Welcome to the Wildlife Rescue of East Tennessee (WRET, “we,” “us,” or “our”). These Terms and Conditions of Service and Use (“Terms”) constitute a legally binding agreement between WRET, a non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of native wildlife, and you, the individual or entity accessing, utilizing, or interacting with our services, including our website located at info@wlret.site, our 24/7 emergency hotline, our educational programs, and all associated communication channels and facilities (collectively, the “Services”). By accessing or using any part of the Services, by providing us with a monetary donation, by submitting a volunteer application, by making an emergency call, or by otherwise engaging with our organization, you unequivocally signify your understanding, acknowledgment, and definitive agreement to be bound by these Terms and all applicable laws and regulations, without limitation or qualification. If you do not agree to these Terms in their entirety, you are expressly prohibited from using the Services and must immediately cease all further interaction with WRET. These Terms represent the complete and exclusive statement of the agreement between you and WRET, superseding any prior or contemporaneous oral or written communications, proposals, or representations with respect to the subject matter of these Terms. We reserve the absolute right, at our sole and exclusive discretion, to modify, alter, or replace these Terms at any time without prior specific notice to you, and your continued use of the Services following the posting of any changes constitutes your binding acceptance of those changes, underscoring your responsibility to regularly review this document for updates. This introductory section establishes the legal framework and necessity of adherence to these extensive conditions for all forms of engagement with our organization.

1. Scope of WRET Mission and Limitations of Rescue Services

The primary mission of the Wildlife Rescue of East Tennessee is explicitly confined to the provision of emergency response, expert care, rehabilitation, and ethical release of native, non-domesticated wildlife within our operational region, as permitted by all relevant state and federal permits and licenses. We are not, under any circumstances, authorized or equipped to handle, treat, or accept domesticated animals, livestock, or non-native, invasive species, and by contacting us, you acknowledge that our ability to assist is strictly limited to indigenous wildlife. Furthermore, while we operate a 24/7 emergency hotline, this service is subject to significant operational constraints including, but not limited to, the availability of specialized staff, the geographical distance and complexity of the rescue location, the immediate risk to human safety and the safety of our rescuers, the specific permits required for certain species, and the current capacity and resource allocation within our rehabilitation facility. We therefore expressly disclaim any and all liability for any delay, inability, or failure to respond to a rescue call, for any decision made regarding the triage or prognosis of an animal, or for any adverse outcome resulting from circumstances beyond our immediate control, including but not limited to weather conditions, traffic incidents, or unforeseen operational difficulties. Our commitment is to use our best professional judgment and available resources, but we make no guarantee, express or implied, regarding the success, speed, or ability to undertake any specific rescue operation reported to us, emphasizing that all decisions are made by our licensed staff based on ethical, medical, and operational priorities at the time of the event.

2. Emergency Hotline Use and Disclaimer of Veterinary Advice

The WRET 24/7 emergency hotline is provided solely as a communication conduit for the reporting and coordination of wildlife emergencies and is explicitly not intended to be, nor should it ever be interpreted as, a substitute for professional veterinary medical consultation or advice. While the personnel answering the hotline are trained in triage, species identification, and safe containment protocols, they are providing information for immediate safety and transportation purposes only, and this information does not constitute a formal diagnosis, treatment plan, or long-term medical recommendation. We strongly advise that any individual seeking medical advice for a domestic pet or livestock immediately consult a licensed veterinarian. By using the hotline, you acknowledge the inherent risks associated with interacting with wild animals and agree that any instruction provided by our staff, whether regarding safe observation or temporary containment, is advisory only and does not relieve you of your sole responsibility for exercising extreme caution, prudence, and good judgment in all situations involving wildlife. WRET assumes no liability for any injury, damage, or loss, whether to persons or property, that may arise from your reliance on, or interpretation of, the non-veterinary, advisory information provided over the emergency hotline, further reinforcing the strict distinction between coordination advice and professional medical care.

3. Financial Donations, Fundraising Terms, and Refund Policy

All financial contributions, gifts, and donations made to the Wildlife Rescue of East Tennessee, whether through the website, mail, or direct engagement with a WRET representative, are made as voluntary, non-refundable gifts in support of our general operating fund, which is used to further our charitable mission of rescue, rehabilitation, and public education. By making a donation, you irrevocably affirm that the transaction is an unconditional and voluntary philanthropic contribution to a registered non-profit organization and explicitly waive any right, claim, or expectation to any form of monetary refund, compensation, or return of the donated funds under any circumstances whatsoever, including changes in our mission scope or operational capacity. Funds donated are utilized at the sole discretion of the WRET Board of Directors and administrative leadership to cover necessary organizational expenses, including but not limited to veterinary supplies, specialized animal diets, enclosure maintenance, utility costs for the 24/7 facility at 3407 MEMORIAL BLVD, and personnel salaries, with the ultimate goal of maximizing our life-saving impact. In the exceptionally rare event of a transactional error, such as a duplicate charge due to a system malfunction, WRET will, upon written notification and verification of the error by our financial officers and payment processor, make every reasonable effort to correct the error, but this remedy is strictly limited to the correction of the specific, documented error and does not constitute a general refund policy for voluntary contributions. Furthermore, all donations are subject to verification and compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regulations, and WRET reserves the right to decline or return any donation that raises legal or ethical concerns at our sole discretion.

