Now for the serious stuff
Penny’s pooch palace will be sure to minimise safety risks and hazards to your dog and carry out the groom to the best of their ability.
Penny’s Pooch palace would like to offer dog treats either provided by us to reinforce positive behaviour but will not do so without the owners consent.
Penny’s Pooch Palace will only hold information needed relating to grooming services no information will be passed on to third parties without consent and once no longer needed will disposed of appropriately under the data protection act.
A deposit will be required to secure the appointment booked we will send a link for this to be paid and once this is done the appointment will not be open to others to book it can then be taken off the total groom price due on the day of the groom at collection or rolled over to secure and book the next appointment, however if the deposit is not paid then the appointment is not confirmed and may be cancelled or offered to other pet owners. If the pet owner needs to cancel or reschedule the appointment a minimum of 48 hours notice must be given verbally to do so otherwise the deposit will be kept.
Clients are asked not to knock or ring the doorbell before their appointment time as this may interrupt a groom, cleaning time or break. The owner is required to contact the groomer and verbally advise if they are running late and if more than 10 minutes it may be that the groom appointment will need to be rearranged due to insufficient time for the groom or the knock on effect to appointments following.
Unless arranged with the groomer prior to the groom appointment or at drop off owners are required to arrive at the time given by the groomer as an estimated collection time, if owners are running late they are to contact the groomer and inform them verbally. If Arriving more than 10 minutes past the estimated collection time and the dog is ready and waiting the owner will incur a £5 late fee, if the owner hasn’t arrived within 15 minutes of the estimated time given by the groomer a fee of £1 a minute will be added for lost business and dog sitting services which is not something that is on offer. Fees are charged at the groomers discretion.
All collection times are an estimate of when the dog is likely to be ready it is possible the dog will not be quite finished depending on how well the dog has sat and other factors that may affect the groom time, owners may need to wait a little in the event of this but are still expected to arrive at the time discussed unless arranged otherwise with the groomer with both parties in agreement.
If a dog is dropped off and live fleas are discovered you may be required to take your dog home and reschedule your appointment you could also be charged the price of the groom as this is business lost and other appointments following may need to be moved to prevent fleas transferring or an additional charge £20 will be added to the price of the groom for the cleaning of the surrounding space and additional flea shampoo that will be needed. Please note this only kills live fleas currently on the coat not eggs and doesn’t protect the dog against new fleas jumping aboard so a vet treatment that is long lasting and ongoing is recommended and also treatment of your home and vehicles once a week for 6 months to stop dormant pupae and eggs hatching and re infesting. Shop treatments are generally not as effective as vet flea treatments so where you may choose to try and save money by buying non prescribed treatments these could end up costing you more in the long run when the problem isn’t treated properly. 1 flea reaches maturity in 24 hours has a rough life cycle of 2 weeks and can lay 50 fleas a day.
We will not groom a pregnant dog. If you are intending to breed your dog it is recommended that you book your dog for a groom before the season where mating will take place and a shorter groom can take place to carry her through the pregnancy this is because stress can endanger the puppies at early stages of the pregnancy and at later stages can put undue pressure on the mother being uncomfortable, reactive and potentially allergic to things they normally wouldn’t be.
Cost of grooms may change due to dog behaviour or coat health and type. If a dog is particularly challenging and more time is needed then prices will change accordingly however in most cases I am willing to work with dog in smaller sessions if need be to build tolerance and trust. If the dog is aggressive the owner may be required to collect the dog with the groom unfinished for the safety of the dog and the groomer. If a dog is so reactive with anxiety and nerves that it is a danger to itself or the groomer the owner may be required to collect the dog with the groom incomplete, in both instances the full groom price is due.
It is the owners responsibility to notify the groomer before grooming commences of any health conditions and behavioural issues for the safety of the dog and the groomer. If the owner is aware or has been advised that the dog has bitten nipped or attempted to do so with anyone at any point they must advise the groomer before the groom appointment goes ahead.
Muzzles will be used only if deemed necessary for the dog and for the groomer to be safe. They do not hurt the dog and in some cases actually help to calm the dog .
An additional charge will be added to the groom for matting depending on the amount of matting that is found. We will never shave a dog down without prior consent from the owner however if matting is discovered to an extent that would involve more than 15 minutes of de-matting as per the animal cruelty act you will be advised that a shave down is needed and consent requested to do so, as this is the kindest thing for dog. The dog can start again with new hair growth. We can offer advice to help reduce the chances of matting re- occurring in the future. When mats occur they can restrict blood flow to the skin in that area when the Mat is released there is a chance of bruising occurring as the blood flow is restored. Matting takes time and skill to remove, damages the clipper blades more quickly and being closer to skin can cause nicks to the dog. A groom that takes place involving matting may not look as pretty or be as uniform as a normal groom as matting may be tighter in some places than others meaning either potentially a naked or near naked dog or a dog that has coat that is different lengths for coverage. The fur will grow back and if maintained and looked after properly by the owners at home can be blended and a better nicer cut expected at the next appointment.
Penny’s Pooch Palace will not accept responsibility for injury caused by poor behaviour of the dog, sudden movements and wriggles or close shaves due to matting as a matted groom is caused by lack of maintenance on the owners end for whatever the reason and wouldn’t be necessary otherwise. It is the owners responsibility to carry out homework in helping the dog to desensitise to the grooming process and help the dogs training we will take no responsibly if the owner does not help their dog at home in how they sit and what can be accomplished within the groom if they do not. We will however do everything possible to minimise these risks and apply first aid if needed.
In the event that a dog is so stressed that there is concern for the health of the dog or groomer you may be required to collect the dog with the groom incomplete. This is still chargeable however we can also put a plan in place for smaller grooms to build the dogs tolerance if needed for the future and work together if this is possible plan.
In the event of a groom being cancelled with less than 48 hours or failure to attend without notice Penny’s Pooch Palace reserves the right to keep any deposit paid and or charge up to the full price of the groom with a minimum of half the groom price to avoid financial loss where another paying customer could have booked had appropriate notice been given, A deposit or full payment up front will be required for future bookings that will be kept in the event of a no show without prior cancellation from there on.
Please ensure that your dog is fully vaccinated and up to date with flea and worming treatments.
For complaints please contact me either by email, phone or text within 72 hrs of the groom taking place to allow me to if possible rectify the problem, if there is a concern regarding the groom corrections or adjustments may be possible within this time frame but not thereafter due to continued changing growth of hair, nails and ever changing environments of the dog upon leaving the salon.
NO refunds will be offered as services and skills have been given as well as time during the groom and the prep and clean up before and after.
Photos or videos may be taken and sent to the owner and or be used on our website or social media. owner names and dog names will not be used unless the owner consents or the owner first uses their name or pets name in response to a social media post by us.
Penny’s pooch palace will accept no responsibility for veterinary fees for sick animals unless it is proven to be the fault of Penny’s Pooch Palace and vet bills for treatment can be shown. However in the interest of transparency, honesty and trust we will always highlight anything that may have happened if we are aware and take ownership if caused by us.
If your dog is abandoned at Penny’s Pooch Palace it will be handed over to the appropriate authorities to allow for rehoming and it may then not be possible to have the dog returned to you. Please note we are not somewhere to abandon your dog.