Payment

All services must be paid for when arriving or on collection of your dog. We accept cash and card payments. If bank transfer has been agreed this needs to be cleared prior to collection of your dog.
All quotes are based on dogs in a ‘good condition’, however, if for any reason the grooming takes longer than anticipated as the dog needed extra care, this will incur additional charges.

Cancellation Policy

If you are unable to make an appointment, please give us a minimum of 24 hours’ notice. The time we allowed for you and your pet is valuable to us as we have a long waiting list at most times.
If you fail to give 24 hours’ notice or do not show up at all then you will incur a charge up to 100% of the original groom cost.
Cancellation costs are at the discretion of the groomer.
No further service will be booked until charge is paid in full.
If regular missed appointments occur, we may then require a deposit to secure a new appointment.

Late Arrivals

We run a tight ship at Paws Retreat and our days are busy. If you are more than 10 minutes late for your appointment, it could result in your appointment having to be cancelled as we no longer have time to groom your pooch to our high standards before our next client.
If this occurs, then unfortunately we have to enforce our cancellation charge as above.

Late Collection

We do not have the space to keep your dogs for longer than their groom time. If you cannot collect your dog at the time stated or within 20 minutes of that time, you will be charged £10 per hour from then for dog sitting.

Social Media

Whilst in our care, we may photograph your dog to be used on our website, Paws Retreat Facebook page and our other social media platforms. If you do not wish for your dog to be photographed, please let us know.

Fleas and Vaccinations

It is recommended that all dogs are kept up to date with their vaccinations. Dogs which are not kept up to date are at risk of catching diseases and viruses. Paws Retreat will not accept responsibility if this occurs.
Please check your dog for fleas prior to attending your appointment. If your pet arrives with fleas, we will have no choice but to cancel your appointment.
This will incur a cancellation charge as well as a £20 fee to fumigate the entire salon and rearrange appointments as we cannot allow other customers pets in until fumigated.

Aggressive Dogs

Aggressive dogs also need grooming so all we ask is you advise our staff of your dog’s behavior when booking your appointment.
By doing this, we can then make sure we allow extra time for your pet or if need be, we can make sure they do not overlap with another dog arriving to make it as easy as possible for us and them. This may incur an extra charge.
However, if your dog becomes a danger to our staff or other dogs, we reserve the right to not continue with the groom or turn the dog away and refuse to groom during initial consultation. If this occurs, you will be charged for the appointment as we would not be able to fill the appointment.

Matted Dogs

When booking your dog in we will assume that your dog is in an acceptable/good condition. This means you regularly groom your dog thoroughly (this doesn’t include just brushing the top coat, it means right down to the skin). We know life can be busy and it can be difficult from time to time which leaves their dog matted. At Paws Retreat we will do our absolute best to carry out the groom to owner’s preference. However, the dog’s wellbeing comes first and if we believe it is too stressful or painful for the dog it will result in your pet being clipped off.
Before this is carried out, we will inform you of the dog’s coat condition and why we feel it is best for your dog. This will usually be spoken about on arrival of your dog for its appointment. If your dog is having to be clipped off due to matting and neglect, an extra cost will be incurred. If any dog is needing to be shaved off, irritation may occur. Paws Retreat will not be held responsible for any after grooming effects such as irritation, itchiness and the like.
All dogs will be grooming in accordance with The Animal Welfare Act 2006. We will also photograph/video any cases of neglect that is brought into our salon and reserve the right to use these if we deem appropriate.

Toileting

Please ensure your dog has had a sufficient chance to relieve itself before coming into the salon. If your dog defecates and/or urinates during the groom or whilst in our care and requires a second bath, you will be charged accordingly.
Please also keep your dog on their lead if they have the tendency to scent mark to avoid salon furniture being ruined upon arrival and collection in the reception area.

Accidents

Unfortunately, accidents can happen from time to time, at Paws Retreat we have an honesty policy which means our employees will always be open and honest with you if an accident occurs whilst your pet is in our care.
If you pet is involved in a minor accident, then we will apply our first aid training and care for your dog.
If our staff have any concerns, they will contact the local vet and contact yourselves to inform you of their actions.

Privacy

To enable us to run our business ‘the modern way’ we will ask you to complete a contact and information form, this is for internal use only. It is used to hold a profile on our system for your pet and contact details to allow us to contact you regarding your appointment.
We do not pass out your details to third parties nor do we send out mail shots. Your information is only held on a secure database at the salon you use.