Policies & Procedures

Before any services may begin, we first need to set you up with an account in our client portal. We will email you an invite to our online system where you will need to fill out a profile with detailed information on your pet(s) and home. We rely heavily on this information when first getting to know your pet(s), so you must be as detailed as possible. It is MANDATORY to have this completely filled out BEFORE we schedule your in-home consultation, no exceptions. We will Re-Schedule the consultation if the Profile is not filled out thoroughly.

Next, we schedule an in-home consultation with your Pet Care Professionals. We call this the “Meet & Greet.” This usually takes between 30 to 45 minutes. It is very important that we meet you and your pet(s) prior, so your pet(s) are familiar and comfortable with us before we enter your home. During this meeting we will go over all the information in your profiles and see where everything we need is located. We will also confirm your services and schedule and collect the keys(or what we need to access the home). If you wish to pay for your first service with cash or check, it will need to be collected at this time. Otherwise, and after the first service, all payments are done online.

We will also have you sign a Vet Release Form at this meeting. Which allows us to legally approve emergency veterinarian services, in the event that your pet becomes severely ill, injured, or otherwise unresponsive and you or your Emergency Contacts are unable to be reached. NOTE: We will ALWAYS make every attempt to reach you or your Emergency Contact in a worst-case scenario and you have the option to put a monetary limit on the Emergency Vet Form.

*Required to have on file is your Vet Information & an Emergency Contact. Client & Pet Profiles must be kept up to date and the portal prompts you every 3 months to confirm information is still the same.

During the Meet & Greet you will meet 3x Pet Care Professionals. The #1 reason being that in the event of injury, illness or emergency of your scheduled Pet Care Professional, there is always someone available to step in and care for your pet.

This also allows us great flexibility in our schedule to care for your pet(s) at all times throughout the year. And often allows for us to take on last minute requests & schedule changes. We all work together as a team to provide the best in Pet Care for all our clients.

**PLEASE NOTE: During high service times of year, such as Holidays or heavy travel times, we may have another Pet Care Professional step in to care for your pet. However, you will always be notified in advance and given the option to meet them in person before they provide services.

ALL Reservations & Requests MUST be done via the online scheduler in the client portal. We will NOT accept schedule requests or changes via email, phone call, or text. It must be requested by the client through the client portal. If you’d like to call, email, or text to ask about a request in advance, that is fine. But you will be directed to put in the actual request through the client portal afterwards. Requests are approved and confirmed via the software within 24 hours. You will receive an email confirmation letting you know the visits are scheduled and confirmed along with your invoice.

*Reservations or scheduling changes are also not to be scheduled with Pet Care Professionals directly. They will ask you to schedule directly with the office via Client Portal to ensure accuracy in your requests. If you have any issues with scheduling via the client portal, please contact the office via email, phone call, or text so that we can assist you.

To access the Client Portal visit www.TPSlogin.com or click “Client Portal” in the top menu of this website. New Clients will need contact us via phone or email first and we will send you an invite to the client portal to create your account.

Office Hours: Monday – Friday from 9am-6pm & Saturday from 10am – 2pm. All requests will be handled within this time frame. Exceptions are: Clients who have services that are in progress. You will be assisted immediately. Any and ALL Emergencies are also handled immediately 24/7. Please contact management via phone call or text ASAP if you are having an emergency.

*PLEASE NOTE – it is best to book in advance as the Holidays and Summer months fill up fast. Once the schedule is full, we cannot accept Last Minute reservations. Often, major Holidays are booked to capacity 2+ weeks in advance.

The Client Portal blocks requests made less than 24 hours in advance so you will need to contact the office via email, phone call or text to request services. These will be tended to ASAP and will be charged a Last-Minute Surcharge.  We do not guarantee availability for Last Minute requests or schedule changes; however, we will do everything in our power to accommodate you.

*Reservations or scheduling changes are not to be scheduled with your Pet Care Professional directly. They will ask you to schedule directly with the office via Client Portal, Phone, or Email to ensure accuracy.

