Terms & Conditions

GENERAL

There may be times when unforeseen circumstances cause unavoidable delays in getting to you. As such, please allow a variation of up to 30 minutes for your appointment start time. The duration of your appointment will not change in the event of a delay.

PAYMENTS

For regular bookings, payments must be made by the end of each week, and a receipt will be issued at the end of the month. For block bookings, a 25% deposit is required in advance (please see ‘Changes & Cancellations’ for refund terms), and an invoice for the outstanding balance will be issued on the last day of your booking, which must be paid within 7 days of the invoice date. Payment arrangements for flexible bookings must be agreed in advance.

Emergency call-outs will be assessed and charged on a case-by-case basis.

CHANGES & CANCELLATIONS

If you wish to make permanent changes to a regular booking (such as adding/removing days, changing appointment times or cancelling services), you must provide a minimum notice of 2 weeks.

If you need to cancel a regular booking, please provide a minimum notice of 48 hours. If less notice is received, a cancellation fee of £10 will be applied.

If you need to cancel or make changes to a block booking, you must provide a minimum notice of 1 month. If less notice is received, your deposit will not be refunded.

COVID-19

If you, or a member of your household, tests positive for coronavirus, or has been in close contact with someone who has the virus, you must notify me ASAP so that appropriate safety measures can be put in place – these range from wearing virus-specific PPE upon collection/drop-off, or cancelling appointments altogether until symptoms subside. Failure to notify will be seen as a breach of contract under Health & Safety regulations. Cancellation fees for regular bookings will not be applied if coronavirus is the reason for the cancellation.

PET ILLNESS

If your pet contracts a contagious condition – such as kennel cough – you must notify me in advance of your next appointment, so the necessary precautions can be taken to reduce the risk of spreading it to other clients. Depending on the severity of the condition, failure to notify may be deemed a breach of contract.

DOG WALKS

Pavement tests will be conducted prior to walks when the temperature reaches or exceeds 18°C. Due to the risk of heatstroke, walks will not go ahead if the temperature reaches or exceeds 23°C, although this parameter may be altered depending on various risk factors, such as breed and age. Safety precautions will also be taken if the temperature reaches or drops below 5°C, especially in the event of snow and/or ice, and also in the event of extremely high winds where flying debris may be a risk factor. In general, no appointments will be carried out if red weather warnings have been issued, but appointments taking place when amber warnings are in effect will be assessed case-by-case. If there is a chance that a walk may not be able to go ahead, you will be notified as far in advance as possible. Alternative arrangements will be offered where available. If extreme weather results in a cancellation whereby a suitable alternative slot cannot be provided, you will not be charged.

For safety reasons, dogs in season will only be walked on-lead, away from parks, fields and any other areas where they may come into contact with off-lead dogs.

For similar reasons, intact males will also only be walked on-lead in case of potential contact with dogs in season.

OVERNIGHT BOOKINGS

During overnight block bookings, your pet(s) may need to be left alone during the day due to existing appointments with weekly clients. Timings may vary, and it may not always be possible to check on your pet(s) in the middle of these periods. If appropriate arrangements cannot be made, for the sake of your pet(s), I will not be able to commit to the booking.

TRAINING

This is not a service I currently provide.

RATE REVIEWS/CHANGES

Rates are reviewed twice a year, in March and September – if your rate is due to change, you will be given a minimum of 4 weeks of notice before the change takes effect.

WORK EXPERIENCE & VOLUNTEERING

From time to time, I may run temporary work experience and volunteering placements. All applicants will be thoroughly vetted, and will comply with the Data Protection Act 2018. You will be notified of any placements in advance, and may opt out at any time. If you do not wish for your appointments to be included in these placements, your regular service will not be affected and will continue as normal. 

BREACH OF CONTRACT

If you are found to be in breach of your contractual agreement or any of the terms above, you will be notified. Repeated breaches of contract – such as regular last-minute cancellations or late payments – may result in a termination of services.