If we do not know when we’re expecting you for drop off/collection, we cannot guarantee that we will not be out walking dogs or otherwise unavailable to answer the door
Bookings
A non-refundable & non-transferable deposit is required to secure your booking. For short bookings we ask for one day’s stay as the deposit, but for bookings of 7 days or longer, we require 50% of the total as the deposit to secure your dates. Until this has been received your place may be filled by someone else.
Our boarding prices are per calendar day, not per night or per 24 hours.
We have a late drop-off policy whereby the first day is free of charge if you drop-off after 6pm on the first day (Bank Holidays excluded). If you wish to take advantage of the late drop-off policy for your booking, you must confirm this at least 4 weeks before the drop-off date & we will adjust your booking accordingly (if you do not give us at least 4 weeks’ notice, you will be charged for the first day).
If you are placing your booking less than 4 weeks before the drop-off date, you will need to let us know at the time of booking if you wish to take advantage of the late drop-off policy.
All dogs must complete a short stay with us (2-3 days) before we are able to accept them for a longer stay (4+ days).
We accept cash or bank transfer only. Full payment for all services is required prior to or at the time of drop off. If paying by bank transfer, please pay at least 48 hours in advance to allow the funds to appear in our account before you drop your pet(s) off with us.
Bank holidays are charged at double rate. We do not allow collection or drop off on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day – please consider this when organising the dates for your booking.
If you need to extend your booking please inform us as soon as possible – we will accommodate you if we can, but we cannot guarantee this, particularly at late notice. If you need to cancel or reduce the length of your booking & we do not receive a full7 days’ notice, then you will be charged in full for the original dates of your booking. Please ensure you receive a response from us before assuming that your changes have been approved.
For day-care and walking clients:
We need at least 48 hours’ notice if you need to cancel a day/week of day-care or walks, otherwise you will still be charged for the upcoming date(s).
If you are taking a break from our services for longer than 2 weeks in any 3-month period, you will need to pay a retainer of 50% of your normal weekly total each week for us to keep your space available. If you do not wish to pay the retainer, you understand that we may allocate your space to someone on our waiting list.
Ad hoc day care or walks can be booked up to 6 weeks in advance without the need for a deposit to secure the dates. Day care or walks that are booked more than 6 weeks in advance are treated in the same way as boarding bookings (i.e., require a deposit to secure the dates, & are subject to the 7 days’ notice cancellation policy).
Requirements for Acceptance of Dogs
All dogs MUST be kept up to date with all their annual vaccinations. We do not require the Kennel Cough vaccination, but we strongly recommend it.
We REQUIRE you to bring your dog’s vaccination record with you every time they stay with us so we can see that they are up to date. If you do not provide proof that your dog is up to date with their vaccinations when you drop your dog off for their stay (or beforehand), then we will have to turn you away. This is a government-mandated condition for ALL boarding premises. At the very least, we need a photo of your up-to-date card, otherwise we will not be able to board your dog.
We also request that you keep your dog(s) up to date with their flea & worming treatment & will ask for the date of their most recent treatment when you drop them off for their stay. If we find fleas on your dog during their stay, we will need to flea-treat them & our house. We will need to charge £10 for this service.
We cannot accept dogs for boarding or day care if they do not mix well with other dogs due to regular commitments with day care clients (we never leave dogs from different households together unsupervised).
Please inform us if your dog has any behavioural issues (separation anxiety, guarding behaviours, fears (e.g. fireworks), destructive tendencies, etc.). This is to enable us to accommodate accordingly, and to avoid dangerous situations.
We regret that we are unable to house bitches in season. This is a government-mandated regulation for ALL home boarding premises – we cannot house a bitch in season if there are other dogs on the premises. If your female dog has a possibility of being in season during any dates you have booked with us, please inform us as soon as you are aware that this is the case so we can discuss the issue. We will not be held responsible for any incidents resulting from non-disclosure, and you will be responsible for any costs incurred if we need to find alternative accommodation for your dog as a result of her coming into season whilst staying with us.
Extreme Weather
During extreme weather conditions (e.g. heat, cold, wind, rain – particularly in (but not limited to) instances when a weather warning has been issued) we may feel it is not safe for your dogs to be walked, so will offer them alternative enrichment activities within the safety of our home instead.
Wherever possible we will move walks to a safer time and/or reduce the length of the walk, rather than cancelling altogether, but this may not always be possible.
We do not take these decisions lightly, and would never cancel walks unnecessarily, but equally we will not put the health & safety of the dogs in our care at risk.
Dog walking clients:
Where possible we will rearrange your dog’s walk for a safer time, or we will offer a visit to your dog(s) instead so they will still have a toilet opportunity & human interaction.
Extra Charges
If it becomes necessary to keep your dog separated from other dogs at all times, we will need to charge an extra £8 per day of their stay for the extra management necessary to keep all dogs in our care happy and safe. The welfare of all animals in our care is our utmost concern.
If your dog has separation anxiety please declare this on your registration form and any subsequent booking forms. We will need to charge an additional £12 per day of your dog’s stay for the extra management required to ensure the wellbeing of your dog whilst they are staying with us. If you do not declare that your dog has separation anxiety, but it becomes apparent during your dog’s stay with us that we are unable to leave them alone for even short periods of time (e.g. toilet breaks), this will be classed as separation anxiety, and the appropriate fee will be added to your booking.
If your dog will not settle overnight without human company, we will need to charge an additional £8 per night of your dog’s stay. If you do not declare this prior to your dog’s booking, but it becomes apparent during their stay that they need human company overnight, this fee will be added to your booking.
Please note that if your dog causes damage to our property or necessitates an excessive amount of cleaning (e.g., not toilet trained) there may be additional charges to pay when you collect your dog (charges will vary, based on the extent of damage or amount of cleaning involved).
Please refer to our prices if you require your dog to have more than one hour of exercise a day. You will need to specify this at the time of booking so our calculations are correct. We will not be able to accommodate extra exercise if you do not let us know until you drop your dog off for their stay.
We will inform you if it has been necessary for us to charge any additional fees prior to collection. Any extra fees are payable either before collection (bank transfer), or at collection (cash only).
Animal House Pet Sitting 