NEW CLIENTS LAST MINUTE – We are happy to accept new clients on a last-minute basis. However, please be aware, we still need to do a “Meet & Greet” and get you set up in our client portal. We kindly request that you give us at the very least a 72hr notice to make sure we have the availability to schedule the “Meet & Greet” and your services. This will give us a better chance at being able to adjust our schedule to accommodate you. Either way, we cannot guarantee any availability for any last-minute request.

**PLEASE NOTE: We will not enter a home where we have not formerly met the pet. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Since Weekly Walks are a recurring service each week, these services are reserved on our weekly schedule throughout the year and maintain top priority. There is no need for you to continually book these services each week. Management sets this up when you sign up and the system automatically keeps this service booked out several months in advance. These services will remain fixed on our schedule unless you make or request any changes. This means if you sign up for a 30min walk every Monday – Friday between 12pm-2pm, you will be scheduled ongoing every Monday – Friday, every week between 12pm-2pm until you notify us otherwise.

The ONLY EXCLUSION to this is any Holiday that falls during the week such as: 4th of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day.

All weekly services are canceled for those days. If you need services on those days, you will need to request them via the client portal, and they will be charged at the regular rate + Holiday Surcharge. We always send out a reminder email for these Holidays in advance to give you plenty of time to request services if needed.

All Weekly Dog Walking Clients are REQUIRED to have a credit card on file due to our Automated Invoice & Payment processing. No information is stored on our end and we have no access to see your payment information. Payments for Weekly Dog Walking are made each week on the Sunday morning prior to the weeks services and are charged automatically. Invoices for the upcoming week are sent 2+ days in advance to give you time to make changes before the invoice is charged.

*Checks , Cash, Venmo, PayPal, Etc. are not accepted for this service.

LATE PAYMENTS: If for some reason other payment arrangements are made OR there is an error in processing your card(which you will be notified of immediately), There will be 3-day grace period from the due date. However, any Invoices not paid by the 3rd day after the due date will be assessed a late fee of $10 per day until the week ends. Once that week ends, all services will be halted until payment is caught up. There will be no “running tabs.”

*Returned checks are subject to an additional $35 charge. Non-payment for ANY Services rendered will be sent to collections after 10-days of no contact.

ALL Cancellations MUST be done via the Client Portal. We will NOT accept cancellations via text, email, or phone call. All Cancellations via Client Portal immediately notify both Management and the scheduled Pet Care Professional. If you have any issues with putting in a cancellation via the Client Portal, please contact the office immediately for assistance via phone call, text, or email.

To avoid being charged for unused visits – cancellations for the upcoming week must be put in prior to the due date on the invoice. This means, if you know in advance you will not be needing walks for the next week, the changes need to be made before Sunday, so you are not charged for them. Otherwise, weekly charges will incur as normal and only credit can be given for a cancellation.

To receive credit for a cancellation during the week: It must be requested by 6pm(end of office hours) of the day prior.

Examples: You must cancel your Tuesday walk ON Monday by 6pm to receive a full credit for your Canceled Tuesday walk. If you cancel Tuesday’s walk after 6pm Monday, it will not be processed until the next morning, and you will receive no credit. If you cancel Tuesdays walk on Tuesday, it will also receive no credit.

Credits are limited to 1x cancellation per week. Due to the highly discounted rate for weekly walks, Cancellations made outside of these policies receive no credit. Credits are automatically applied to the following weeks invoice unless otherwise requested. Credits can be applied towards any service, but you must notify the office immediately if you wish to apply it towards another service. Any unused credits for Weekly Walks expire in 30 days.

*Reservations or scheduling changes are not to be scheduled with your Pet Care Professional directly. They will ask you to schedule directly with the office via Client Portal, Phone, or Email to ensure accuracy.

 All Requests for Services MUST be booked using the online client portal scheduler. We will not accept requests made via phone call, text, or email. You may contact us via these methods in advance to discuss your requests. However, you will then be directed to put in your requests via the online scheduler. We are more than happy to assist with showing you how to do this correctly if you are having issues.

We ask that you put in your requests as far in advance as possible as we take requests on a first come, first serve basis. All requests are processed within Office Hours. Once your requests are processed, you will be sent a confirmation email along with your Invoice. If there are any issues with your request, you will be notified immediately. Once your services are scheduled & confirmed, we decline other requests that would conflict. Because of that, there are no exceptions to our payment or cancellation policies.

