Pet FIRST Pet Care Guidelines & Policies

All uses of the phrase "Pet First Pet Care, We, Us, Sitter, or Walker" shall refer to Pet First Pet Care. The pet owner will be referred to as "You, or Pet Owner".

1.      Scheduling &Visit Times: It is best to contact Pet First Pet Care at least 2 weeks in advance in order to obtain services on the dates you desire and at your desired visit times. Scheduling is on a first come first served basis and we will do our best to accommodate your needs. Pet First Pet Care will visit at the requested times as closely as possible, though we have many other pets we are caring for, so arriving at exact times may not always be possible. Many clients will have us arrive at just a general time frame. If your pet is a special needs pet or requires medication given at a specific time, we will make your pet a first priority in regards to time. If an unforeseen situation arises, the time may also be adjusted. We will do our very best to arrive at the appointed times.

2.      Your Scheduled Sitter/Walker: We try our best to keep your sitter/walker the same as much as possible, to best establish a relationship between sitter/walker and pet, however, as with all pet care companies with multiple employees, our work is a team effort, and another sitter/walker may occasionally have to be scheduled for the visit, as no sitter/walker can work every day of the week. Your main sitter/walker will have days off every week, as everyone with a job would have days off at any job. Once someone has a main sitter/walker, we always try as best as we can to control what we can to make sure they are consistently the sitter/walker that is scheduled, however as with any business with employees, all of our work is a team effort. And as with any pet care company with employees, there are also additional reasons that the scheduled sitter/walker may occasionally change; e.g. unexpected situations may arise, your main sitter/walker has car trouble, is sick, has an unexpected change in availability, etc. It is for these many reasons that you will find that the work of a pet care company with employees is a team effort, however we of course always try our best to make sure that your main sitter/walker gets the majority of your visits.

3.      Updates & Who to Contact: Please provide our office with any changes regarding your pet's care and other pertinent information such as change of address, phone number, locations of supplies, etc.Please do not leave updates or instructions for the sitter. Instead, contact Sarah through email or contact form regarding any schedule changes, last minute visits, instructions, updates, etc. so we have a record of your requests in writing, instead of the sitters/walkers, as Sarah will need to update the schedule or enter any instructions into the software for the sitter/walker, and send you the total for services, since all services, schedule changes, last minute visits, etc. must first be approved by Sarah. Sarah will then contact the appropriate sitter/walker and inform them of the updated schedule or of any updates or special instructions (which are also entered into the software for the sitter to see). Please email Sarah any updates or special instructions at least 2 weeks in advance of services to allow enough time for the changes to be reflected in our software before your services begin. All contact information is provided on our website on the ‘Contact Us’ page.

4.      Inclement Weather: In the event of inclement weather, Pet First Pet Care has requested on your Pet Owner Profile the name and phone number of a person living nearby with access to your home (for example, a neighbor). If Pet First Pet Care is physically unable to reach your home due to impassable roads, please provide us with this information so that we can contact this person to request assistance. Your pets' health and well-being is our utmost concern and we will contact you as soon as possible to keep you informed of these events. In the event that you do not provide a nearby emergency contact with access to your home for Pet First Pet Care, by signing this form, you realize that we will provide service but not until conditions allow us to reach your home safely.

5.      Medications/Vaccinations: Pet First Pet Care will attempt to administer medications as directed but cannot be held responsible for complications that arise as a result. Excessively shy cats with medical problems can be a serious risk. If you have such an animal, this must be thoroughly discussed. Under no circumstances will Pet First Pet Care service any pet that has any form of contagious illness. This is for the safety of others. If a Pet First Pet Care sitter/walker is exposed to any disease or ailment received from a pet which has not been properly or currently vaccinated, the owner of the pet will be responsible for all costs and damages that may incur.

6.      Access to Your Home by Others: We all want our pets to have all the love and attention they deserve, but please be advised that if there are other persons entering and leaving your home, Pet First Pet Care cannot be held liable for any damages or problems that may arise as a result. Please notify Pet First Pet Care if someone will be in your home. This includes cleaning services, repair persons, friends, family and neighbors, etc. Please also notify the person(s) in your home that Pet First Pet Care is coming so that your visitor, as well, is not surprised by our entrance. The police will be called on all intruders or suspicious acts. Pet First Pet Care does not accept liability for other persons who will be in your home during pet care and health services.

