grooming release
Health or Medical Problems
Occasionally, grooming can expose a hidden medical problem or aggravate a current one. This can occur during or after grooming. Please make sure to alert us of any current or past issues so that we may keep an eye out for them. All medical expenses for veterinary care will be covered by the pet's owner upon signing this contract/ agreement.
Accidents
Although accidents are very rare, there is a risk when dealing with animals. Grooming equipment is sharp, and although we use extreme caution and care in all situations, possible problems could occur including cuts, nicks, scratches, quicking of nails, etc. In most cases this can happen when an animal is wiggling or moving around.
Your pet’s safety and comfort is our number one priority. In the event an accident does occur, you will be notified of the accident. If Dirty Dog feels it is serious, and the owner is not on-site, Dirty Dog will seek immediate veterinary care for your pet with the closest vet clinic.
Medical Emergencies
This release gives Dirty Dog full authorization to seek medical treatment from the nearest vet clinic, in the case of any medical emergencies while in the care of Dirty Dog.
Vaccinations
All pets are strongly recommended to be current on all vaccination and are REQUIRED to be up to date on their Rabies vaccination in order to receive grooming services.
Bordetella Vaccination-Kennel cough (similar to a human cold) is a respiratory condition caused by a variety of viruses and bacteria often spread by direct contact by dogs. At Dirty Dog, we HIGHLY recommend (but do not require) that your dog be immunized & kept up to date with their Bordetella (Kennel Cough) vaccine. Keeping your dog current with their immunization will help to prevent the spread of kennel cough and/or diminish the severity of infection in your pet.
With the recommendation that all dogs visiting us be vaccinated against kennel cough, if a pet should become infected, all treatment and costs associated shall be the pet owner’s responsibility.
Flea & Ticks
Dirty Dog strives to be a flea-free salon. If your pet has any fleas they will be given a flea bath at your expense of $10 - $20 (depending on the size of the dog). If you do not want them to receive one, you can reschedule your appointment after the problem is taken care of by you.
Dangerous or Aggressive Animals
Refusal of Services:
Dirty Dog has the right to refuse any services at any time. In the event that your pet is too stressed or becomes dangerous to groom, Dirty Dog has the right to refuse grooming services, stop grooming services, or cancel grooming services at any time before, during, or after grooming and the client will be charged a grooming fee (for what was done up until that point).
Use of Muzzles
Muzzling does not harm your pet and protects both the pet and the groomer. In some cases, muzzling may even calm a stressed animal, allowing the grooming process to continue. If your pet still acts in a way that is dangerous, Dirty Dog has the right to stop grooming services at any time and a service fee will be collected. We do not muzzle unless your pet gives us a reason to. Other methods are used to calm your pet first, muzzling is a last resort. Dogs that require muzzling or extra staff to help manage them will be charged at a higher than standard grooming rate. This is because dogs showing aggression or acute nervousness take much longer to groom.
Interruptions During Grooming Services
For the safety of the animals being groomed, as well as the professional pet groomer, it is asked that you do not interrupt the groomer during grooming. Every effort will be made to ensure your pet is groomed as safely as possible, but an excited pet can be dangerous to continue to work on. After dropping your pet off, please do not stop back in the shop until you have received a phone call from us that your pet is ready. If you have any questions after drop-off, please call us.
Matted Coats
Animals with severely matted coats require extra attention. Mats in an animal’s coat grow tight, and can ultimately damage and tear the animal's skin, which provides a breeding ground for parasite infestations.
Dirty Dog will not cause serious or undue stress to your pet by de-matting. Mats can be very difficult to remove and may require the pet to be shaved. Removing a heavily matted coat can cause nicks, cuts, or abrasions due to skin growths trapped in the mats. Heavy matting can also trap moisture and urine near the pet's skin allowing mold, fungus, or bacteria to grow, producing skin irritations that existed prior to the grooming process.
After-effects of mat removal procedures can include itchiness, skin redness, self-inflicted irritations or abrasions, and failure of the hair to regrow. In some cases, pets may also exhibit brief behavioral changes. Prevention is the best defense by scheduling regular grooming appointments, every 4-8 weeks. If your pet needs to be shaved to remove matting, by signing below, you acknowledge that you agree to this procedure and any risk. There will be an additional charge for this process: it is time-consuming, and causes extra wear and tear on grooming equipment.
Furminator (Low Shed Treatment)
Every dog sheds year round, some much more than others. Then there is the twice-annual “blowout” that for some dogs is extreme. Our low-shed treatment uses a variety of tools and products, depending on what works best on each dog coat—the Furminator tool simply doesn’t work on all types of coats.
With every dog, there is only so long that we can brush before the skin becomes irritated and we have to stop. Again, for most dogs, most of the time, a once-a-month bath and low-shed/ Furminator is sufficient. However, for some dogs, and during some times of the year, this isn’t enough to see a significant difference. In these cases, we offer (and recommend) one follow-up visit for an additional “brush only”*** appointment to occur within 7-10 days from the original appointment for the cost of the furminator add-on ($5-20 depending on the coat). In some cases, it may take multiple rounds of this process to get through the heaviest shedding months. When the groomer/bather is done with your dog, they will discuss their recommendations for the best course of action.
***These “brush only” appointments are only offered in combination with the low-shed treatment and only one per bath can be used.
By signing, I understand that my dog may still have some shedding after their low-shed treatment and that I may schedule an appointment within 10 days for a “brush only” session.
Cancellations/No Shows
We always send an appointment reminder the day before your appointment. Please confirm that we have the correct number and email on file. If you are going to miss your appointment for any reason, please contact us ASAP. We require at least a 24-hour notice for all cancellations or reschedules to allow us time to fill the space with a customer from our waiting list.
We will hold grooming appointments for 15 minutes past the scheduled drop-off time. Appointments later than 15 minutes may be released based on demand. No shows and appointments canceled with less than a 24-hour notice will incur a $25 fee and your credit card will be charged immediately.
Satisfaction
Your satisfaction is very important to us. If you are unhappy for any reason with your groom, just contact us within 48 hours and we will schedule a time for you to come back for an adjustment at the next available time for no cost.
Our groomers work very hard to interpret our customers’ requests, but at times, things can get lost in translation. If you have very specific likes or dislikes, please come to your appointments with pictures of exactly what you’d like (or don’t like!) and they will do their best to accomplish that--keeping in mind, not everything is possible based on coat, coat condition, matting, behavior, etc.
Because every dog is given a bath, brush, nail trim, blow-dry, and ear cleaning, we will very rarely issue a full refund. If we are not able to fix any issues that you don’t like, we will refund the difference between a bath and a full haircut (typically 25-50%).
Late Pick-Up Fees
Unlike many salons in town, we allow our customers to leave their dogs with us until close of business (6 pm, every day) at no additional charge. We do know that “things happen” and therefore we give you a 5-minute cushion past our closing hour to pick up your pet. Anything past the 5-minute cushion we charge $1/minute for every minute you are late past close of business.
Photographs
This release form authorizes Dirty Dog to take photos of your pet for client files, for the company website, and Social Media.