*PLEASE NOTE: When you arrive home, you will need to let the office know immediately. If you don’t, we will attempt to contact you to confirm you’ve returned and have resumed care for your pet(s). If we are unable to reach you, we will continue to visit your pet. Any additional visits will be billed. You may contact us to let us know you returned safely via email or message in the Client Portal, Phone Call, or Text

All invoices are to be paid in advance or no services will be given. Clients are REQUIRED to leave a credit card on file due to our Automated Invoice & Payment processing. No information is stored on our end and we have no access to see your payment information.

If you are a new client – we will make a one-time exception for your first-time booking services with us.  Invoice must still be paid in advance; however, we will accept cash or check only at the Meet & Greet. You will need to put a Credit Card on file for your next booked service.

Invoices are sent after your requests are confirmed. Payment for services are due 5 days before the first date of service. For Services booked less than 5 days in advance, payment is due immediately and invoices will be auto-charged at the time of booking.

If for some reason there is an issue with your payment being charged, you will be notified immediately. There is a 3-day grace period to update your payment method. Payments not made within the grace period will result in a $10 per day late fee up until the first date of service. In the event of non-payment, services will be immediately suspended until payment is made. We will not provide any services if payment has not been received for those services.

*Returned checks are subject to an additional $35 charge. Non-payment for ANY Services rendered will be sent to collections after 10-days of no contact.

**PLEASE NOTE: For Holidays or Spring Break, please see the section titled “HOLIDAYS & SPRING BREAK Pet Sitting Policies & Procedures” underneath this one.

 Extending your trip is considered as a Last-Minute Requests and subject to the same surcharges. We understand emergencies come up and opportunities arise. We will try to accommodate you the best we can, however we cannot guarantee availability for any type of Last-Minute request. Please make sure you have an Emergency Contact listed in your Client Profile that would be able to step in to care for your pets in an emergency. If you think extending your trip is a possibility before you leave, let us know! If we can plan ahead to accommodate you, we will.

If your trip is extended and additional services are booked, they will be invoiced and charged immediately. If you are a new client, this is your first service, and you paid cash or check, Invoices will be sent immediately, and payments must be made within 2 days of your return. Non-payment for extended trips will result in a late fee of $10 per day up to 10 days and will be sent to collections immediately after the 10-day mark.

ALL Cancellations must be put in online via the Client Portal scheduler. Cancellations put in via the online scheduler immediately notify both Management and your scheduled Pet Care Professional. You may call, text, or email us about cancellations in advance. However, you will be directed to put in the actual cancellation via the Client Portal Scheduler afterwards. Cancellations may not be made directly with your Pet Care Professional. They will direct you to use the Client Portal scheduler.

To avoid losing payment for unused services – Cancellations must be put in BEFORE the invoice due date(or before it’s charged). If services are canceled before the due date, you will not be charged. If services are canceled after the Invoice due date, Tampa Pet Sitters retains a 50% deposit from the cancelled services and the remainder will be issued as a credit. Credits will automatically be applied towards the next booked service. Unused Pet Sitting credits will expire in 6 months from date issued.

Once services begin, payment becomes final and there will be no credits for cancellations. See Early Return Policy below.

Once your services are scheduled & confirmed, we decline other requests that would conflict. Because of that, there are no exceptions to our payment or cancellation policies.

For Holidays or Spring Break, please see the section titled “HOLIDAYS & SPRING BREAK Pet Sitting Policies & Procedures” underneath this one.

If you decide to return early from a trip and/or cancel services on or after the day they are scheduled to begin, no credits will be issued. All payments are final on the day that services begin.

Can you come every other day for my pet? For safety reasons, we do not accept this type of scheduling for any animal. All service must be scheduled for at least 1x/day for Cats, Birds, and other small mammals, and 3x /day for dogs. This must be done in consecutive days, from your departure and arrival dates. This way if your pet gets stuck, becomes ill, your heating/cooling/air system breaks, or any other myriad of issues that can arise, Tampa Pet Sitters can come to your pet’s rescue in time.