4. Intellectual Property, Content Usage, and Copyright

All content presented on the WRET website, including but not limited to text, images, photographs, graphics, videos, logos, organization name, facility address, and the compilation of all digital assets (collectively, the “WRET Content”), is the sole and exclusive intellectual property of the Wildlife Rescue of East Tennessee and is protected by United States and international copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, and other intellectual property or proprietary rights laws. Your access to the Services grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the WRET Content strictly for your personal, non-commercial, informational purposes only, and this license is subject to immediate termination by WRET for any breach of these Terms. You are expressly prohibited from reproducing, distributing, modifying, creating derivative works of, publicly displaying, publicly performing, republishing, downloading, storing, or transmitting any of the WRET Content without the prior written consent of an authorized officer of WRET, with the exception of temporary copies automatically stored in your browser’s cache. Specifically, you may not use any photographs or video footage of the animals in our care, our staff, or our facility for any commercial endeavor, solicitation, or political campaign without express written permission, ensuring that the visual and narrative identity of our organization remains protected and unexploited. Any unauthorized use of the WRET Content constitutes a material breach of these Terms and may subject you to civil and criminal penalties, and all rights not expressly granted herein are fully reserved by the Wildlife Rescue of East Tennessee.

5. Volunteer and Staff Conduct, Non-Disclosure, and Liability

Individuals who are accepted into and participate in the WRET volunteer program or who are employed as staff members agree to be bound by all internal policies, protocols, and ethical guidelines set forth by the organization, which are hereby incorporated into these Terms by reference. Volunteers and staff are entrusted with sensitive information regarding animal care protocols, patient intake locations, internal facility operations at the 3407 MEMORIAL BLVD location, and the personal information of fellow volunteers, staff, and callers, and are therefore required to strictly adhere to a policy of confidentiality and non-disclosure concerning all WRET proprietary information and patient details. Any unauthorized disclosure of patient information, proprietary rehabilitation techniques, or internal financial data is grounds for immediate termination of the volunteer or employment relationship and may result in legal action. Furthermore, all individuals who physically interact with WRET premises or animals, whether as volunteers, staff, or during a coordinated animal drop-off, assume all inherent risks associated with working with native wildlife, including the risk of injury, disease transmission, or adverse reaction, and by participating, you agree to release, indemnify, and hold harmless WRET, its directors, officers, employees, agents, and volunteers from any and all liability for personal injury, property damage, or death arising out of or related to your participation, except to the extent caused by our gross negligence or willful misconduct. This mutual agreement underscores the seriousness of the commitment and the acknowledgement of the inherent risks involved in wildlife rescue work.

6. User Obligations, Prohibited Conduct, and Termination of Access

As a condition of your use of the Services, you warrant and represent that you will not use the Services for any purpose that is unlawful, prohibited by these Terms, or intended to encourage or facilitate the violation of any law or regulation. You are expressly prohibited from engaging in any conduct that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair the WRET website or our communication systems, including, but not limited to, the introduction of any viruses, Trojan horses, worms, logic bombs, or other malicious or technologically harmful material. Furthermore, you may not attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the Services, other users’ accounts, or any computer systems or networks connected to WRET, whether through hacking, password mining, or any other means. Prohibited conduct also includes the transmission of any unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional materials, or spam, and the use of the Services to harass, abuse, insult, defame, slander, disparage, intimidate, or discriminate based on gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, race, age, national origin, or disability. WRET reserves the unqualified and absolute right, at its sole discretion and without prior notice, to suspend, limit, or terminate your access to the Services, including blocking your IP address or telephone number from contacting our hotline or facility, if you breach any provision of these Terms, engage in behavior that is detrimental to our mission, or otherwise pose a threat to the safety or welfare of our staff, volunteers, or the animals in our care, and any such termination will not limit any other remedies WRET may have at law or in equity.

