Code of Conduct

How To Get Along With Us!

General Rule

The following general rule supersedes all others listed below and may be invoked at any time:

Any action or behavior that disrupts convention operations, causes discomfort to others, or harms FurSquared’s relationship with its guests, venues, or the public is strictly prohibited. Such actions may result in removal from the event, permanent suspension, and/or legal action.

FurSquared’s Purpose

The primary purpose of FurSquared is to raise funds for animals through our charity, HAWS! We reach this purpose through this Code of Conduct that all attendees, volunteers, and staff abide by. FurSquared welcomes all parties with an interest in anthropomorphic animals. In order to achieve this welcoming environment, FurSquared Leadership reserves the right to deny or revoke the attendance of any individual at any time for any reason defined in this Code of Conduct.

Code of Conduct Overview

The organization that owns the FurSquared Convention is Two Ferrets Co. The Board of Two Ferrets Co reserves the right to amend this Code of Conduct at any time without prior or posted notice and reserves the sole right of interpretation. The Board has final say in all disputes. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Convention Operations staff for assistance during the Convention, or email info@fursquared.com with your inquiry.

As a condition of being present at and around Convention spaces, everyone must abide by this Code of Conduct for the entire duration of their participation in any and all event space, including the Official Telegram chats. This is not limited to Convention event dates and includes before Opening Ceremonies and after Closing Ceremonies.

General Rating of the Convention

All Convention spaces are considered to be rated PG at all times, with the exception of events or exhibits that are specifically noted to be inappropriate for minors / rated 18+. Any interactions in public spaces as well as official FurSquared digital spaces must abide by this PG rating.

Hotel and Convention Center Conduct

The individual Rules and regulations of the associated hotels and Baird Convention Center are to be followed. This includes but is not limited to:

  1. Our main hotel, The Hilton Milwaukee, is a historic landmark governed by strict regulations. Damage or defacement of the venue is a Class I felony and will be prosecuted.
  2. Place stickers only on designated sticker statues, as they will be auctioned for charity. Do not affix posters or items to any surfaces without staff approval.
  3. Wear appropriate footwear in the hotel, convention center, and places where food is being served such as the Super Sponsor Dinner and Sponsor’s Lounge. Fursuit paws are considered allowed footwear.
  4. Clothing must adequately conceal all genitalia.

Digital Spaces and Telegram Chat Decorum

  • Be considerate, polite, and respectful.
  • No vulgar or abusive language, including when it is masked with symbols, characters or otherwise, will be tolerated. This also includes usernames.
  • No harassment (see Harassment section below).
  • No illegal content (links, images, etc.).
  • No harmful links (links to malicious websites, viruses, etc.).
  • Do not spam.
  • Do not Self-Promote without permission. (Contact a moderator for permission.)
  • Do not impersonate members of the staff/moderation team.
  • Do not encourage others to break the rules.
  • Do not perform actions that are specifically designed to test the limits of what is or is not offensive and serves no other purpose.
  • We do NOT tolerate racism or discrimination on the basis of (but not limited to) sex, gender, sexual orientation, race, religious or spiritual belief, national origin, ethnicity, disability, or age.
  • Keep all political talk to a minimal, sophisticated, non-confrontational level.
  • No posting of anything NSFW.

Breaking any of these rules will result in a warning, followed by being muted. Any further action that shall be deemed offensive will not be tolerated and may result in removal and/or ban from our Telegram chats.

Harassment

Harassment of any kind as defined below will not be tolerated. FurSquared is not responsible for any interpersonal issues that may arise between individuals. Any person making continuous attempts to initiate contact with someone who has expressed disinterest, may be removed and/or banned from the Convention.

Behavioral Guidelines

  • Respect others.
  • No means No.
  • Fursuit is not consent.
  • Ask before initiating any contact.

Harassment includes (but is not limited to)

  • Offensive comments related to gender, gender identity and gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, mental health condition, neuro(a)typicality, physical attributes, ethnicity, race, religion, or political affiliations.
  • Unwelcome comments regarding a person’s lifestyle choices and practices, including those related to food, health, parenting, drugs, and employment.
  • Deliberate misgendering or use of “dead” or rejected names.
  • Gratuitous or off-topic sexual images or behavior in spaces where they’re not appropriate.
  • Simulated physical contact (e.g. textual descriptions like “hug” or “backrub”) without consent or after a request to stop.
  • Threats of violence.
  • Incitement of violence towards any individual, including encouraging a person to commit suicide or to engage in self-harm.
  • Stalking.
  • Intimidation.
  • Continuous disruption of discussion.
  • Unwelcome sexual attention.
  • Continued direct communication after requests to cease.
  • Publication of private communication.

