Grooming Agreement
Injury
Safety and transparency are our top priority. While we take every precaution, the grooming process inherently carries a risk of minor injury. This includes but is not limited to minor cuts, quicked nails, scratches or abrasions. The grooming process may uncover and/or exacerbate an underlying medical condition. The staff members will always make owners aware of any injury caused by/noticed during grooming.
Mental/Physical stress post-grooming
Grooming can be especially stressful to some pets. This can lead to elevated levels of anxiety and/or behavioral changes after grooming. Likewise, pets who are physically impaired (overweight, joint/ligament issues, inflammation, etc.) may show signs of fatigue/discomfort after grooming. If symptoms do not seem to alleviate several days after grooming, we recommend seeking veterinary attention- as stated above, the grooming process can aggravate an existing health issue.
Matting
Dogs with severely matted coats require extra attention. Removal of moderate to severe matting can result in injury such as brush burn, clipper burn, skin irritation, knicks, hematomas etc. These injuries/irritations can show up hours or even days after the service is completed. Removal of severe matting can reveal skin conditions, irritation, rashes and sores underneath the coat. These conditions cannot be seen until the coat is removed. Pooch Palace is not responsible for any irritation or injuries that may be revealed by the removal of a severely matted coat. If the grooming staff decides that it is not safe to remove matting from a pet, they reserve the right to stop the service and refer to a veterinary groomer.
Fleas/ticks
We must be made aware of a known or suspected flea infestation at the time of drop off. We will treat your pet with a pet friendly flea shampoo to kill any living fleas/larvae. Unfortunately, flea and tick shampoo treatments DO NOT kill eggs. Follow up treatments and proper precautions will need to be taken at home in order to exterminate the infestation. If a flea infestation is discovered after the service has been started, the customer may be charged an additional fee for facility sanitization. Any ticks found during the grooming process will be properly removed and the owner will be made aware. Please note that the removal of a tick may result in a sore/scab where it was previously attached to the skin.
Vaccinations
For all dog grooming services we require proof of up to date Rabies, Bordatella and Distemper vaccinations. For cat grooming services, mobile grooming services and A La Carte services we only need proof of an up to date rabies vaccination.
No-show/tardy/late pick-up policy
Pooch Palace is committed to providing our clients with exceptional care. Due to the high demand for appointments, when a client cancels without giving advance notice, they prevent another client from being seen. For this reason, we have a Tardy Policy for all grooming appointments scheduled with our groomers.
If you must cancel your appointment, we request a call at least 24 hours before your pet’s appointment time. If less than a 24 hour notice is given, this will be considered a “Late cancellation”. The third late cancellation will put the client on the “prepay list”; this will require a non-refundable deposit of the full groom price of your pet’s service to book any future appointments.
If you foresee that you may be late to your appointment, please call or text the shop. There is a 20 minute grace period after your scheduled appointment time before the groomer can consider you a No-Show. Appointment times are strategically set to allow proper time to service each pet. Starting your pets groom late will result in overlap of appointments. A late fee may apply if the groomer is able to still fit them in their schedule.
When your pet is complete with their groom we will give you a text or call to let you know they are ready for pick up. We ask that you pick up your pet in a timely manner to reduce stress of your pet as well as enable us to have proper space for other client pets. Leaving your pet with us for an excessive amount of time after their groom may result in a $15 day boarding fee. If the pet is left after closing time, the client may incur a fee of $1/minute after closing.
Aggression/bite history
The staff MUST be informed if your pet bites, has bitten in the past or has previously shown signs of aggression to other people or animals. This allows us to take the proper precautions when caring for your pet and reduce the risk of injury to staff members or other animals. Muzzles/restraints may be used if necessary. Staff members reserve the right to stop and refuse services to pets who are exhibiting unsafe levels of aggression, stress or other behavioral issues.
Social media
The Pooch Palace reserves the right to photos and/or videos taken of your pet while in our care. These documentations may be used for public social media postings and other advertising opportunities.