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Your dog’s comfort, health, and welfare, are our top priority, and the contract below reflects that. Whilst every care and attention is given to your dog however, they are left at the owner’s risk. Please read the following policy carefully, as by booking an appointment you are confirming you have read, understand, agree to, and are bound by the following:
BEFORE BOOKING
We require a non-refundable deposit of £20 for all grooms booked online and all first-time grooms, regardless of the service you are booking.
The dog should be vaccinated and microchipped.
We do not accept sedated dogs under any circumstances.
We do not accept pregnant or nursing dogs, or dogs on heat, under any circumstances.
Puppy Grooms are designed for puppies aged at least 13 weeks. If they are older than 6 months they will need to book an adult groom.
Nervous dogs are very welcome here but we kindly ask you book a familiarisation session initially to ensure the dog is happy and comfortable with us. If a dog is too nervous to be groomed fully we will never force them to complete the groom. Your dog’s comfort is our priority and we want them to leave the salon happy, and unafraid to return.
We ask you to be honest with us about your dog’s behaviour at previous grooming establishments/your dog’s behaviour in general. By telling us, we are better prepared in dealing with your dog and helping ensure they have a positive grooming experience. We reserve the right to refuse a dog that presents a risk of injury to itself or staff.
A groomer’s hands are their livelihood; therefore we reserve the right to muzzle a dog that shows signs of biting/has attempted to bite. If your dog is too aggressive and presents a risk of injury to itself or staff then we reserve the right to refuse to groom them, or to finish the groom. This can occur at any time during the groom, including mid cut/bath.
We are under no obligation to complete the groom. We want the groom to be a pleasant and calming experience and will not force a distressed dog to complete the groom. Much of this can be avoided if we are informed fully of the dog’s behaviour on booking.
DURING THE GROOM
In the event of injury or illness a vet may be called. Our first concern is the welfare of the dog. All costs in connection with instructing a vet, including their associated charges, shall be at the owner’s expense, unless the injury was caused by the groomer. It is the owner’s responsibility to make the groomer aware of any underlying health conditions or allergies, both to shampoos/conditioners and food/treats, before the groom takes place. We strongly recommend dog insurance.
By leaving your dog with us you are agreeing to us performing whatever treatments we deem is best for the dog’s comfort and health. Shaving, de-matting, and flea treatments all incur an additional cost. We will attempt to contact you before going ahead with treatment, but if you are unreachable, we will do what is best for the dog. This is because we have a tight schedule and cannot wait to hear back from you to confirm the additional treatment. You can rest assured, if these treatments are performed it is out of concern for the dog’s comfort and health and are a last resort.
Please check your dog for fleas before visiting. If we find fleas on your dog you will incur an additional charge of £10 as the dog will be given a flea treatment and the salon will need to be extensively cleaned to avoid cross contamination. We will attempt to contact you before giving the flea treatment, if however you are unreachable, we will do what’s best for the dog. This is because we have a tight schedule and cannot wait to hear back from you to confirm the additional treatment. You can rest assured, if these treatments are performed it is out of concern for the dog’s comfort and health and are a last resort.
You must be contactable and available to pick up your dog at any time during the groom session.
Payment in full must be made on collection of the dog. You will be made aware of the total price of the groom before the appointment, but the groomer cannot always predict extra work at the initial consultation. Some dogs will require extra work and this will be charged on an ad hoc basis. Examples of extra work are flea treatments, de-matting etc. Please ensure you have the means to pay before dropping off your dog.
Owners must collect dogs at the time stated – No earlier, no later. Uncollected dogs will incur a charge of £10 per half hour. Please do not arrive at the salon to pick up your dog unless you have been contacted by us. When a dog sees their owner they become very difficult to groom as they become very excited. We will contact you when they are ready to be collected.
FAILURE TO ATTEND/LATE CANCELLATIONS
If you are unable to attend your appointment for any reason, please inform us with as much notice as possible, but AT LEAST 48 HOURS before your appointment time. If you inform us UNDER 48 HOURS you will lose your deposit. If you have not paid a deposit, a charge will be incurred on top on your next grooming fee of 50% of the missed groom session.
If you miss 2 consecutive appointments you may not be able to book with us again. We hope you understand a failure to attend without adequate notice results in loss of income for the groomer, through no fault of their own. We also could have booked in another dog that may have been waiting some time to get a slot with us.
If you wish to reschedule your appointment, this can be done at no extra charge if we are informed with more than 48 hours notice. If you wish to move your appointment with less than 48 hours notice, the above cancellation charges are incurred.
If the groomer needs to cancel your appointment for any reason with less than 48 hours notice, you will not lose your deposit/be charged.
If you arrive too late to your appointment it may have to be re-booked. If this is the case you will incur the above stated cancellation fee. The fee will be 50% the groom session booked. We hope you understand a failure to attend on time results in loss of income for the groomer, through no fault of their own.
MATTED COAT POLICY
We appreciate it’s normal for even a well-maintained coat to have a few small knots, but dogs with substantial matts will incur an extra charge. You can rest assured, if these treatments are performed it is out of concern for the dog’s comfort and health and are a last resort.
Matts are not simply big knots. They are hard, densely tangled lumps of hair and dirt that are beyond brushing. If left, they will get bigger and closer to the skin, becoming detrimental to your dog’s health. They restrict the circulation of blood to those areas, and cause sores to develop on the skin. Matted coats are very painful.
The Animal Welfare Act 2006 states it is an offence to inflict pain, injury, suffering, and disease on any animal. In line with this Act, we will not attempt to brush out severe matts. They will instead be gently clipped off. It’s very uncomfortable for the dog, not to mention painful, to attempt to brush the matts, and we are not willing to put them through it for the sake of keeping a coat that will grow back.
Clipping a matted coat can reveal hidden skin conditions. For example infections, flea/parasite infestations, urine/faecal burns, maggots, rashes, eczema, haematomas, skin tears, etc. It also dramatically changes a dog’s appearance and can even temporarily change their temperament. By proceeding with booking the appointment you accept we are not liable for these changes.
By leaving your dog in our care you give us permission to, if needed, shave off a matted coat/matted areas and accept the associated outcomes that come with this, as stated above. Brushing your dog regularly will stop matts forming.