Sales of Merchandise

Sales of merchandise by approved FurSquared dealers and artists will be handled by the individual vendor. FurSquared takes no responsibility for these transactions. The sale of merchandise of any kind by a non-approved FurSquared dealer or artist is prohibited.

Transactions should take place through direct in-person communication. In the interest of maintaining the security of sensitive financial information, no divulging of personal financial information or sale of merchandise should take place outside the Dealer’s Den, Night Market, and Artist Alley. Solicitation for any sales outside of aforementioned sanctioned areas are not permitted except in the F2 Convention Chat on Telegram if approved by a moderator of that official chat.

The Night Market is restricted to persons of the ages 18 and above. Attendees must present a form of legal identification proving age of 18 prior to being allowed admittance to The Night Market. No attendee under the age of 18 shall be admitted to The Night Market, accompanied by an adult or otherwise. With this procedure, individual Night Market vendors are not required to check identification prior to completing sales.

NFT’s & AI Images

FurSquared prohibits the sale and/or promotion of anything related to NFTs (Non Fungible Tokens). FurSquared prohibits the sale and/or promotion of “AI images”. AI Images are defined as any media created entirely by, assisted by, or edited by means of AI. This includes heavily edited media that originated from AI output. If a report of any of these occurring is received, the perpetrating vendor(s)’ will be investigated. If the report and investigation conclude the violation of this policy, the vendor(s)’ status will immediately be revoked and they will be required to remove their items from the convention space, with the possibility of not being allowed to vend at future FurSquared events.

Use of FurSquared Media

FurSquared attendees should be aware that audio and/or video recordings are frequently made in convention areas and that their likenesses may appear in those recordings. Individual attendees agree to assign without compensation the use of their likeness(es) at FurSquared for the use of promotional material.

The name “FurSquared” and FurSquared logo(s) are service marks of Two Ferrets Co and may not be used in any fashion that disparages or dilutes that mark. Any and all attendees of FurSquared agree to remove from circulation or publication any media that in the sole opinion of Two Ferrets Co misrepresents or defames its service mark.

Payments to FurSquared and Other Money Matters

Two Ferrets Co is a registered 501(c)(3). Donations to FurSquared can be tax deductible. Please seek legal and financial advice from licensed professionals if you have a question on your taxes.

For the Charity Auction, payments made for items made can receive a receipt for the transaction. If a receipt is needed, the purchaser must ask for proof of purchase at the auction upon receiving the item.

FurSquared accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, JCB. FurSquared also supports payments through Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Afterpay, and Klarna.

FurSquared will not accept Checks as payment. Chargebacks (denying a charge) that are made for the sole purpose of avoiding payment, made without sufficient cause, and/or made without first attempting to resolve the dispute with FurSquared may result in permanent revocation of attendance privileges and possible legal action. FurSquared will investigate all chargebacks.

FurSquared will not involve itself in financial disputes between individual attendees, and will not divulge information about an individual attendee to any party unless provided with written requirement from an applicable local, state, or federal law.

Miscellaneous Notes

The standards of conduct for FurSquared will be strictly enforced by FurSquared staff, who will be clearly identified as such. If you have an issue with any action taken by a Staff member or volunteer, please note at least the badge name, and number if possible. You then may go to our Security team (Dorsai, 4th floor of the Hilton) to submit your report. You may also request a Board Member to be present to hear your report so an appropriate decision and action can be taken based on severity, and proof.

This Code of Conduct is only enforceable to the extent that FurSquared staff is aware of and can follow up on any violations that arise. If you notice someone behaving destructively, negatively, or negligent, notify an identified staff member. A designated member of leadership will then move forward with agreed upon procedures to resolve the situation.

The Board may, upon receipt of information, ban or bar someone from FurSquared event spaces or FurSquared events based on a ban, bar, or notice from other legal entities (venues, organizations, conventions, online platforms, law enforcement, etc), given the following: the Board has gone to every effort to ensure those bans are reputable, and not rooted in interpersonal issues, bias, or malice; the ban or bar was enacted due to harassment, violence, or physical, sexual, emotional abuse, or incitement of any of the above.

Please be reminded that these rules may involve “worst-case” scenarios and are put into place to ensure the safety and comfort of attendees of the convention. These rules are also not all-inclusive. As stated at the beginning of this Code of Conduct, the main rule is as follows:

Any action or behavior that disrupts convention operations, causes discomfort to others, or harms FurSquared’s relationship with its guests, venues, or the public is strictly prohibited. Such actions may result in removal from the event, permanent suspension, and/or legal action.

FurSquared is prepared to deal with the above scenarios and more in as rapid and efficient a manner as possible. We thank our attendees for their past cooperation and for their continued assistance in making this a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone. Have fun - just please remember to be courteous and considerate of those around you while doing so!

~The Board & Staff of Two Ferrets Co & FurSquared

Code of Conduct | FurSquared