Complaints Procedure

The operator is the company Dogs and sport s r.o., Kurzova 2222/16, 155 00 Prague, ID: 19817151, registered in the Commercial Register kept at the Municipal Court in Prague under file number C 392046, represented by Stephanie Mach, CCBW, CCRP, Tel: 605 341 072, Email: info@animal-prosthetics.com

Important: The Devices are individually manufactured biomechanical mobility aids for animals. They are not medical or healthcare devices and do not replace veterinary examination, treatment, rehabilitation or surgery.

1. Rights arising from defective performance

1.1. The Manufacturer is liable to the consumer for the Device being free from defects upon receipt, in particular for corresponding to the agreed description, type, quantity, quality, functionality and other agreed characteristics, and for being suitable for the agreed purpose. Individual biomechanical limitations and specifically disclosed deviations to which the Client expressly consented in advance shall be assessed in accordance with the law.

1.2. The consumer may report a defect that becomes apparent within two years of receipt. If a defect becomes apparent within the first year, the item is presumed to have been defective upon receipt unless the nature of the item or defect precludes this. If a quality guarantee is provided beyond the statutory framework, its scope must be expressly stated in the guarantee declaration.

1.3. Normal wear and tear corresponding to the nature, intensity and duration of use is not a defect. This applies in particular to gradual compression or indentation of foam, and wear of padding, insoles, linings, straps, hook-and-loop fasteners, rubber parts, soles, rivets, hinges, joints and surface finishes, unless caused by a defect in material or workmanship.

1.4. A minor abrasion, scratch, change in gloss or colour, smoothing of the surface, a mark caused by contact with the ground, fur or the opposite part of the Device, or other cosmetic damage which does not impair safety, load-bearing capacity, stabilising function, the agreed range of motion or proper use of the Device is not, in itself, a defect.

1.5. Minor surface damage caused by ordinary contact with the ground, a claw, fur, the opposite limb, furniture or the surrounding environment is not grounds for withdrawal from the contract. If it can be remedied by local grinding, bonding, replacement of a consumable part or another proportionate repair, that adjustment, rather than a refund, is the appropriate remedy where applicable.

1.6. Determining whether an issue is a manufacturing defect, normal wear and tear, a cosmetic change, a consequence of use or a need for a fitting adjustment requires consideration of the age of the Device, the mode and intensity of use, the animal's weight and activity, maintenance, photographs taken before use and the physical condition of the Device. The Client's mere description of a problem as a "defect" does not determine its legal nature.

2. Individual fitting and adaptation phase

2.1. The Device is manufactured according to the cast, measurements, photographs and available biomechanical information. Due to individual anatomy and movement dynamics, ordinary fine-tuning of the fit may be necessary after delivery. The need for a reasonable adjustment is not, in itself, a defect; the decisive issue is whether the performance supplied conforms to the contract and can be brought into conformity through the agreed procedure.

2.2. During the adaptation phase, the animal may display a change in gait pattern, lower tolerance, increased sensitivity or temporary redness. The Client must increase wearing time gradually in accordance with the instructions, inspect the skin after every use and, in the event of pain, injury, significant swelling or deterioration, stop using the Device and contact both the veterinarian and the Manufacturer.

2.3. The Manufacturer is not liable for a change in fit caused in particular by subsequent swelling, atrophy, a change in weight, postoperative change, progression of disease, or a change in gait pattern or anatomy, unless the change was caused by a defect in the Device or incorrect instructions from the Manufacturer.

3. Free fitting adjustments and paid modifications

3.1. During the first two months after receipt, the Manufacturer will perform ordinary fitting adjustments free of charge if the need arises from the originally approved solution: local grinding and rounding of edges, trimming or adding foam or padding, local heat reshaping, replacement of a defective component, addition of an anti-slip or protective element, and minor correction of the fit.

3.2. Free fitting adjustments do not include a newly requested fundamental change to the structure or biomechanical concept, in particular adding or removing a platform, changing the type of fixation or range of motion, length or height, type of joint, structure of the paw section, or conversion from a rigid version to a semi-rigid version or vice versa. Such a modification is priced individually unless it is necessary to remedy a defect for which the Manufacturer is liable.

4. Making a complaint and necessary cooperation

4.1. A complaint may be made by email to info@animal-prosthetics.com, by telephone or at the premises. The Client shall provide the order identification, describe how and when the defect became apparent, state the requested method of resolution and attach available photographs or video. The Manufacturer will issue written confirmation of the complaint containing the particulars required by law.

4.2. If physical inspection is necessary to assess or remove the defect, the Client must, upon request, make the Device available or send it clean, complete and in its current condition. Until the necessary cooperation has been provided, the cause cannot be determined objectively and the complaint cannot be substantively resolved; statutory time limits and the consequences of failure to cooperate are governed by applicable law.

4.3. The Client must not use a Device where there is a risk of further damage or harm to the animal pending assessment. Before sending it, the Client shall document it without making any modifications. An intervention that alters the condition complained of may make proof more difficult; however, the Manufacturer will reject the complaint only to the extent that it proves a connection between the intervention and the defect or the impossibility of assessing it.

4.3 a. If the Manufacturer identifies an unauthorised structural intervention, it will document it. The complaint will be assessed in light of the nature and extent of the intervention; the claim will not be accepted to the extent that the intervention caused, or in the Manufacturer's professional assessment could have caused, the reported behaviour, damage or inability to use the Device safely. Restoring the Device to its original or a safe condition is a paid service unless it also constitutes removal of a defect for which the Manufacturer is liable.