The only exception we are willing to make is for dogs with doggy doors. We will accept twice a day visits only. However, you must sign a waiver releasing us from any liability resulting from its use before services begin.

We prefer that our clients leave enough pet & household supplies (i.e. food, litter, treats, medicine, cleaning supplies, etc..) for the entirety of their trip. However, we don’t mind “running to the store” if you don’t mind the additional charge for cost, time, and mileage. The most common supplies we request you leave out are: Food & Food/Water Bowls, Treats, Litter, Medications & Supplements, Leashes /Collars/Harness & ID Tags, Toys, Towels and/or Wipes for dirty feet & rainy days, Cleaning Supplies(please advise which products you prefer for what areas) such as cleaning sprays, paper towels, garbage bags, and a broom/vacuum/mop. Locations for these items will be discussed during the Meet & Greet.

*PLEASE NOTE: If you change the location of supplies, please update your Client Portal Profiles. Hidden leashes, insufficient litter, pet food, or even lack of paper towels create a hardship and waste of time. Supplies should always be easily accessible.

While we have instructions in our Client Portal from an original consultation, things may have changed slightly from a previous visit. Please review your Client Portal Profiles before you leave and make any necessary adjustments or changes. Written notes are great but are only viewed by the scheduled Pet Care Professional visiting the home. Management and the other Pet Care Professionals assigned to your account also need to be aware should anything change.

Also, please advise us if there is alarm code or key changes before you leave. Make sure we have up-to-date Emergency Contact info and Vet info. Please leave food, medications, special treats, or other pet care & cleaning products where we can easily see them or make sure their location is noted in the profile. And don’t forget towels or wipes for those wet doggy feet! It is Florida!

The following policies apply to any pet sitting services booked on or around any major US Holiday(including Spring Break).

Our Holiday Policy dates for 2020 are:

• March 13-22, Spring Break Holiday
• May 22-25, Memorial Day Weekend
• July 3-6, Independence Day Weekend
• September 4-7, Labor Day Weekend
• November 20-29, Thanksgiving Holiday
• December 18 – January 8(2021), Christmas & New Year’s Holidays

*PLEASE NOTE: Due to the extremely high demand for services during these times, there are no exceptions made for these policies for these dates.

 All Policies remain the same for scheduling, however a non-refundable 50% deposit will be taken at the time we confirm your booking to reserve your services on our schedule. Your full Invoice will be sent after the confirmation email, and the non-refundable 50% deposit will be taken at the same time. Final payment for Holiday Pet Sitting Services are due 10 days before the first date of service. For Services booked less than 10 days in advance, payment is due immediately and invoices will be auto-charged 100% at the time of booking.

If you are a new client – we will make a one-time exception for your first-time booking services with us.  Invoice must still be paid in advance; however, we will accept cash or check only at the Meet & Greet. You will need to put a Credit Card on file for your next booked service.

If for some reason there is an issue with your payment being charged, you will be notified immediately. There is a 3-day grace period to update your payment method. Payments not made within the grace period will result in a $10 late fee and friendly reminder. If they are not paid within 48 hours of the late fee and friendly reminder, services will be cancelled and/or suspended until payment is made.  We will not provide any services if payment has not been received for those services.

*Returned checks are subject to an additional $35 charge. Non-payment for ANY Services rendered will be sent to collections after 10-days of no contact.

Due to the increased demand for services during these times, once we schedule and confirm your services, we will decline other requests that would conflict. Often this makes it difficult or impossible to reschedule anything if you cancel. Because of that, there are no credits or refunds once the invoice is paid in full at the 10-day mark. You may cancel, but you will forfeit your full payment for those services. If you cancel prior to the Invoice due date, only your non-refundable 50% deposit will be retained and the remainder of your invoice will be voided(or if paid in full early, credited towards your account for future services, no refunds.)

*PLEASE NOTE: Because our staff is available 24/7/365 and often forego time with family during Holidays such as these, no exceptions will be made to our payment or cancellation policies.

$3 per visit – applied to All Services, including Sleepover Stays, scheduled on Friday(After 6pm), Saturday(24hrs) or Sunday(24hrs)

$5 per visit – applied to All Services, except Sleepover Stays, on Holidays & Holiday Weekends starting Friday after 6pm (Easter, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Years Eve, and New Years Day ).

