diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/rest/importcsv/ImportCSV.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/rest/importcsv/ImportCSV.java
index 4e174f4..08078eb 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/rest/importcsv/ImportCSV.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/rest/importcsv/ImportCSV.java
@@ -13,11 +13,17 @@
 
 import java.text.ParseException;
 import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
-import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.LinkedList;
-import java.util.List;
+
+//removed wildcard import
+import java.util.*;
+
+
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
+/* This class implements the Petclionic Service in the backend.
+* The input is a CSV format with semi-colons (;) as separator.
+*/
+
 @RestController
 @CrossOrigin(exposedHeaders = "errors, content-type")
 @RequestMapping("api/import")
@@ -25,6 +31,7 @@ public class ImportCSV {
 
     @Autowired
     private ClinicService clinicService;
+    private HttpHeaders headers = new HttpHeaders();
 
     @PreAuthorize("hasRole(@roles.OWNER_ADMIN)")
     @RequestMapping(value = "importPets",
@@ -33,107 +40,153 @@ public class ImportCSV {
         produces = "application/json")
     public ResponseEntity<List<Pet>> importPets(@RequestBody String csv) {
 
-        int i = 0;
         List<Pet> pets = new LinkedList<Pet>();
         Pet pet;
 
-        do {
-            pet = new Pet();
+        List<String> splitCSV = segment_line_to_entries(csv);
+        pet = convert_string_list_to_pet( splitCSV );
+        // DON'T FORGET TO ADD ERROR HANDLING FOR pet.setOwner:
+        // return new ResponseEntity<List<Pet>>(headers, HttpStatus.BAD_REQUEST);
 
-            String field = "";
-            while (i < csv.length() && csv.charAt(i) != ';') {
-                field += csv.charAt(i++);
-            }
-            i++;
+        if (splitCSV.get(4).toLowerCase().equals("add")) {
+            clinicService.savePet(pet);
+        } else {
+            removePetFromOwner(pet);
+        }
 
-            pet.setName(field);
+        pets.add(pet);
 
-            field = "";
-            while (i < csv.length() && csv.charAt(i) != ';') {
-                field += csv.charAt(i++);
-            }
-            i++;
-
-            try {
-                pet.setBirthDate((new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd")).parse(field));
-            } catch (ParseException e) {
-                HttpHeaders headers = new HttpHeaders();
-                headers.add("errors", "date " + field + " not valid");
-                return new ResponseEntity<List<Pet>>(headers, HttpStatus.BAD_REQUEST);
-            }
+        return new ResponseEntity<List<Pet>>(pets, HttpStatus.OK);
+    }
 
-            field = "";
-            while (i < csv.length() && csv.charAt(i) != ';') {
-                field += csv.charAt(i++);
-            }
-            i++;
-
-            if (pet != null) {
-                ArrayList<PetType> ts = (ArrayList<PetType>) clinicService.findPetTypes();
-                for (int j = 0; j < ts.size(); j++) {
-                    if (ts.get(j).getName().toLowerCase().equals(field)) {
-                        pet.setType(ts.get(j));
-                        break;
-                    }
-                }
-            }
+    private List<String> convert_csv_to_lines(String csv)
+    {
+        List<String> lines;
 
-            field = "";
-            while (i < csv.length() && (csv.charAt(i) != ';' && csv.charAt(i) != '\n')) {
-                field += csv.charAt(i++);
-            }
+        lines = Arrays.asList(csv.split("\n"));
 
-            if (pet != null) {
-                String owner = field;
-                List<Owner> matchingOwners = clinicService.findAllOwners()
-                    .stream()
-                    .filter(o -> o.getLastName().equals(owner))
-                    .collect(Collectors.toList());
-
-                if (matchingOwners.size() == 0) {
-                    HttpHeaders headers = new HttpHeaders();
-                    headers.add("errors", "Owner not found");
-                    return new ResponseEntity<List<Pet>>(headers, HttpStatus.BAD_REQUEST);
-                }
-                if (matchingOwners.size() > 1) {
-                    HttpHeaders headers = new HttpHeaders();
-                    headers.add("errors", "Owner not unique");
-                    return new ResponseEntity<List<Pet>>(headers, HttpStatus.BAD_REQUEST);
-                }
-                pet.setOwner(matchingOwners.iterator().next());
-            }
+        return lines;
 