4.4. The Manufacturer will resolve the complaint, including removal of the defect, and inform the Client of the outcome no later than 30 calendar days from the date on which the complaint was duly made, unless the Manufacturer and the Client expressly agree on a longer period. The Client must provide the necessary cooperation without undue delay and allow the Manufacturer to assess the condition complained of objectively, in particular by making the Device available or handing it over where required by the nature of the defect; the consequences of failure to provide such cooperation are governed by applicable law. A period longer than 30 calendar days without agreement with the Client is considered unreasonable. The Manufacturer will document the course and outcome and issue confirmation of the date and manner of resolution, or written reasons for rejection, as applicable.

4 A. A complaint does not automatically entitle the Client to a refund

4 A.1. Making a complaint does not automatically create a right to a refund. If the reported problem can be remedied and the case is not one in which the law permits an immediate price reduction or withdrawal, the Manufacturer must first be given the opportunity to conduct a professional assessment and remove the defect.

4 A.2. A request by the Client for a refund, a threat to publish a negative review or a unilateral statement that the Client no longer wishes to use the Device does not alter the statutory order of remedies or establish the existence of a defect.

4 A.3. A single complaint may contain several manifestations of the same cause; conversely, repeated messages, additional photographs, continued communication or inspection of the same unresolved problem do not in themselves constitute several separate occurrences of a defect. The actual technical condition and the course of defect removal are decisive.

4 A.4. Voluntary servicing, adjustment or new production provided beyond the statutory obligation does not automatically constitute acknowledgement of a complaint and is not, without more, counted as an unsuccessful attempt to remove a defect.

5. Methods of resolving a complaint

5.1. If the Device is defective, the consumer may request removal of the defect by repair or delivery of a new item, unless the chosen method is impossible or disproportionately costly compared with the other method. The Manufacturer may refuse to remove the defect only under the conditions laid down by law.

5.2. The consumer may request a reasonable price reduction or withdraw from the contract only where the statutory conditions are met, in particular where the Manufacturer has refused to remove an actual defect or has failed to remove it properly, the defect recurs after proper removal, the defect constitutes a material breach of contract, or it is apparent from the circumstances that the defect will not be removed within a reasonable period or without significant inconvenience. Withdrawal is not available for an insignificant defect.

5.3. A complaint concerning a different unrelated problem, normal wear and tear, a consumable part, a change in anatomy or a request for a different structure is not considered a repeated occurrence of a defect. Each case is assessed according to its cause, not merely the number of service contacts.

5.4. In the case of a justified complaint, the Manufacturer bears the reasonably incurred costs of taking over the Device for removal of the defect. In the case of an unjustified complaint or paid servicing, transport is paid by the Client, provided the Client was informed in advance and the cost is not one which the Manufacturer must bear by law.

6. Scope of any refund where there are several separate performances

6.1. Where the contract and price are divided into a separate consultation, casting consumables, production of the positive / model and production of the Device, the defect and the claim are assessed in relation to the part concerned.

6.2. Where justified withdrawal or a price reduction relates exclusively to the contract for supply of the Device, the amount refunded or the reduction is calculated from the separately stated price of the Device. Separate contracts already performed for consultation, obtaining the cast, consumption of materials and production of the positive / manufacturing model remain unaffected.

6.3. No refund is provided for a performance that was not defective and from which the Client did not validly withdraw. If a justified claim concerns only replacement of a consumable part, a local repair, addition of foam, reattachment of a sole, grinding of an edge or another remediable adjustment, that fact alone does not create a right to a refund of the price of the entire Device.

6.4. In order to receive a refund of the price of the Device, the Client must return the Device to the Manufacturer; the Manufacturer will refund the relevant amount after receiving it or after proof of dispatch, in accordance with the rules applicable to the particular claim.

6.5. If a mandatory rule of law requires a broader settlement in a particular case, the statutory rules will apply to the necessary extent. This reservation does not alter the agreed separateness of the other performances in cases where the law permits it.

7. Circumstances which are not, in themselves, defects

7.1. A subjective change in the Client's preference compared with the solution approved in writing, the animal's failure to accept the Device, temporary adaptation difficulties, changes in health, or failure to achieve a result that was not agreed and cannot objectively be guaranteed in view of the anatomy or diagnosis cannot, without more, be considered defects.

7.2. The Manufacturer is not liable for the consequences of incorrect application, insufficient or excessive tightening, use contrary to the instructions, excessive loading, neglected maintenance or unprofessional intervention if it proves a causal connection with the reported problem.

7.3. The animal's death, amputation, or a change in diagnosis or prognosis after commencement of the order do not in themselves constitute defective performance. Article 5 of Part A applies to the financial settlement of an incomplete order; rights arising from the Manufacturer's own breach of obligations remain unaffected.

8. Servicing and replacement of wearing parts

8.1. The Manufacturer offers paid servicing and replacement of wearing parts. Before carrying out paid servicing, it will state the price or the method by which the price will be determined. A service intervention does not alter the duration or scope of statutory rights arising from defects unless the law provides otherwise.

8.2. A structural repair or modification by a third party without the Manufacturer's written consent voids any voluntary quality guarantee to the extent of the affected part and related consequences. The Manufacturer is not liable for defects, changes in behaviour or damage caused by an unauthorised repair and may refuse free removal of the problem to the extent that the intervention caused the defect, changed the original structure or made it impossible to determine the cause or restore the original condition.

9. Final provisions

9.1. The Manufacturer may amend the Terms and the Complaints Procedure for future contracts. The version made available to the Client when the relevant contract was concluded applies to that order unless the parties validly agree otherwise.

9.2. If any provision is invalid or ineffective, the remaining provisions remain in force. The invalid provision shall be replaced by the applicable statutory rule and an interpretation that is as close as possible to its permitted purpose.

9.3. These Terms and the Complaints Procedure take effect on 22 September 2026.