7.      Unforeseen Purchases: Pet First Pet Care may purchase, if necessary, pet food, litter, cleaning supplies or other necessary items that contribute to the health and well being of your pet while you are absent. We will retain a receipt and the pet owner will be responsible for reimbursement of these items.

8.      Pet Waste & Clean Up: Pet First Pet Care will properly dispose of pet waste and do our best to clean up any accidents your pet may have. Pet First Pet Care is not responsible for any stains/damage created by your pet. We do request that you provide plastic/poop bags ([plastic grocery bags work too] for pets that we walk/jog/run), towels, cleaning products, paper towels, trash bags and indicate where you would like the waste disposed of.

9.      Leashes: All dogs will be required to be on a leash if outside and your yard is not fully and securely fenced in, or during outdoor walks.

10.  Animal Behavior: Animals' behavior can be unpredictable. Pet First Pet Care does not accept responsibility or liability for animal behavior, normal or otherwise, which results in injury to your animals.

11.  Fences: Fenced in yards are wonderful playgrounds for dogs and allow them additional space to exercise and play. However, no fence system is totally secure. Pet First Pet Care does not accept responsibility or liability for any animals that escape or become ill, lost or injured, fatal or otherwise, when instructed to leave the animals in a fenced in area, or when pets are left out or given access to a fenced in area. This includes electronic, wood, metal or any other type of fence. Pet First Pet Care does not assume responsibility and has no liability for any property damage (inside or outside), or damage to your personal possessions the pet may cause while in it's own home/property.

12.  Other Dogs: We will not permit your dogs to interact with strange dogs outdoors. If stray dogs that are off leash approach, we will do our best to keep interaction at a minimum and move away from them.

13.  House Cleanliness: Pet First Pet Care will clean up after your pets to the best of our ability.

Please inform us of the designated area for the appropriate cleaning supplies

14.  Privacy Policy: All of your information will be kept private and confidential. Pet First Pet Care highly respects you entrusting us with the care of your home and your loving pets. We do recommend that you inform a trusted neighbor that while you are away Pet First Pet Care will be caring for your pets and your home.

15.  Household Emergencies: Please leave 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 and heating and air units.

16.  Holidays: Holiday seasons can be hectic-make you reservations early! Especially during the months of November-January (one of our busiest times) reservations will need to be made at least 2 weeks in advance. There is an additional fee charged on these holidays (please check our website for the dollar amount of the fee as it may change without notice): New Year’s Day-January 1st, Memorial Day-last Monday in May, Independence Day-July 4th, Labor Day-1st Monday in September, and Christmas Eve-December 24th.

17.  Holidays Closed: We are closed on the following holidays: Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

18.  Discounts, Sales, & Extras for You: We have frequent sales on our services and have ongoing sales and "extras". We will be happy to match or beat any pet sitting/dog walking company’s advertised price. Show us proof such as an ad or printed web page if you find a lower price somewhere else-and we will be happy to match or beat it. We offer a 5% discount for people who regularly use our service. Please check our website for updates as these offers may change without notice.

19.    Payment: Payment is due at the time of or prior to the first visit of your scheduled service period. If paying by check or money order, you may pay in person or leave it out somewhere for the first visit where it can be easily seen such as a kitchen counter or table. We accept check, money order, or credit/debit card payments. Please make checks and money orders payable to Pet First Pet Care. Note: Regulars (those who use our service on a continual basis such as every day, weekly, etc.) may pay weekly.

20.  Keys: If you are not already doing so, consider letting Pet First Pet Care retain your house key. In the event of an unexpected trip, you'll be glad you did. Keys are kept in a secured lock system and are coded for customer's confidentiality. This will also eliminate the costs of returning your key in person or via U.S. mail. Due to security concerns, liability and safety issues and insurance reasons, Pet First Pet Care will NOT leave keys locked inside your home, or hidden anywhere on your property.

21.  Unlocked Doors: Due to security concerns, liability and safety issues and insurance reasons, we cannot provide service for clients who wish to leave any of their doors unlocked.