-            if (csv.charAt(i) == ';') {
-                i++;
+    }
 
-                field = "";
-                while (i < csv.length() && csv.charAt(i) != '\n') {
-                    field += csv.charAt(i++);
-                }
 
-                if (field.toLowerCase().equals("add")) {
-                    clinicService.savePet(pet);
-                } else {
-                    for (Pet q : pet.getOwner().getPets()) {
-                        if (q.getName().equals(pet.getName())) {
-                            if (q.getType().getId().equals(pet.getType().getId())) {
-                                if (pet.getBirthDate().equals(q.getBirthDate())) {
-                                    clinicService.deletePet(q);
-                                }
-                            }
-                        }
-                    }
-                }
+    private List<String> segment_line_to_entries(String lines)
+    {
+        List<String> entries;
+
+        entries = Arrays.asList(lines.split(";"));
+
+        return entries;
+    }
+
+
+
+    private Pet convert_string_list_to_pet( List<String> list )
+    {
+
+        Pet pet = new Pet();
+        pet.setName(list.get(0));
+        pet.setBirthDate(convert_birth_date_from_string(list.get(1)));
+        pet.setType(search_for_pet_type_in_list(list.get(2)));
 
-            } else {
-                clinicService.savePet(pet);
+        // ADD EXCEPTION FOR NON-UNIQUE OWNERS !
+        List<Owner> matchingOwners = getMatchingOwners(list.get(3));
+        if ( isUniqueOwner(matchingOwners) )
+        {
+            //OLD CODE: pet.setOwner(matchingOwners.iterator().next());
+            pet.setOwner(matchingOwners.get(0));
+        }
+
+        return pet;
+    }
+
+    private Date convert_birth_date_from_string(String birth_date_string)
+    {
+        Date date = new Date();
+
+        SimpleDateFormat simple_date_format = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd");
+
+        try {
+            date = simple_date_format.parse(birth_date_string);
+        }
+        catch (ParseException e) {
+            HttpHeaders headers = new HttpHeaders();
+            headers.add("errors", "date " + birth_date_string + " not valid");
+
+        }
+
+        return date;
+
+    }
+
+    private ArrayList<PetType> get_pet_types_from_server()
+    {
+        ArrayList<PetType> pet_type_list = (ArrayList<PetType>) clinicService.findPetTypes();
+        return pet_type_list;
+    }
+
+    private PetType search_for_pet_type_in_list(String entry)
+    {
+        PetType pet_type = new PetType();
+
+        ArrayList<PetType> pet_type_list = get_pet_types_from_server();
+
+        for (int petIndex = 0; petIndex < pet_type_list.size(); petIndex++)
+        {
+            if (pet_type_list.get(petIndex).getName().toLowerCase().equals(entry))
+            {
+                pet_type= pet_type_list.get(petIndex);
+                break;
             }
-            i++;
+        }
 
-            pets.add(pet);
+        return pet_type;
+    }
 
-        } while (i < csv.length() && pet != null);
+    private boolean isUniqueOwner(List<Owner> matchingOwners)
+    {
+        if (matchingOwners.size() == 1) {
+          return true;
+        } else if (matchingOwners.size() == 0) {
+            HttpHeaders headers = new HttpHeaders();
+            headers.add("errors", "Owner not found");
+            return false;
+        } else { //if (matchingOwners.size() > 1)
+            HttpHeaders headers = new HttpHeaders();
+            headers.add("errors", "Owner not unique");
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
 
-        return new ResponseEntity<List<Pet>>(pets, HttpStatus.OK);
+    private List<Owner> getMatchingOwners(String entry)
+    {
+      List<Owner> matchingOwners = clinicService.findAllOwners()
+          .stream()
+          .filter(o -> o.getLastName().equals(entry))
+          .collect(Collectors.toList());
+      return matchingOwners;
     }
+
+    private boolean isSamePet(Pet pet1, Pet pet2)
+    {
+        if (pet1.getName().equals(pet2.getName())) {
+            if (pet1.getType().getId().equals(pet2.getType().getId())) {
+                if (pet2.getBirthDate().equals(pet1.getBirthDate())) {
+                    return true;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    private void removePetFromOwner(Pet pet)
+    {
+        for (Pet petFromOwnersList : pet.getOwner().getPets()) {
+            if (isSamePet(petFromOwnersList, pet)) {
+                clinicService.deletePet(petFromOwnersList);
+            }
+
+        }
+    }
+
 }