Terms of Service
Last updated: July 2026
TrueBowl is based in Ontario, Canada. By using the TrueBowl app or website, you agree to these Terms in full. If you don’t agree, please don’t use TrueBowl.
- App: the TrueBowl web application and all its pages and screens.
- Contributor: a User who submits a new product or reports an issue with an existing one.
- Customer: a User who purchases Premium.
- Database: TrueBowl’s database of scored pet food products.
- Premium: the paid tier of the App.
- Products: the pet food products referenced in the Database.
- Score: the numerical rating produced by TrueBowl’s scoring method for a given Product and species.
- User: anyone using TrueBowl, whether as a guest or with an account.
TrueBowl exists to help pet owners understand what’s actually in the food they’re buying — calibrated to their specific animal, not a one-size-fits-all rubric.
TrueBowl has no financial relationship with the brands or manufacturers of the Products it scores: we don’t run advertising, no brand can pay to change a score or be featured in recommendations, and we don’t sell or exploit user data. TrueBowl is funded by Premium subscriptions and voluntary donations that fund our veterinary review program — never by the companies whose products we score.
3.1 Database
The Database is built from product submissions from Users and TrueBowl’s own data-collection work. We make reasonable efforts to verify submitted information, but we do not independently manufacture or test the Products in the Database, and we cannot guarantee the Database is error-free. Formulations can also change between when a product is added and when you scan it — always check the physical packaging for current information.
3.2 Scoring method
TrueBowl scores Products using a rubric built for the specific species and diet type selected — a score is not comparable across species. A small number of ingredients hard-cap the score regardless of anything else in the product: genuine toxins based on established veterinary and toxicological consensus. This is not a substitute for immediate professional care if your animal has actually ingested something dangerous — contact your veterinarian or an animal poison control hotline immediately.
Health-condition scoring is educational and must not replace your veterinarian’s guidance, particularly for serious or life-threatening conditions. Species rubrics are reviewed by licensed veterinarians as part of our ongoing verification program, but review status varies by species group.
3.3 Scores are opinions, not guarantees
The Score is TrueBowl’s opinion, based on available ingredient information. Terms like “Strong” or “Worth a swap” describe the Score only, not a guarantee about your animal’s health outcome.
3.4 Recommendations and swaps
Swap suggestions are chosen based on category, species fit, and Score — never because a brand has paid for placement.
You may use TrueBowl as a guest without an account. If you create one, you agree to provide a real email address you control, avoid bots or automated account creation, and keep your access secure. We may suspend or delete an account that violates these Terms. You can delete your account any time from Settings, or by emailing us.
5.1 Acceptable use
You agree not to submit illegal, defamatory, or hateful content; attempt to disrupt or gain unauthorized access to our systems; scrape TrueBowl for commercial redistribution; or knowingly submit false product information.
5.2 Submitting products and reporting issues
Contributors agree that submitted information is accurate to the best of their knowledge and taken directly from the product’s actual packaging. By submitting content, you grant TrueBowl a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, display, and modify it as part of the Database. Deliberately false submissions may result in rejection and, for repeated cases, account suspension.
5.3 Reporting errors
Use the “An issue with this product?” flow in the app to flag incorrect information. We review reports and aim to correct verified errors within a reasonable time.
TRUEBOWL PROVIDES INFORMATION OF A GENERAL AND EDUCATIONAL NATURE. TRUEBOWL DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, OR CURRENTNESS OF ANY SCORE, INGREDIENT LIST, OR TOXIN FLAG. THE APP IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.”
TRUEBOWL IS NOT VETERINARY ADVICE AND IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR CONSULTING A LICENSED VETERINARIAN. Never delay seeking veterinary care, and never rely on TrueBowl in an active emergency — call your vet or an animal poison control hotline immediately if your animal may have ingested something harmful.
You are solely responsible for verifying a product’s ingredients directly on its packaging before feeding it to your animal, especially where your animal has allergies, a diagnosed condition, or any circumstance where an error could cause real harm.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, TrueBowl will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from use of or reliance on the App. Our total aggregate liability to you for any claim will not exceed the greater of (a) the amount you paid us in the 12 months before the claim, or (b) CAD $100. Nothing in this section limits liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
The TrueBowl name, logo, scoring methodology, and app design are the property of TrueBowl. We grant you a personal, non-exclusive, revocable license to use the App for your own personal purposes — not the underlying source code, scoring algorithms, or database structure. Content submitted by Contributors remains subject to the license in Section 5.2. Product and brand names remain the property of their respective owners, used for informational identification only.
8.1 What’s included: unlimited pet profiles, unlimited health conditions, full scan history, cloud sync, unlimited search, and first access to upcoming features. Free features remain free for everyone, always.
8.2 Price and payment: Premium is offered as an annual subscription at the price shown at checkout. Payment is processed by Stripe; TrueBowl never receives or stores your card details. Premium may also be available as a gift or under a limited-time founding offer, with pricing stated clearly at the time.
8.3 Renewal and cancellation: subscriptions renew automatically each year unless cancelled before renewal. You keep access through the period already paid for; cancelling doesn’t refund the current period.
8.4 Availability: if a technical issue prevents your paid access from activating, contact us within 3 months of purchase and we’ll make it right.
8.5 Gifting Premium: gift purchases are non-refundable once a code has been generated, whether or not it has been redeemed, except where required by law.
9.1 We may update these Terms; material changes take effect 14 days after posting. 9.2 If any part is found unenforceable, the rest remains in effect. 9.3 These Terms are governed by the laws of Ontario and applicable federal Canadian law, without taking away consumer protections you’re entitled to under your home US state’s law. 9.4 If a disagreement arises, contact us first so we can try to resolve it directly.