Terms of Service

By using Sniff (sniff.world), you agree to these terms.

1. Nature of content; editorial opinion

All product scores, score drivers, ingredient notes, methodology entries, comparisons, brand summaries, breed pages, atlas placements, and neighborhood narratives published on Sniff are editorial opinion. They reflect the considered application of Sniff's publicly-disclosed methodology to facts that are themselves publicly available (ingredient labels, guaranteed analyses, AAFCO statements, manufacturer disclosures, FDA recall records, peer-reviewed literature, and de-identified canine genetic research datasets).

Sniff's scores and assessments constitute protected speech on matters of public concern under both the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I, Section 2 of the California Constitution. They are not medical advice and are not a substitute for a veterinary nutritionist's or veterinary geneticist's professional judgment. If your dog has a medical condition, consult your veterinarian.

2. Independence

Sniff accepts no money from any pet food manufacturer, retailer, or affiliate network. The platform currently runs no affiliate program: product pages contain no commission-bearing "buy" links. The full independence policy lives at /independence. If Sniff adds affiliate partnerships in the future, the policy will be posted on that page before any commission-bearing links go live, and any such links will be labeled per FTC 16 CFR Part 255.

3. Methodology and editorial independence

Sniff publishes its full scoring methodology at /methodology, including every component weight, every threshold, every flagged ingredient, and the version history of changes. Sniff has accepted no investment, sponsorship, or compensation from any pet food manufacturer, distributor, retailer, or trade group. Editorial decisions are made independently of any commercial relationship.

4. User-submitted content (dog profiles, photos, notes)

When you submit a dog through /add/, including any photo or note you attach, you grant Sniff a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to display that content on the dog's permanent page, on the atlas, in aggregated research reports, and in scientific publications derived from the broader Sniff dataset. You may revoke this license by emailing [email protected] and requesting deletion of your dog's record (see the privacy policy for the process).

You represent that you own the rights to (or have permission to submit) any photo and any identifying information about the dog you upload. You agree not to submit content that infringes a third party's rights, that is unlawful, that misrepresents another person's dog, or that contains personally identifying information about other people.

Sniff reserves the right to remove any submitted content that violates these terms, at our discretion and without prior notice. We may also remove content that, on review, is incompatible with the tone the site is built around (memorial notes that target a person, off-topic promotional copy, etc.). Removal of submitted content does not affect Sniff's editorial content.

5. Genetic data; research use

Sniff places submitted dogs in the atlas using either owner-reported breed knowledge (Charted placement) or, when uploaded, the dog's actual genotype (Sequenced placement). Any genetic data you upload is stored solely for the purpose of placing your dog and for aggregated, de-identified research. Sniff does not sell, license, or share individual genetic records with third parties, ever. Aggregated statistics derived from many dogs (breed distribution, condition prevalence within a genetic cluster, etc.) may be published; aggregates contain no individual identifiers.

6. Brand corrections

Brand owners, manufacturers, and authorized representatives may submit factual corrections per the process at /corrections. Sniff acknowledges submitted corrections within 48 hours and provides a written determination (correct, annotate with both positions, or decline with reasons) within 14 days. Sniff's documented good-faith engagement with this process is admissible in any subsequent legal proceeding.

Submitting a correction does not waive any legal right held by the brand or by Sniff.

7. Governing law and exclusive venue

These Terms and any dispute arising out of or relating to Sniff, including but not limited to claims sounding in defamation, trade libel, product disparagement, false light, tortious interference, unfair competition, or any other claim challenging or arising from any content published on Sniff, are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles.

The exclusive venue for any such dispute shall be the state and federal courts located in Los Angeles County, California. By using Sniff, you consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts and waive any objection based on inconvenient forum.

8. Anti-SLAPP protections

You acknowledge and agree that the content published on Sniff concerns matters of public interest within the meaning of California Code of Civil Procedure section 425.16 (California's anti-SLAPP statute), including without limitation: pet food safety, ingredient transparency, nutritional adequacy, independence and conflict-of-interest disclosure, canine genetic research, and consumer protection.

Any claim brought against Sniff arising from or relating to its published content is subject to California Code of Civil Procedure section 425.16 and the protections it affords, including the special motion to strike, the discovery stay pending the motion, and the mandatory attorney's-fees-and-costs award to a prevailing defendant. You agree not to seek a forum that would deprive Sniff of these protections.

Nothing in these Terms is intended to limit any constitutional or statutory protection otherwise available to Sniff's speech, including under Milkovich v. Lorain Journal Co., 497 U.S. 1 (1990), and its progeny, including the protection accorded to opinion based on disclosed accurate underlying facts.

9. Limitations of liability

Sniff is provided "as is" and "as available." Sniff makes no warranty regarding accuracy, completeness, currency, or fitness for a particular purpose. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Sniff and its owners shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages arising from purchase, feeding, medical, breeding, or other decisions made in reliance on any content published on Sniff.

10. Intellectual property

Sniff's methodology, scoring rubric, ingredient notes, product reviews, atlas visualization, and editorial content are © Sniff and may not be reproduced commercially without permission. Brand names, product names, and product images are property of their respective owners and are used here under fair use for editorial commentary, criticism, and consumer-protection purposes. User-submitted photos remain the property of the submitter and are used under the license granted in Section 4.

11. Changes to terms

We may update these terms from time to time. Material changes will be flagged on the homepage for 30 days. Continued use after the change date constitutes acceptance.

12. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

13. Contact

Email [email protected].