$10 per Sleepover – applied to All Sleepover Stays on Holidays & Holiday Weekends starting Friday after 6pm (Easter, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Years Eve, and New Years Day ).

We don’t charge for additional pets like most other companies. We charge by how long it will take us to complete the assignment.

If you have multiple pets and/or very detailed instructions and you do not choose a long enough time frame, you will be charged extra if it takes us longer to complete the assignment. Please understand we do not live with your pets as you do daily, it can sometimes take us just a few more minutes to complete your pet care routine than it would take you. Especially if you are a new client or one we do not see often.

If you have a pet with special needs, or one that takes awhile to warm up to new people, it is important to schedule a little extra time for them & for us to make sure the visit goes smoothly. Please discuss this with us beforehand if you aren’t sure. We are more than willing to work with you and adjust to a shorter time after your pet is comfortable or after we have their routine down. It’s a lot easier to reduce the time of your visits and give you a credit than it is to discover after visits have begun, that they need to be longer. We have to change our schedule to accommodate for the extra time and you get charged for services you didn’t originally budget for. It’s better for ALL if we discuss this and make these arrangements in advance.

$10 per visit – applied for all service requests & changes made less than 24 hours in advance. If you request multiple days of services/schedule changes Last Minute, only the first day of services will have surcharges. The days outside of the 24-hour time frame for Last Minute will not be surcharged.

*PLEASE NOTE: Last Minute requests/schedule changes are not guaranteed, but we will do our best to accommodate.

***We can not always accept New Clients Last Minute. Due to the time needed to meet your pets before hand and get you set up in our client portal, we do not often accept new client requests with less than 72 hours advance notice. 

All Condo, Apartment, or Multi-Family Building Residents agree to provide free guest parking for our Pet Care Professional. In the event that they are unable to find free parking in or near your building and need to pay for parking you agree to cover those charges. You will be charged the exact amount paid for parking for each occurrence and provided a photo-copy receipt of the charges.

If NO parking is able to be found within within a reasonable time(10 minutes), we will need to come back at a later time to do your visit and you will be charged for the additional visit. However, we will contact you first to see if you have any other parking options before we leave. Please consider discussing parking details with your building Management prior to booking services if you foresee any parking issues.

All Channelside/Downtown/SoHo Residents agree to provide free guest parking for our Pet Care Professionals. In the event that we are unable to find parking in or near your building and need to pay for parking – you agree to cover those charges. You will be charged the exact amount paid for parking for each occurrence and provided a photo-copy receipt of the charges. Please keep this in mind when booking during events, hockey games, or other busy times in your neighborhood.

If NO parking is able to be found within within a reasonable time(10 minutes), we will need to come back at a later time to do your visit and you will be charged for the additional visit. However, we will contact you first to see if you have any other parking options before we leave. Please consider discussing parking details with your building Management prior to booking services if you foresee any parking issues.

You must be able to provide a FREE & SAFE from towing(off-street) parking space for our Pet Care Professionals during any Gasparilla Events. If you are unable to do so and only have street parking available, we will be unable to provide you services during Gasparilla Events. The City of Tampa is extremely strict when it comes to parking during these events and we can not risk the schedule conflict, financial strain, and stress of having a vehicle towed.

Two Options – Option 1 : You can supply Tampa Pet Sitters with 3x copies of your house key. We will keep all keys in our key safe when service is not needed. Two keys are checked out to your Pet Care Professionals during your service period and then returned when services end. The 3rd stays in the safe and will only be used in case of emergency. Keys are labelled with a number correlating to your account and your pet(s) first name and are tracked via a key logging system in the client portal. No other identifying information is on the key. In the event that a key is damaged or lost, you will be notified immediately and arrangements to replace the copy will be made with you.

Option 2: If you do not wish to give us multiple copies of a key, you can give us 1x copy to keep in our safe for emergencies only and purchase a Realtor Lock Box to keep a second key on your property for us to access during service periods. These can be purchased online at Amazon or at your local Lowes/Home Depot. To save you a trip, you may also purchase one from us for a one-time fee of $25 and is yours to keep. Simply place a key inside, provide us with the access code in your client portal, and place the lock box in an easy to reach area so we may enter your home.

