Opening Hours

• Day Care will be Monday to Friday 9am – 5.30pm. Hours outside of this by prior arrangement only.

• If you are not going to be able to make it by our closing time, please contact us as soon as possible and arrangements can be made.  This will incur a charge of £1 per hour extra.

• All drop offs and pick-ups will be from Lily Pond House, The Street, Tendring, CO16 0BW at pre-booked times. 

• Phone calls, emails, texts and Facebook messages may not be answered outside of these hours, we will endeavour to get back to you as soon as we can.

Enrolment

• All pets need to be enrolled before we can provide any services.

1. Book an initial meeting together with you and your pet(s) to see if day care/home boarding is suitable for your needs. We will partially complete the enrolment form with you and leave you to fill in the rest.

2. Book and have a 2 hour free session for Day Care, which will include a temperament test that will determine how your pet interacts with other animals and individuals.  For Boarding you will need to book a 1 night trial to ensure your dog sleeps well in this environment.  Please bring the completed enrolment form and the original vaccination documents with you. We will photocopy then original vaccination documents to keep for our records.

3. We will then discuss how your dog got on at the assessment and make further bookings.

Booking

• For all bookings please try to give us at least 48 hours’ notice as we will need time to arrange pick-ups/drop offs and staffing schedules.  It will not always be possible to fit you in at the last minute but we will always try to accommodate you.

• All non-account holders booking boarding will be required to pay a 50% deposit in advance of the booking to secure the dates they require. Should the booking be cancelled within 7 days of the start of the reservation the deposit will be retained as a cancellation fee.

• Account holders will be required to pay a cancellation charge, which will be 50% of their total fee if the booking is cancelled within 7 days of the start of the reservation.

• As boarding is done at home we require a deposit due to us only taking one family at a time. Therefore, any cancellations mean we have been unable to accept other bookings.

• For any new customers we require a trial night and half a day to assess the suitability and whether your dog is comfortable staying. This will be offered at a half price rate.

• Should we arrive at your premises to collect your dog or visit your pet(s) for a booked appointment and they are not there or we cannot gain access, the full amount of the service booked will be charged.

Behaviour

• Owners will confirm that their dog has never harmed or shown aggressive or threating behaviour towards people or other animals.  Your pet will be spending time with other pets and the safety and health of all animals and members of staff is our main concern.

• We require owners to notify us immediately of any changes in behaviour.

• Subsequently we will make owners aware of any significant differences in temperament and behaviour whilst in our care, this could result in us requesting you to collect your pet from the premises immediately. In the meantime, we will keep your pet separated from the other animals for everyone’s safety. As the boarding is at home please make us aware of any traits such as being destructive, opening doors or latches and any other nuisance behaviours.

  Health and Vaccinations

• All dogs must be in good health when they arrive for their day, if any signs of contagious or infectious diseases are suspected we reserve the right to refuse day care for your pet until the condition is resolved.

• If a bitch is in season please contact us to discuss whether we are able to accommodate your bitch at that time.

• If your male is entire please contact us to discuss whether we are able to accommodate your dog at that time.

• For the safety of all dogs we require all owners to be aware of their role in preventing infectious diseases.  We require proof of all current vaccinations.

1. Canine Distemper

2. Infectious Canine Hepatitis (Canine Adenovirus)

3. Leptospirosis (L. canicola and L. icterohaemorrhagiae)

4. Canine Parvovirus

5. Kennel Cough (Bordetella Bronchiseptica)

• It is the clients responsibility to ensure that all vaccinations/titre testing are kept up to date. Titre test instead of follow up vaccinations will be accepted as evidence of the dogs immunity to disease.

• Clients must understand that the dogs will be in a social environment and Four Paws will not be held responsible if their dog contracts Kennel Cough.

• We also require all dogs to have regular worming and flea treatments.

• Should the need arise that your pet requires veterinary treatment we will endeavour to use your specified veterinary surgery. However, we will use the local vet that we are registered with, which is Kinfauns Vets, The Street, Little Clacton, CO16 9LG. Telephone number 01255 860555.

• All clients must be aware that they are responsible for all veterinary care costs.

• I acknowledge by signing this document I give Four Paws authorisation to request any necessary veterinary records for treatment of my pet.

Name tags and collars

• It is a legal requirement that all dogs must be microchipped as well as wear a collar or identification tag with the owners name and address on it, your telephone number is optional. In addition, we have our own identification tags with our telephone number on that they will wear whilst in our care.

• All owners must provide a suitable and well maintained collar that is secure. In addition, a lead must be provided that is also suitable and well maintained.  If required harnesses and muzzles for walking must be provided.

Insurance and Security

• If you supply us with a key for access to your property, it will be kept in a secure cabinet and will only be marked with your pets’ name.  It will not have any other personal details on it.

• We hold insurance for public liability, care custody and control, product liability and we are also insured for key holders loss of keys or replacement locks.

General Policies

• All medications that need to be administered whilst in our care, must be clearly labelled in a secure container. This information will include the pets name, the name and strength of the medication, and directions including dosage, number of times per day, how it is given, illness to be treated, areas to be treated etc.

• All food is to be provided by the owner with clearly written instructions, preferably portioned out to the daily amount. If not enough food is supplied for the duration of their stay, then it is the owners responsibility to reimburse Four Paws for the full amount of the food purchased.

• When boarding your pet(s) you must supply enough food, bowls, lead and collar. If needed, please bring bedding and anything that will help them settle.

• If your pet causes any damage to our home, you agree to reimburse any reasonable cost incurred.

• We regularly take photographs or video footage of the animals. By signing this you agree that we will be able to use either in any media or advertising without prior approval.

• I agree that my dog is allowed to play with other dogs which will always run a risk of scratches, punctures, torn ligaments etc.

• I also agree and understand that I am responsible for any harm caused by my dog whilst it is with Four Paws.  I am also responsible for the medical treatment of any injuries that my dog receives whilst with Four Paws. I agree to pay all costs that may arise as a result of the injury or illness.

• I further agree that all of the above policies and procedures will be in effect and will apply on each and every occasion my pet is with Four Paws Pet Care. This shall remain so until either parties cancel in writing.