THE ANIMAL DOCTOR, LTD. PROFIT SHARING PLAN LITIGATION

You received this Notice because the Court ordered that notice be provided to Class Members as defined by the Court. You were identified as a potential class member from records produced by The Animal Doctor, LTD. (“Animal Doctor”). The purpose of this Notice is to provide you with information about the Settlement and your rights, including your right to object to the Settlement before the Court decides whether to approve the Settlement.

The Complaint alleges that Defendants The Animal Doctor, LTD. and Dr. Lori W. Wyatt violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ("ERISA"), the federal law that governs retirement plans offered by private employers, in connection with the investment of the assets of the The Animal Doctor Profit Sharing Plan (the "Plan") and the administration of the Plan. The Complaint alleges that Defendants breached their ERISA fiduciary duties by investing the Plan’s assets in undiversified assets in 2021 and the Plan’s investments lost a significant amount of its value since that time. Defendants deny any wrongdoing or liability, or that they violated ERISA, and deny that Plaintiff or the Plan suffered any losses. The Court has not ruled on the merits in this case.

A complete description of the claims is contained in the Complaint, along with other important documents, is available on the documents tab: Documents Link

A class action is a lawsuit in which the claims and rights of many people are decided in a single court case. One or more representatives known as “class representatives” file a lawsuit asserting claims on behalf of the entire class. The Class Representative in this case is Cathy Paszkiet, a former employee who is a participant in the Plan and still has an account in the Plan.

A complete description of the claims is contained in the Complaint, along with other important documents, is available on this link: Documents Link

The Court certified the Class as follows:

Participants in The Animal Doctor, Ltd. Profit Sharing Plan at any time between March 8, 2021 to December 31, 2025 (except those participants who terminated without even partial vesting) and the beneficiaries of any such participants, excluding the Excluded Persons.

Excluded from the Class are: (1) Defendants, (2) any fiduciaries of the Plan, (3) other persons who had decision-making or administrative authority relating to the administration, investment allocation, modification, funding, or interpretation of the Plan, (4) the beneficiaries of such persons, the immediate relatives of such persons, and (5) the legal representatives, assigns or successors in interest of any excluded person.

The Settlement requires Defendants to pay $500,000 (the “Settlement Amount”) into a Qualified Settlement Fund to resolve all the claims in the Complaint on behalf of the Class against Defendants. Based on the data provided about the Plan’s investments, this represents approximately __ of the losses based on Class Counsels’ calculations. After deduction of any Court-approved attorneys’ fees and costs and any Court-approved service award to the Class Representative, the remaining amount, called the Net Settlement Amount, will be distributed to the Class pursuant to a Court-approved distribution formula called the “Plan of Allocation.”

The Settlement Agreement also requires Defendants to adopt an agreed-upon investment policy to govern the management and diversification of Plan investments. The Settlement requires compliance with that investment policy for one year after the Final Approval Order becomes nonappealable;however, nothing in the Settlement Agreement precludes The Animal Doctor from terminating the Plan. A copy of the Investment Policy is available upon request by Class Members directed to Class Counsel.

TheNetSettlementAmount--theClassSettlementAmountminusCourt-approveddeductionsfor attorneys’fees, expenses, and service award, -- will be divided among Class Members according to a court-approved Plan ofAllocation. Class Counsel’s proposed Plan ofAllocation, which the Courthaspreliminarilyapproved,providesthattheNetSettlementAmountwillbedividedamong ClassMembersbasedontheirproratalossestotheparticipant’sPlanaccount.Thelossesarebased on an the amount of lost earnings a compared to what Class Counsel considered to have been a prudent investment of the Plan’s assets.The Plan ofAllocation as preliminarily approved by the Court can be found at: Documents Link

If you have questions about what is listed on your individualized addendum to this Notice, or believe that you qualify as a Class Member (but didn’t receive a personalized notice), you can contact the SettlementAdministrator at the address below. You must do so by or before November 30, 2026.

If you have questions about what is listed on your individualized addendum to this Notice, or believe that you qualify as a Class Member (but didn’t receive a personalized notice), you can contact the Settlement Administrator at the address below. You must do so by or before [date].

The manner in which Class Members receive payment depends on your status in the Plan.

Current Employees: If you are current employee of The Animal Doctor, your share of the Settlement will be paid into the Plan. If you are entitled to a distribution under the terms of the Plan while employed, you can submit an election distribution form. If you later become entitled to a distribution under the terms of the Plan, you can request a distribution at that time.

Former Employees WITH a Current Account in the Plan: If you are a former employee who still has an account in the Plan, your share of the Settlement will be paid into the Plan. You are entitled to submit a request for distribution under the terms of the Plan. The Plan Administrator will send you a distribution election form after the Final Approval Order is entered. If you submit your request for distribution within 90 days when that election distribution form is sent, your settlement payment will be paid to you and you can request that the amount be paid to another tax- qualified retirement account (e.g. an IRA or retirement plan). If you do not timely submit a request for distribution now, you are entitled to request a distribution later and receive a payment of your account in the Plan.