*PLEASE NOTE: We will make every attempt to contact you and your emergency contacts should we have any issues with accessing your home. However, if no one can be reached and your pets safety becomes a concern, we may have to order the service of a locksmith at your expense. 

Keys should be given to your Pet Care Professional during the “Meet & Greet.” However, If you need to arrange pick up of your key at a later time there will be a Key Pickup fee of $10 to cover gas, time, & mileage. We are unable to pick up or leave keys “under the mat”, lock the keys in the house on the last day, or anything of the like.

After keys are received, we suggest that you let Tampa Pet Sitters retain your key for future services. Many of our clients enjoy the comfort of knowing that if something (i.e., working late and you can’t get to the animals, emergency trip out of town, left the stove on, etc.) does come up, Tampa Pet Sitters has a key and will be more than happy to help you out in a pinch.  However, if you would prefer to have the key returned after services, we can offer a one-time key return via certified mail at no charge. However, if you will need your keys picked up and returned each time you book services, there will be a charge of $20 for Key Pickup and Key Return each time.

If we need a code to access your HOME, you must provide that in the client portal. We will also require 1x key to any entry to be kept on file for emergency use if access code fails and we can not reach you to care for your pet(s).

*PLEASE NOTE: We will make every attempt to contact you and your emergency contacts should we have any issues with accessing your home. However, if no one can be reached and your pets safety becomes a concern, we may have to order the service of a locksmith at your expense.

We require you to keep your code on file in your Client Portal Profile so that we may enter your community freely. If we need to use a Call Box to call you to let us in, we expect that you will do so within a reasonable time. We are happy to text you when we are on the way if this will help prepare you. Please let us know before services begin if you wish to receive this text. If your Code fails to allow us to enter and/or we have trouble reaching you via the Call Box or by phone, we will need to come back at a later time to do your visit.  You will be charged for the additional visit.

*We will still need key access to the actual home via one of the options above.

**PLEASE NOTE: We will make every attempt to contact you and your emergency contacts in your profile should we have any issues with Community Access Codes, Gates, or Call Boxes. Should those methods fail, we will attempt to contact the Office to your community. You will be responsible for any charges incurred from gaining access and will be billed accordingly.

We ask that you provide us with at LEAST 1x Key Fob/Card to keep (2x is preferred) so that we may enter your community freely to access your home while you are away. We do understand that some communities are very strict with how many you may have. If you can not give us one to keep, and you can give us access via a Call Box or Code(see above Policy), you can leave your Key Fob/Card in your home for us to pick up at first service, use freely while you are gone, and leave in your home at the last service.

If we can not gain access from you via a Call Box or Code(see above Policy), then you will need to arrange a Key Pickup & Drop Off. This means we will come pick up one of your key fobs/cards right before you leave so that we can use it freely while you are gone, then return it when you return. Key Pickup & Drop Off is a $20 fee($10 each way) to cover gas, time, & mileage. We can not rely on access to your community via leasing office or following someone through the gate.

*We will still need Key Access to the actual home via one of the 2x options above.

*PLEASE NOTE: We will make every attempt to contact you and your emergency contacts in your profile should we have any issues with Community Key Fob & Card Access. Should those methods fail, we will attempt to contact the Office to your community. You will be responsible for any charges incurred from gaining access and will be billed accordingly.

ALL pets should to be up-to-date on vaccinations and proof submitted via email or listed in client portal pet profile by the time of the “Meet & Greet.” Rabies vaccinations for dogs are REQUIRED to be up to date with the tag # on file in our client portal under your Pet(s) Profile before any services can be given.

It is highly recommended that ALL pets wear identification tags or have up-to-date microchips while in our care. However, only dogs are REQUIRED to have identification. This can be in the form of a physical tag attached to a collar or harness(for when they leave your home with us on a walk). Or you can list their microchip number in their pet profile in the client portal.

This is mandatory for ANY dog we will be taking outside of the home for potty breaks in the yard or on walks. 

All dogs are REQUIRED to be walked on a leash at all times unless they are to be let out into a completely fenced in yard.

