonable rules concerning safety, behaviour, hygiene and management of their premises, subject to applicable law and the Dog Access Standard.

5.4 Restrictions shown for a Dogs Welcome With Restrictions business form part of the relevant public information and should be read before visiting.

6. Assistance dogs and legal rights

6.1 Dog Access Mark status wording concerning pet dogs does not determine or replace legal rights relating to disabled people or assistance dogs.

6.2 Dog Access Mark does not decide whether a particular person or dog has a legal right of access to particular premises.

6.3 Businesses remain responsible for complying with applicable equality, disability and other legal obligations.

6.4 Any assistance dog guidance published on this website is general information only and is not legal advice.

6.5 Users and businesses should obtain independent professional advice where they need advice about their specific legal rights or obligations.

7. Dog Access IDs and verification

7.1 A Dog Access ID is a unique identifier associated with a relevant Dog Access Mark verification record and sticker.

7.2 The website may allow you to enter a Dog Access ID or scan a QR code to check the current verification information recorded by Dog Access Mark.

7.3 A physical sticker by itself is not conclusive proof that a verification remains current. The current verification record held by Dog Access Mark takes priority.

7.4 A Dog Access ID may be current, expired, superseded, withdrawn, revoked, replaced or otherwise no longer current.

7.5 You must not alter, copy, reproduce, fabricate, sell, transfer or misuse a Dog Access ID, QR code or Dog Access Mark sticker.

7.6 If you suspect that a Dog Access Mark sticker or Dog Access ID is being misused, you may report the matter to Dog Access Mark.

8. Verified Business status

8.1 Verified Business status is limited to participation in the UK National Dog Access Scheme and the verification undertaken for that purpose.

8.2 It does not amount to a general endorsement, recommendation or guarantee of a business, its goods, services, staff, safety, quality, accessibility, regulatory compliance, financial standing or suitability for any particular person.

8.3 Dog Access Mark does not act as agent for a Verified Business and is not a party to transactions, bookings, purchases or other arrangements between website users and businesses.

8.4 Any contract, transaction, visit or dispute between you and a business is between you and that business, except to the extent that Dog Access Mark separately has a legal obligation of its own.

9. Recommendations of businesses

9.1 The website may allow members of the public to recommend a business that is not yet on the National Dog Access Register.

9.2 A recommendation does not:

1. create an application on behalf of the business;
2. mean that Dog Access Mark endorses the business;
3. guarantee that Dog Access Mark will contact the business;
4. guarantee that the business will apply; or
5. guarantee that the business will become a Verified Business.

9.3 When submitting a recommendation, you must provide information honestly and must not knowingly impersonate the business or misrepresent its views.

9.4 We may review, combine, retain, close, reject or take no action on recommendations where reasonably appropriate.

9.5 We may contact a recommended business if we decide that doing so is appropriate, but we are not obliged to do so.

10. Reports and concerns about businesses

10.1 The website may allow users to submit reports or concerns about participating businesses or possible misuse of Dog Access Mark.

10.2 You must submit reports honestly, in good faith and based on information you reasonably believe to be true.

10.3 You must not knowingly submit false, malicious, threatening, abusive, discriminatory, defamatory or fabricated allegations.

10.4 You should provide only information reasonably relevant to the issue being reported and should avoid including unnecessary personal or sensitive information.

10.5 Dog Access Mark may review, record, investigate, refer, close or take no action on a report as reasonably appropriate.

10.6 Submitting a report does not guarantee an investigation, a particular outcome, publication of the report, compensation, mediation or enforcement action.

10.7 Reports and allegations are not ordinarily published on the National Dog Access Register merely because they have been submitted.

10.8 Dog Access Mark may contact the relevant business, request information, retain records, or share information with professional advisers, insurers, regulators, courts, law-enforcement bodies or other competent authorities where lawful and appropriate.

10.9 We are not required to disclose confidential internal records, investigation material, another person’s personal information or information which it would be unlawful or inappropriate to disclose.

11. User-submitted information

11.1 Where you submit information, text, photographs, documents or other material to the website, you confirm that:

1. you are entitled to provide it;
2. providing it does not knowingly infringe another person’s rights;
3. it is not knowingly false or materially misleading;
4. it does not contain malicious code; and
5. its submission is lawful.

11.2 You retain ownership of material that you own.

11.3 You grant Dog Access Mark a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to store, copy, process, format and use submitted material to the extent reasonably necessary to operate, secure, verify, investigate, administer and protect the Scheme, deal with your submission, comply with law and maintain appropriate records.