Former Employees WITHOUT a Current Account in the Plan: If you are a former employee who still has an account in the Plan, how your share of the Settlement will be paid depends on what you do.

• Option #1: Request a Distribution From the Plan. The Plan Administrator will send you a distribution election form after the Final Approval Order is entered. To request a distribution from the Plan, you must submit a distribution election form within 90 days after that election distribution form is sent. If you timely submit a properly completed election form, your share of the settlement will be paid to you through the Plan and you can request that the amount be paid to another tax-qualified retirement account (e.g. an IRA or retirement plan).
• Option #2: Receive a Check Directly Paid to You: If you do not timely submit a properly completed election form by the deadline, then your share of the settlement will be paid by check from the Settlement Fund to your last known address. If you do not cash the check within the time specified on the check, your share of settlement proceeds may be forfeited.

Beneficiaries. If you are a beneficiary, you are only entitled to a payment if you are entitled to a distribution under the Plan (e.g. a QDRO or because of the death of the participant). All other beneficiaries will not receive a payment from this settlement. If you are a beneficiary entitled to a payment, how your share of the Settlement will be paid depends on what you do.

• Option #1: Request a Distribution From the Plan. To request a distribution from the Plan, you must submit a distribution election form by [INSERT]. If you timely submit a properly completed election form, your share of the settlement will be paid to you through the Plan and you can request that the amount be paid to another tax-qualified retirement account (e.g. an IRA or retirement plan).
• Option #2: Receive a Check Directly Paid to You: If you do not timely submit a properly completed election form by the deadline and there is no associated account in the Plan, then your share of the settlement will be paid by check from the Net Settlement Fund to your last known address. If you do not cash the check within the time specified on the check, your share of settlement proceeds may be forfeited.

For All Class Members Entitled a Settlement Distribution: The Plan Administrator will send you a distribution election form after the Final Approval Order is entered. If you do not receive an Election Distribution Packet, you may access it at Documents Link. Defendants will use their reasonable best efforts to ensure that the Settlement will not adversely affect the tax-qualified status of the Plan and that the distributions from the Settlement Amount paid to Class Members qualify for tax- deferred treatment, but they will not and do not guarantee any such result. Defendants will be

responsible for all costs associated with any steps that they undertake to facilitate the tax favored treatment of the Settlement Payment into the Plan and the continued tax qualification of the Plan with respect to the Settlement. This Notice is not intended to provide tax advice. Class Members should consult their own tax advisor regarding any tax consequences of receiving settlement proceeds.

In exchange for the settlement payment, each Class members, as a participant or beneficiary in the Plan, will release (i.e. give up) any and all claims against Defendants (and related persons) alleged in the Complaint and other claims arising from the same factual basis. The full terms of the Settlement, including the release, are available at Documents Link. If the Settlement is approved, the Court will enter an order dismissing with prejudice all claims against the Defendants and preventing any Class Members from suing Defendants in the future on the released claims.

Defendants have agreed to release certain claims against Plaintiff, the Class and Class Counsel as set forth in Section XIII of the Settlement Agreement.

The Settlement may be terminated on several grounds, including if (1) the Court does not approve the terms of the Settlement, (2) the Court does not certify at least one claim on behalf of the Class defined above, (3) the Excluded Persons receive any allocation of the Settlement, (5) the Court permits Class Members to opt out of the Settlement (6) the Class Account Data on which the Settlement was based is not materially correct, (7) the Independent Fiduciary does not issue an opinion that the settlement is not a prohibited transaction under ERISA, or (8) if there is a departure from the agreed investment policy before the Final Approval Order becomes non-appealable. If any of these occurs and one of the Parties exercises his/her/its right to withdraw, the lawsuit will proceed as if the Settlement had not existed. The Settlement will not be final until after the Court has granted final approval of the settlement and any appeals have been resolved or the time that all appeals has ended. The earliest that the Settlement will be final is 30 days after the Final Approval Hearing, but it may be later than that depending on how long after the Court enters the order and judgment or whether someone files an appeal.

No payments can be made to Class Members until after Final Approval has been entered, the time for appeals has expired and certain administrative tasks have been completed. The time for payments could take several months after Final Approval (even if there are no objections or appeals). The Settlement Administrator will update the website when there are updates. Calls and emails to Class Counsel (or the Settlement Administrator) inquiring when payment will be made only slows down the progress of distribution. Your patience is appreciated.

In deciding to settle the lawsuit, Class Counsel reviewed relevant documents, including the investments of the Plan, and assessed the potential monetary remedy in the case. Plaintiff and Class Counsel also considered the strength of the claims and defenses and arguments by Defendants, the expense, length and likely delay of further litigation, the risks arising from the existence of unresolved questions of law and fact, and the risk of whether all claims would proceed on behalf of the Class.

If the parties had not reached a settlement, the Court may not have certified a Class and/or may have found in favor of Defendants and if Defendants had prevailed on their defenses, then the Class could have recovered nothing. Even if Plaintiff succeeded, the Court could have found that any losses that Defendants caused were less than the amount paid in this Settlement. Of course, if Plaintiff prevailed, Defendants may have been liable for more than the Settlement Amount.

