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Happy Paws on Board will not take any bookings until a ‘Meet and Greet’ with the owner and the pet has taken place.  A Pet Record Form needs to be completed so we have details of the pet and any information we need to be made aware of, i.e., allergies, medication, emergency contacts etc.

Our Business Insurance details, DBS Check, Canine First Aid Certificate will be available to view at the Meet and Greet.

DOG WALKING

  • If your dog is anxious in any way, i.e., with other dogs, people, horses, traffic etc. We need to be made aware.  Reactive dogs would only be walked on a 1-2-1 basis, unless they are accompanied by another dog from the same household.
  • Meet and greet will take place on a walk at a mutually convenient time.  By having these sessions, we can see how your dog interacts with people and other dogs.  There is no charge for the initial Meet and Greet and there is no obligation for you to book our services.  If another Meet Up is required, a charge may be incurred.
  • A group walk would be a maximum of 4 dogs, unless there is an additional dog from the same household and the others in the group are manageable.  We would initially keep all dogs on a lead until we are happy they are safe to be off lead.  If a dog needs to remain on a lead, we are happy to do this as their safety and comfort is my priority. We have many longer leads on board so they can still have fun and explore.
  • One of the dogs on the group walk may be one of our own.
  • Walking locations will be varied as much as possible so the dogs can experience new smells and terrain.
  • Walks will always be tailored to your dog’s fitness level.
  • An hour’s booked session will generally be 45 minutes in duration (Min) to allow for collection and drop off.  We will always try and keep transport time to a minimum by grouping dogs as much as possible to the same area.
  • Collection/Drop off times will be as close to the time stated as possible.  It can obviously change slightly depending on other dogs being collected, traffic, weather conditions, etc.
  • We can walk dogs for a longer/shorter duration by arrangement.
  • Puppies, senior dogs and those rehabilitating will have a shorter walk but the remainder of the time booked can be used for appropriate play, interaction and fun activities.
  • Allowing dogs off lead always carries a risk.  We would always keep a dog on lead until we are confident they can be let off.  Any dogs that have poor recall or have ‘selective hearing’ need to remain securely on a lead so they are safe.  We would always ensure they experience the same amount of fun and interaction – remaining on a lead should not make a walk boring.  We would always ask a client about the dogs recall and we would like honest feedback to ensure the dog remains safe.
  • Please leave out your dog’s harness and any coat they require for their adventure.  If they wear a house collar, please ensure a suitable collar for a lead attachment is on the dog for their walk, with an ID Tag.
  • If we are walking a dog on a longer lead, we would always attach this to a harness rather than collar.
  • We will towel wipe dog’s paws etc. during wet/muddy conditions and always have warm water on board to help to get them as clean as possible.  A walk time may be shortened slightly to allow for extra cleaning on the very bad days.  We have towels on board but, on those very wet days, if an additional towel could be left out that would be a great help.
  • We will always have fresh drinking water on board.
  • In extreme weather conditions, very hot or snow, walks will be shorter to ensure the comfort of the dog.  The dog’s safety and wellbeing are most important to us so, during extreme hot weather, we will try and accommodate walks by scheduling them earlier in the day, if possible.  In the case of 1-2-1 booking’s, we can still cover the booking by visiting the dog in its own home, doing interactive play etc.  
  • On occasions where the temperature is excessively high or low, it may be necessary to cancel all walks and make home visits instead.   If you are at home and its acceptable to cancel due to weather conditions, no cancellation charge will be made.
  • If the weather means we are unable to get to your property we will give as much notice as we can and, again, no charge would be made.

HEALTH

  • If your dog is exercising with others, they need to be fully vaccinated or titer tested and their worming and flea treatment should also be up to date, whether it be via the vet or an herbal alternative.
  • Dizzy and Wilbur, our trusted means of transport, are cleaned on a weekly basis to ensure your dogs remain safe and do not contract any nasty bugs.
  • If you dog contacts kennel cough, sickness, diarrhoea etc. please let us know asap.  It will not be walked until fully recovered.  If possible, we would offer and home visit for interactive play etc. as an alternative.  If the walk needs to be cancelled due to ill health of the dog and a home visit is not required, no cancellation charge would be made.
  • We need to be made aware asap if any member of the family has contracted Covid-19 or are self-isolating – this will obviously affect how we collect/drop off the dog.

