TERMS & CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

Please inform me at the time of your appointment of any changes in your pet's health or temperament to allow me to continue to provide a service tailored to your pet's need's.

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YOUR PET'S HEALTH AND WELFARE.  Whilst your pet is in my care its health and welfare is my primary concern. He/she will only ever be groomed in accordance to their tolerance of the process. If your pet is fearful of any of the procedures employed during grooming, a workaround or alternative will be employed. Occasionally during grooming a pre-existing condition may be discovered which you may not have been aware of. I will notify you of this so that you can seek veterinary advice. Although extremely unlikely, accidents can happen during grooming. In the event of an accident or serious medical issue arising during your pet's groom you authorise me to seek emergency veterinary treatment.

GROOM FEEDBACK.  You will be given detailed feedback after every groom. If you have any queries or need further clarification, please just ask or contact me at a later stage. If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of your pet's groom please let me know before you leave or within 24 hours. Reasonable requests to alter the trim will be dealt with immediately or changes noted for the next groom. I am more than happy to disclose any details of your pet's groom or advise you about how best to care for your pet's coat.

PRICING

Starting prices are for pets:

• That are used to being professionally groomed on a regular schedule (a MINIMUM of every 6 to 12 weeks depending on breed)

• Whose coats are well maintained between professional grooms (kept tangle, knot & matt free by regular brushing or combing)

 You can reasonably expect to pay more than the starting price for:

• Matted, poorly maintained &/or overgrown coats

• Pets which are difficult to manage or uncooperative during grooming

• Overweight pets or oversized for the breed standard

• Timid, anxious or nervous pets, which require frequent breaks & may need special handling

These cost more time, labour &/or product. The costs are passed on to you.

 If I am unable to complete a groom due to behavioural problems or aggression you will be charged the starting price of the groom. All costs are payable in full at the time you collect your pet.

PHOTOGRAPHS.  Your pet may be photographed before, during or after its groom. Photographs may be used on the Handsome Hounds website or other printed materials.  Please let me know if you prefer you pet not to be photographed.

TIME KEEPING.  Please be punctual. I work by appointment only; the appointment slot allocated for your pet's groom has been booked at your request exclusively. Any late arrivals without prior agreement may result in an unfinished groom. I will not rush a groom and compromise the safety and wellbeing of your pet.

Most grooms take between 1 - 3 hours or more depending on the size and temperament of the dog, and its coat condition. You will be advised what time to collect your pet. It is advisable not to enter the salon before this time, as your presence may distract your pet during the finishing stage of its groom.  It is important that you collect your pet at the agreed time as once the groom is finished your dog will be eager to go home and may become unsettled or anxious and cause a distraction to the next dog being groomed. Please phone me if you are running late. I understand that from time to time unforeseen circumstances may arise.

HOWEVER … Clients arriving more than 15 minutes late for their appointment will be considered a missed appointment and will have to re-book, the full cost of the groom will be charged.  If you need an earlier drop off/later collection time due to other commitments, please discuss this with me when booking. If your pet is collected after closing time a late pick up and/or sitting fee of £5 per 15 minutes or part of applies. If you incur any of the above mentioned fees, they are payable in full at the time you collect your pet.

CANCELLING YOUR DOG'S APPOINTMENT

I respectfully request 48 hours notice per dog if you need to cancel your pet's appointment. The slot can then be resold.

NO-SHOWS & LATE CANCELLATIONS.  A fee of 50% of your usual groom price will be levied for cancellations with less than 48 hours notice. Missed appointments will be charged the full cost of the groom. If you incur any of the above mentioned fees, they are payable in full before booking your pet's next appointment.

NEGLECTED & MATTED COATS.  In the event that your pet's coat needs to be clipped down to release it from matting or coat neglect, Handsome Hounds Grooming salon, its owner and operator are not liable for any post-grooming effects of this procedure, which is not without risk.

Any humane de-matting will be undertaken solely at my discretion, in compliance with The Animal Welfare Act 2006 (clause 5 - Animals are to be protected from pain, injury and suffering).  De-matting during a routine groom is limited to a maximum of 15 minutes and is only possible if the matting is minimal. For severely matted coats where de-matting isn't possible, the only humane way to deal with this will be to completely shave off the coat.

You will be given an estimate of how long matt release is likely to take & an estimated cost for the procedure.  A shave down consumes significantly more time, labour, product & tool/equipment wear and tear than a routine trim therefore will incur an extra charge.  All shave down costs are payable in full at the time you collect your pet.

EAR PLUCKING  Removing the hair by plucking can irritate the delicate skin of ear canals and lead to ear problems. Plucking the ear hair leaves minute openings, tiny wounds in the skin where bacteria can settle more easily. We will pluck ears if it is specifically requested and this will only be carried out on healthy ears that show no signs of soreness or infection and only according to the tolerance of the dog. 

FLEAS  If your pet is found to have fleas there is an extra charge of £15 for flea removal and treating the salon. Service may be refused in cases of ongoing flea infestations. 

ANAL GLANDS   This procedure should only be performed with a veterinary diagnosis, it is against the law for groomers to diagnose. We can perform external anal gland expression with written confirmation from a vet. This could then be carried out as part of a full groom but is not offered as a stand alone service.

AGGRESSIVE & POORLY SOCIALISED DOGS: THE DANGEROUS DOGS ACT.  I reserve the right to refuse to groom any pet at risk of harming me or itself. If your dog is accepted for grooming & displays aggression that I have not been informed of during its session, the groom will be terminated immediately. You will be contacted to collect it. The full starting price of the groom will be levied.

You must inform me prior to grooming if your dog has ever bitten or displayed aggression. Failure to disclose this information may result in refusal of further services.

Your attention is drawn to the Dangerous Dogs Act, which holds owners liable for bites and injuries caused by their dogs.

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