Policies & Procedures
An in-home consultation is required for all new clients.
1. Appointments: Your Dog's Best Friends (YDBF) does its best to accommodate your needs for appointments at the time of day you request. Your Dog's Best Friends provides a time interval during which, to the best of YDBF staff's ability, your walks are given. If an unforeseen situation arises, YDBF will make a highly professional effort to contact you to discuss the situation and to provide the walk to your dog as close to the time interval as possible.
2. Scheduling Confirmation: The Dog Walking Manager will provide a weekly form confirmation of all walk schedules for each week. - If we don’t receive a reply to confirmation email, we will assume no walks are needed.
3. Scheduling Changes: Clients should make requests for changes to their walk schedule to the Dog Walking Manager, preferably via email: dogwalking@yourdogsbestfriends.com. Please do not make requests for changes to the dog walkers. Dog walkers are unable to accept changes, cancellations, or additions.
4. Last Minute Changes: Add-on walks are always welcome and YDBF will do its best to accommodate any emergency or unexpected need. To ensure YDBF staff's ability to meet your need, it is best to provide 24-hours’ notice so the Dog Walking Manager can attempt to schedule your regular walker at your preferred time. Cancellations are inevitable and if YDBF receives your cancellation by 9 a.m. on the day of the scheduled walk there will be no charge. For cancellations later than 9 a.m., a $10 fee will be assessed.
5. Termination of Dog Walking Services: In the event you no longer wish to receive YDBF's dog walking services, simply give us a call so YDBF can coordinate a time for you to pick up your keys.
6. Access and 3rd Party Services: YDBF staff are instructed not to provide access to your property to any 3rd party. YDBF does not accept liability for other persons who will be in your home prior to, during, or immediately after YDBF's services have been rendered. Please inform us at the time of the consultation of anyone who may have access to your home while you are away. This includes cleaning services, maintenance personnel, friends, family, and neighbors. It is understood that the client will notify anyone with access to the home that YDBF services have been engaged.
7. Inclement Weather: YDBF staff will use their best judgment in caring for your pets(s) and home at the time of inclement weather. YDBF will try to carry out your instructions to the best of YDBF's ability. Customer selection of a nearby emergency contact has been requested.
8. Inclement Weather Plan: 1) Every effort will be made to drive to your home; 2) The service schedule may be changed, interrupted, or altered due to circumstances; 3) If it is not possible to drive safely to your home, your emergency contact will be notified; 4) You will be notified that the above-mentioned contingency plan has been activated.
9. Inclement Weather Contact: YDBF has requested the name and phone number of a person living nearby (with access to your home). This should be a person close enough to walk to your home if roads are impassable (for example, a neighbor). If YDBF staff are physically unable to drive to your home this information is needed so that YDBF can contact this person to request their assistance to check on your pet(s). Please remember that garage door openers are not operational in the event of power outages. In the event that you do not provide a nearby emergency contact with access to your home, YDBF will provide service but not until conditions allow us to reach your home safely.
10. Weather Conditions: Our staff will monitor the weather during the heat waves, snow days and storms. If services for the day need to be cancelled or modified due to weather, we will notify everyone on schedule of any modifications/cancellation for that day.
11. Meals: If requested for a feeding a fee of $5 will apply per feeding.
12. Collars/Leashes: Please provide secure collars with appropriate tags for all visits. All dogs will be walked on leashes.
13. Fences: YDBF does not accept responsibility or liability for any client's animals that escape or become lost or injured, fatal or otherwise, when instructed to leave the clients animals in a fenced area. This includes electronic, wood, metal or any other type of fence.
14. Other dogs: YDBF staff will do their best to keep interaction with stray or strange dogs to a minimum.
15. House Cleanliness: YDBF will clean up after your pets to the best of YDBF's staff's ability. Please inform us where you keep the cleaning supplies you would like us to use for such emergencies. We highly recommend a cleaner like Nature's Miracle formulated to remove residual odors. Your Dog’s Best Friends is not responsible for carpet/flooring stains created by your pet(s). YDBF requests that you provide plastic bags, towels and trash bags. If there are accidents above and beyond the normal amount anticipated, Your Dog’s Best Friends will charge a $10 clean-up fee.
16. Household Emergencies: Please provide the name and number of a trusted maintenance company or a person you can rely on to attend to any household emergencies that may arise during your absence. This includes but is not limited to leaking pipes, malfunctioning water heaters, heating and air units.
17. Payment: Payments are taken weekly. YDBF accepts American Express, MasterCard, Visa and checks. Receipts for clients with cards on file are emailed. Please make all checks payable to: Your Dog’s Best Friends.
18. Returned Check Charges: There is a $35 fee for all returned checks. All fees are due promptly and must be paid via cash, cashier’s check or money order only. Clients are responsible for all costs of collections.
19. Keys: YDBF will obtain two copies of your house key during the in-home consultation. One key will be held by your dog walker and the other key will be coded and secured by the Dog Walking Manager to be used only in the case of emergency or lockout.
20. Updates: Please provide us with any changes regarding your contact numbers, your pet care needs, or other pertinent information.
21. Privacy Policy: All of your information will be kept private and confidential. YDBF highly respects your entrusting us with the care of your home and your loving pets.
22. Holiday Appointments: YDBF will do its best to accommodate request for walks on legal holidays. YDBF is unable to provide walking services on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