11.4 This licence may continue after the immediate purpose of the submission where continued retention is reasonably necessary for legal, evidential, fraud-prevention, complaint-handling, audit or record-keeping purposes.

11.5 We may remove, restrict or decline to use submitted material where we reasonably consider it unlawful, irrelevant, unsafe, misleading, abusive, infringing or otherwise inappropriate.

12. Intellectual property

12.1 Unless stated otherwise, all intellectual property rights in the website and Dog Access Mark materials are owned by or licensed to Dog Access Mark.

12.2 This includes rights in Dog Access Mark branding, logos, sticker artwork, status presentation, text, graphics, layouts, software, databases, the National Dog Access Register, the Dog Access Standard, the Dog Access Code and other Scheme materials.

12.3 You may view and use the website for its intended purpose and may make reasonable personal references to information displayed on it.

12.4 Except where permitted by law or expressly authorised by Dog Access Mark, you must not:

1. reproduce or distribute Dog Access Mark branding or sticker artwork;
2. create confusingly similar verification marks or Scheme materials;
3. copy or republish substantial parts of the National Dog Access Register;
4. use our content or database to create an unauthorised competing register, dataset or verification service;
5. remove ownership, copyright, trade mark or other rights notices; or
6. represent Dog Access Mark materials as your own.

12.5 Nothing in these Website Terms transfers ownership of Dog Access Mark intellectual property to you.

13. Trade marks and branding

13.1 Dog Access Mark names, logos, stickers and other brand identifiers may be protected by trade mark, copyright and other intellectual property rights.

13.2 You must not use Dog Access Mark branding in a way that falsely suggests that you or another person is a Verified Business, that Dog Access Mark has endorsed something it has not endorsed, or that Dog Access Mark is connected with a product, service, campaign or organisation without permission.

13.3 Participating businesses’ rights to use Dog Access Mark branding are governed principally by the Business Participation Terms.

14. Third-party websites, maps and services

14.1 The website may contain links to, or use information or functionality provided by, third-party websites and services.

14.2 Links are provided for convenience or relevant information and do not automatically mean that Dog Access Mark endorses or controls the third party.

14.3 We are not responsible for the content, availability, security, privacy practices, accuracy or operation of third-party websites or services that we do not control.

14.4 Your use of third-party services may be subject to their own terms and privacy policies.

15. Website availability and changes

15.1 We aim to keep the website and National Dog Access Register available and functioning, but we do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free access.

15.2 We may maintain, update, repair, replace, suspend or change any part of the website or Scheme systems where reasonably necessary.

15.3 Access may be interrupted by maintenance, hosting or telecommunications failures, third-party service issues, security incidents, technical faults or events outside our reasonable control.

15.4 We may change the structure, design, functionality, content or availability of the website without being required to maintain a particular feature indefinitely.

15.5 We will take reasonable steps to correct material technical or factual errors brought to our attention where appropriate.

16. Security

16.1 You are responsible for using reasonable security precautions when accessing the website.

16.2 You must not attempt to test, scan or exploit website vulnerabilities without our prior written authorisation.

16.3 If you believe you have identified a genuine security issue affecting Dog Access Mark, please report it responsibly to us rather than attempting to exploit it or disclose information in a way that creates additional risk.

16.4 No website or internet transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Nothing in these Website Terms reduces our obligations under applicable data protection or security law.

17. Privacy and cookies

17.1 Personal information is handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

17.2 Information about cookies and similar technologies is set out in our Cookie Policy.

17.3 You should read those documents to understand how relevant information is collected, used and managed.

18. General information, not professional advice

18.1 Content on this website is provided for general information and Scheme administration.

18.2 Unless expressly stated otherwise, website content is not legal, medical, veterinary, regulatory, financial, insurance or other professional advice.

18.3 You remain responsible for obtaining appropriate professional advice before acting on matters requiring specialist advice.

19. Our responsibility to consumers

19.1 Nothing in these Website Terms excludes or limits liability where doing so would be unlawful, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability which cannot lawfully be excluded.

19.2 If you use the website as a consumer, your statutory rights are not affected by these Website Terms.

19.3 If we fail to comply with these Website Terms, we are responsible for loss or damage that is a foreseeable result of our breach or our failure to use reasonable care and skill, subject to the other lawful limitations set out in these Website Terms.