ID TAGS AND MICROCHIPPING

  • Any dog in a public place must wear an ID Tag with the name, address (including postcode) and contact number of the owner.  The name of the dog is not essential.  Not wearing such a tag could result in a £500 fine.
  • Since April 6th 2016, every dog should be microchipped and registered by the owner.
  • To ensure the dogs safety please ensure your dog has a well fitted collar/harness with a tag attached.

FIRST AID

  • We hold a valid ProTrainings Canine First Aid Level 2 VTQ Certificate, valid from 5th March 2021 and take refresher courses regularly to keep the certificate valid.
  • A fully stocked First Aid Kit is held on board and any First Aid Treatment we give is noted and logged and the client would be advised.  Following any treatment, depending on the severity, we would always recommend a follow up with your vet.
  • In the case of an emergency, we would always take a pet to the nearest vet so they can seek professional treatment asap.
  • We would always mention to clients of any physical or behavioural changes we notice with their pet during their time with me.

BOOKINGS

  • For regular (weekly) bookings, the days/times and what service is required would be agreed and they would be booked on a rolling basis.
  • We would always aim to collect/drop off no earlier/later than 15 minutes to the agreed time.  If there are any major delays, maybe from a previous drop off or due to traffic, we would keep the client up to date on the situation.
  • If there needs to be a change to the regular booking (day/time) please do let us know asap so we can schedule the change and also make the booking available to other clients.
  • If we do not hear anything by the end of the previous Friday, I will presume the booking for the following week will be going ahead.
  • For Ad hoc bookings, please call, text, email us or complete the contact form on our website.

PAYMENT

  • Regular bookings and ad hoc will be invoiced the end of each month, payment will be in arrears. 
  • We request payment is made within 5 days from the receipt of the invoice, paid via BACS.  Cash/cheque can be arranged but BACS is preferred.
  • Failure to pay the monthly invoice without an explanation will result in services being cancelled until payment is made and future bookings would need to be paid in advance.

KEYS AND SECURITY

  • When not in use, keys will be stored in a lockable box inside our home.
  • When keys are being used, they will always be kept on our person and never left in the van unattended.
  • If you use a secure key safe, we would keep the code details safe, this would also be the same case with alarm and gate codes.
  • If the key is hidden at the property for us to collect and return, this is done at your own risk.

CANCELLATIONS & HOLIDAYS

  • If a cancellation needs to be made, we need to be made aware as soon as possible.  If it is within 48hrs of the booking, a 50% charge would still be made, within 24hrs of the booking, full charge would be made – unless the cancellation is due to sudden sickness/lameness of the pet.
  • Any cancellations over 48hrs of the booking, no charge will be made.
  • If you are going on holiday or do not require our service’s please do let us know asap so we can offer these time slots out as ad-hoc bookings for the relevant dates.
  • If you need to book us for alternative dates/times during holidays, please do enquire as we may be able to accommodate your changes during this period.
  • Likewise, if we are unable to walk your dogs for any reason we would give as much notice as possible so alternatively arrangements can be made.
  • We do offer a retainer so, if you need to stop our services for a period – over 2 weeks, we can keep your slot available at a 50% charge.

NOTICE

  • If we are no longer able to walk your dog/visit your pet, we will provide a reason and give a minimum of 2 weeks’ notice so alternative arrangements can be made.
  • If the reason to give notice is due to aggression or potential risk of harm, we reserve the right to withdraw our services immediately.
  • If you no longer require our services, we ask that you give us a minimum of 2 weeks’ notice.

PRIVACY

  • Data held about the client and the pet are all the details listed on the Pet Record Form.  This data is required to allow us to supply our services to the best of our ability, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the pet.
  • No unnecessary data would be requested and no data is shared
  • Information held by Happy Paws on Board is always freely available to the client and can, at any time, ask to be deleted or securely destroyed.
  • Data would be kept for 18 months after the last booking before it is deleted/securely destroyed.

SOCIAL MEDIA/PHOTOS

  • Photos can be sent to the client of their pet while they are in our care, having fun and adventures.  These can be sent either via WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. 
  • Photos may also feature on our website or Facebook unless it is requested for them not to appear.
  • Clients’ names and pet names would never be mentioned on social media.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS REVISED JANUARY 2025

Any amendments made to the Ts & Cs would be advised to all existing clients.