The yard will be checked for escape points during the Meet & Greet. If the fence is deemed to be unsafe, has damage, or holes the dogs can escape through, they will be kept on a leash while outside. Dogs with electronic fences are also required to be on leash in any open outside areas at all times. From experience we have learned that not all electric fences are created equal and some dogs pain threshold can allow them to cross that fence.

*We take NO chances when it comes to your Dogs safety. While they may have a perfect recall for you, we are not you.

If you are not completely sure that your pet will allow a new person into your home or allow them to provide care while you are gone, then we can NOT accept the pet sitting assignment without going through a different process. Entering your home when you are away is a condition of our services; attempting to care for or walk a potentially aggressive pet puts both us and your pet at risk, and does not allow us to fulfill our promise to you to care for your pets and home. Fearful or anxious pet(s) may not show aggression in your presence, but once you leave, the stress of you being gone, combined with a new person in their home is enough to progress that fear or anxiety into something worse.

If you are in any way unsure of how your pet will react to a new person coming in, then you need to discuss this with us in advance of the Meet & Greet, so we can work together to make them comfortable with us before booking your services. We can schedule extra meetings between you, your pet(s), and our Pet Care Professionals or we can have our Trainer do an evaluation and trial visits with you nearby. We’re willing to work with you under certain circumstances.

If you do not discuss with us in advance, and your pet(s) shows any signs of fear, anxiety, or aggression at the presence of us during the Meet & Greet, then we will need to make additional arrangements(such as suggested above) before we provide services. We will be unable to provide any service otherwise and depending on the severity of their reaction, we may not be able to provide any services.

If you did not realize that your pet(s) would become aggressive, and we have already begun caring for them, then we will do our best to finish our assignment as agreed. We may need to increase the length of your visits to allow them time to relax, or enlist the help of our Trainer to assist with visits. However, once your pet becomes aggressive, we do reserve the right to leave the home immediately and suspend service for both our protection and your pet(s). Our ability to complete the assignment with the aggressive pet is up to our level of comfort in working with the aggressive pet.

If we are unable to provide normal pet care duties due to your pet’s aggressiveness and additional services or our Trainer is needed, then  additional fees will apply. We cannot provide free or discounted visits for pet care if the pet(s) aggressiveness prohibits us from performing regular duties.

If we are unable to provide regular services or if additional services or our Trainer are needed, due to your pet(s) aggressiveness, you will be notified immediately so you are kept up-to-date on everything. If we are unable to complete services or can no longer provide services, you will also be notified immediately so that you can make an alternate plan for your pets care. If we can not reach you, we will contact your Emergency Contact listed in your Client Profile. Furthermore, you will be responsible for your Pet Care Professionals medical fees should your pet bite or otherwise injure them.

We understand that some dogs can get excited on leash and occasionally pull. We deal with this on a regular basis and are comfortable handling many sizes of dogs with many temperaments. However, if you have a very strong or large dog that pulls excessively on leash to the point of dragging us or knocking us down, this presents a very dangerous situation for both us and your dog. This also goes for dogs that are reactive and display aggression or become over-excited on leash when seeing another dog or person. Your pets safety and our safety is of the upmost importance.

You will always be notified immediately of any safety concerns regarding your dogs leash behavior and given options for us to continue services. Some options include: Letting them out into your back yard and maybe playing enrichment games, or we may ask that you purchase a front clip harness specifically made to help with pulling. We are happy to provide you with a list of wonderful options for harnesses to make walking your dog safer. If your dogs behavior is severe, we may ask that you enlist the help of our Dog Trainer(or one of your choosing) before we can continue to walk your dog in public as we will not be able to walk them until those issues are resolved or managed.

This also goes along with the above policies. Your dog’s safety is our utmost priority. Improperly fit, worn, or damaged collars or harnesses, and/or the use of retractable leashes can present a dangerous situation. The last thing we want to see is a dog slip or break loose from your equipment during a walk. We are happy to recommend safer products to use, and we reserve the right to use our own equipment(leashes, collars, harnesses) if necessary. We use a Fear-Free approach to all handling of pets and will never recommend or use equipment such as choke chains, pinch or prong collars, etc.