7. Disclaimers of Warranties and Limitation of Liability

The Services, including the WRET website, all WRET Content, and any information provided over the hotline or in educational materials, are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis, without any warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, or course of performance. WRET expressly disclaims all responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, reliability, operability, or availability of the Services or the WRET Content, and does not warrant that the Services will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, or free of viruses or other harmful components. Your use of the Services is entirely at your own risk. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, in no event shall WRET, its affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents, suppliers, or licensors be liable for any direct, indirect, punitive, incidental, special, consequential, or exemplary damages, including, without limitation, damages for loss of profits, goodwill, data, or other intangible losses, arising out of or relating to your access to or use of, or inability to access or use, the Services or the WRET Content. This comprehensive limitation of liability applies regardless of whether the alleged liability is based on contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, or any other basis, even if WRET has been advised of the possibility of such damage. This limitation is essential to our continued operation as a non-profit entity dedicated to high-risk rescue operations and is acknowledged by you upon your use of our Services.

8. Indemnification and Hold Harmless Agreement

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Wildlife Rescue of East Tennessee, its parent organization (if any), subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents, volunteers, and representatives from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, awards, losses, costs, expenses, or fees (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or relating to your violation of these Terms or your use of the Services, including, but not limited to, your unauthorized use of the WRET Content, your interaction with any wild animal in connection with a report made to WRET, your negligence or misconduct while engaging with our staff or volunteers, or your breach of any representation or warranty contained herein. This indemnification obligation extends to any third-party claim brought against WRET based on your actions or omissions, including allegations of libel, slander, or infringement of intellectual property rights arising from content you submit or communicate through the Services. This defense and indemnification obligation shall survive the termination of your relationship with WRET and your cessation of all use of the Services, ensuring that WRET is protected from liabilities arising from the actions of its users, and you acknowledge that this provision is a fundamental and material part of the agreement between you and WRET, essential for maintaining our operational and financial integrity as a non-profit rescue organization.

9. Governing Law, Jurisdiction, and Dispute Resolution

These Terms and Conditions and any dispute or claim arising out of, or related to them, their subject matter, or their formation (in each case, including non-contractual disputes or claims) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Tennessee, without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Tennessee. Any legal suit, action, or proceeding arising out of or related to these Terms or the Services shall be instituted exclusively in the federal or state courts of Sullivan County, Tennessee, and you irrevocably consent to the exercise of personal jurisdiction by such courts and waive any and all objections to the exercise of jurisdiction over you by such courts and to venue in such courts. In the event of a dispute, WRET and you agree to first attempt to resolve the dispute informally and in good faith, for a period of not less than sixty (60) days, before resorting to litigation. Should informal resolution fail, WRET maintains the sole right to elect, at its discretion, whether to resolve the dispute through binding arbitration administered by a recognized arbitral body in the State of Tennessee, under its rules, in lieu of litigation. You expressly agree that any claim or cause of action related to the Services or these Terms must be filed within one (1) year after such claim or cause of action arose; otherwise, such claim or cause of action is permanently barred.

10. Miscellaneous Provisions and Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable for any reason, such provision shall be eliminated or limited to the minimum extent such that the remaining provisions of the Terms will continue in full force and effect. The failure of WRET to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision in that or any other instance, and any waiver of a breach of any provision of these Terms shall not be construed as a continuing waiver of other breaches of the same or other provisions of these Terms. WRET may assign its rights and duties under these Terms to any party at any time without notice to you. You may not assign or transfer your rights or obligations under these Terms without the prior written consent of WRET. The headings in these Terms are for convenience only and have no legal or contractual effect. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any other legal notices published by WRET on the Services, constitute the entire agreement between you and WRET concerning the Services and supersede all prior or contemporaneous communications and proposals, whether electronic, oral, or written, between you and WRET with respect to the Services.

11. Contact Information for Legal and General Inquiries

All questions, comments, or legal notices concerning these Terms or the Services should be directed to the designated administrative contact at the Wildlife Rescue of East Tennessee. Formal legal notices and all official correspondence must be sent in writing via certified mail to the physical address provided below. We appreciate your adherence to these protocols, which ensures that legal matters are properly documented and routed internally to the appropriate administrative and legal counsel, while general inquiries can be handled efficiently by our support staff without burdening our emergency response lines.

Wildlife Rescue of East Tennessee (WRET) Attention: Legal and Compliance Department Mailing Address: 3407 MEMORIAL BLVD, KINGSPORT, TN 37664 General Inquiry Email: info@wlret.site (Please use the subject line: TERMS & CONDITIONS INQUIRY)

Your commitment to abiding by these detailed Terms and Conditions is vital to the operational integrity and legal stability of our non-profit organization, allowing us to focus our full resources on the life-saving work of wildlife rescue and rehabilitation in East Tennessee.