In 2025 and in 2026, the parties participated in two separate settlement conferences with a Magistrate Judge. The Settlement was reached as a result of those conferences. The Settlement is a compromise of disputed claims. Defendants dispute the claims in the lawsuit and asserted various defenses. All parties determined that given the uncertainty and risks inherent in litigation, it is best to settle the case on the terms set forth in the Settlement Agreement.

This is only a summary of the Settlement. The full settlement agreement is available at Documents Link, and it on file with the Court.

The Court has appointed the following lawyers at the following firms as counsel for the Class who have significant experience representing employees/participants in ERISA litigation:

Class Counsel have worked on this case for more than two years and have not yet been paid for their time. In prosecuting this case on behalf of the Class, Class Counsel investigated the facts, prepared complaint, engaged in discovery, reviewed documents produced in discovery, participated in settlement conferences and subsequent negotiations. To date, Class Counsel have expended over [ ] hours in this case and have advanced over $[ ] in out-of-pocket expenses on behalf of the Class. Class Counsel will apply to the Court for an award of fees, not to exceed one- third of the Settlement Fund. Class Counsel will also seek reimbursement of their actual costs and expenses, which are not expected to exceed $[ ], plus settlement administration expenses
that are expected to be $4,823.76. Class Counsel will request that the Class Representative receive a service award of $5,000 for her time and efforts in bringing this claim and obtaining the benefits of the settlement for the class. The motion for attorneys’ fees and costs and any motion for a service award will be posted on the Settlement website at Documents Link.

Any Class Member who objects to the request by Class Counsel for payment of these attorneys’ fees and costs or the request for a class representative payment may state that objection in writing and may appear at the hearing, as set forth below. If you submit a written objection, you are not required to appear at the hearing.

Any Class member can comment on the Settlement or tell the Court that you do not agree with any part of the Settlement, the Plan of Allocation or the request for attorneys’ fees, expenses or service award. Any written objections must be sent to Class Counsel at the addresses listed above and must be postmarked no later than November 30, 2026 and sent the Court at this address:

Office of the Clerk
Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse
219 South Dearborn Street
Chicago, IL 60604

Be sure to refer to Paszkiet v. The Animal Doctor, LTD., et al, Case No. 1:24-cv-08403. Include your full name, address, telephone number, signature, and a full explanation of all the reasons you object to the Settlement, including any supporting papers and arguments. You or your attorney must sign the written objection.

If you have no objection to the Settlement, or the request for attorneys’ fees, then you do not need to send any papers to the Court.

No. You do not have the right to exclude yourself from the Class or the Settlement. The Lawsuit was certified as a mandatory (“non-opt-out”) class action. As a Class Member, you will be bound by any judgments or orders that are entered in the Lawsuit for all claims that were or could have been asserted in the Lawsuit or are otherwise included in the release under the Settlement. Although you cannot opt out of the Settlement, you can object to the Settlement as described above.

On , December 17, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. Central Time, Judge Rowland will hold a hearing in her courtroom at Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, 219 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60604.

At this hearing, the Court will consider whether the Settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate, whether and in what amount to award Class Counsel with attorneys’ fees and reimbursement of expenses and the request for a service award. If there are objections, the Court will consider them. After the hearing, the Court will decide whether to approve the Settlement, and any award of attorneys’ fees, expenses or service award. Class Counsel does not know how long these decisions will take.

The time and date of this hearing may change, so please check Important Dates prior to the date of the hearing if you plan to attend. You should also contact Class Counsel if you intend to attend the hearing. Information about any dial-in or video conference will be posted on the website.

You do not have to attend the hearing. Class Counsel will present the Settlement to the Court and answer any questions the Court may have. If you file a written objection, you do not have to attend the hearing in order for it to be considered by the Court.

You may come to the hearing at your own expense. You may also arrange for your own separate counsel to attend on your behalf (and at your own expense). You may also ask the Court for permission to speak at the hearing. To ensure that the Court will allow you to speak, you should send a “Notice of Intention to Appear at Fairness Hearing in “Paszkiet v. The Animal Doctor, LTD., et al, Case No. 1:24-cv-08403” to the Clerk of the Court at the addresses above, in advance of the hearing. Be sure to include your name, address, telephone number, and signature.

This Notice contains a summary of relevant court papers. Complete copies of public pleadings, Court rulings and other filings are available for review and copying at the Clerk’s office. The address is Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, 219 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60604. Information is also available at www.animaldoctorplan.com, or by writing to the Settlement Administrator at the following address: Settlement Administrator, PO Box 414, Preston WA 98050 or telephone number: 866-418-0778.

For questions about the settlement, contact the Settlement Administrator. For questions about this the claims of the lawsuit contact Class Counsel.

If you want to make sure that the Settlement Administrator has your correct contact information, please call 866-418-0778 or Email info@animaldoctorplan.com.

PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE COURT, DEFENDANTS, OR DEFENDANTS’ COUNSEL WITH QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE OR THE LAWSUIT.