19.4 We are not responsible for loss or damage that is not foreseeable, or for loss caused by information or circumstances outside our reasonable knowledge or control where we have acted with reasonable care.

19.5 Dog Access Mark does not guarantee that every change in a business’s circumstances will be reflected immediately on the website where the change has not yet been notified to or identified by us.

20. Our responsibility to business users

20.1 This section applies where you use the website wholly or mainly for purposes connected with your trade, business, craft or profession.

20.2 Nothing in this section excludes or limits liability which cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

20.3 Subject to clause 20.2 and to the fullest extent permitted by law, Dog Access Mark will not be liable to a business user for:

1. loss of profit, revenue, sales, contracts, anticipated savings or business opportunity;
2. loss of goodwill or reputation;
3. indirect or consequential loss;
4. loss resulting from inaccurate, incomplete or outdated information supplied by a participating business where Dog Access Mark did not know and could not reasonably have been expected to know it was inaccurate;
5. loss resulting from a business changing its policy without notifying Dog Access Mark;
6. the independent acts, omissions or decisions of a participating business or third party;
7. temporary unavailability caused by matters outside Dog Access Mark’s reasonable control; or
8. third-party services not controlled by Dog Access Mark.

20.4 Business participation in the Scheme is separately governed by the Business Participation Terms, including the liability provisions that apply to participating businesses.

21. Your responsibility for misuse

21.1 You are responsible for losses directly caused by your own unlawful or fraudulent misuse of the website.

21.2 If you are using the website in the course of a business, you will be responsible for reasonable losses, liabilities and costs incurred by Dog Access Mark as a direct result of your deliberate or negligent unauthorised misuse of Dog Access Mark intellectual property, security systems, verification identifiers or website services, subject to applicable law.

22. Suspension or withdrawal of access

22.1 We may restrict, suspend or terminate access to part or all of the website where reasonably necessary because of:

1. security concerns;
2. unlawful conduct;
3. material breach of these Website Terms;
4. attempted fraud or impersonation;
5. abusive or excessive automated use;
6. attempted unauthorised access;
7. protection of Dog Access Mark intellectual property; or
8. another serious threat to the website, Scheme or other users.

22.2 Where appropriate and reasonably practicable, restrictions may be limited to the affected user, service or functionality.

23. Changes to these Website Terms

23.1 We may amend these Website Terms where reasonably necessary to reflect changes in law, regulation, the website, the Scheme, technology, security practices or our operating arrangements.

23.2 The current version and effective date will be shown on this page.

23.3 Material changes will not retrospectively remove rights or liabilities that had already accrued before the change took effect.

23.4 Your continued use of the website after revised Website Terms take effect means that the revised terms will apply to your subsequent use of the website, subject to applicable law.

24. Communications

24.1 Where you contact Dog Access Mark or submit information through the website, we may communicate with you using the contact details you provide.

24.2 Electronic communications may be used for acknowledgements, requests for information, Scheme administration, security matters, responses to reports or recommendations, and other matters connected with your interaction with Dog Access Mark.

24.3 Marketing communications, where used, will be handled in accordance with applicable law and our Privacy Policy.

25. No waiver

25.1 If Dog Access Mark does not immediately enforce a provision of these Website Terms, that does not mean we have waived the right to enforce it later.

25.2 A waiver relating to one matter does not automatically apply to another matter.

26. Severability

26.1 If any provision of these Website Terms is found to be unlawful, invalid or unenforceable, it will be treated as modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it lawful and enforceable where possible.

26.2 If modification is not possible, the affected provision will be treated as deleted without affecting the remaining provisions.

27. Third-party rights

27.1 Except where these Website Terms expressly state otherwise, a person who is not a party to them has no right under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any provision.

28. Governing law and courts

28.1 These Website Terms are governed by the law of England and Wales.

28.2 If you are a consumer resident in England or Wales, the courts of England and Wales will have jurisdiction in relation to disputes arising from these Website Terms.

28.3 If you are a consumer resident in Scotland or Northern Ireland, nothing in these Website Terms removes any mandatory right you may have to rely on applicable local consumer protections or to bring proceedings in the courts available to you under applicable law.

28.4 If you use the website for business purposes, the courts of England and Wales will have exclusive jurisdiction in relation to disputes arising out of or in connection with these Website Terms, subject to any mandatory rule of law that applies otherwise.

29. Contact

Questions about these Website Terms can be sent to: