Not the most exciting page on the site, but worth a read before your dog's first stay.
This page is a plain-English summary of our full terms and conditions. By enrolling your dog with us, or sending your dog into our care, whether for daycare or home boarding, you're accepting the complete terms and conditions in full, which are provided and agreed as part of registration before your dog's first visit.
Your dog must have had their initial vaccinations from your vet, with a first booster twelve months on. After that we're happy to accept dogs vaccinated every twenty-four months. We no longer require the kennel cough vaccine for our guests.
We regret that we may not be able to take certain breeds who don't usually enjoy a pack environment, such as some bull and guarding breeds. This is set by our insurance schedule and by individual assessment, and we ask every client for a full and frank disclosure of anything that might make their dog unsuitable for socialising with others.
All dogs can be unpredictable, so we take precautions and keep a close eye to make sure the group stays settled. We're also unable to accept adult entire males, or bitches in season.
We cannot accept bitches in season, so please tell us the moment you suspect your dog may be coming into season. If this falls within our cancellation notice period, full payment is still charged, as we're unlikely to fill the space. If a dog arrives to us already in season, we'll need to return her to you, or arrange boarding kennels elsewhere at your cost, in addition to ours.
For daycare members, the monthly membership charge continues as normal for any days missed due to a season, in the same way it would for a holiday or illness.
Daycare runs on a fixed monthly membership fee for your agreed regular days each week, with four weeks of holiday allowance built into that fee across the year. So if your dog doesn't attend on an agreed day, for holiday, sickness or any other reason, the fee for that day still stands, and days can't be swapped or added in lieu as a matter of course, though we'll always try to help where there's space. Cancelling the membership itself needs one month's notice, or payment in lieu.
For home boarding, 30 days' notice or more means no charge. Between 7 and 29 days' notice, 50% of the fee is payable. Under 7 days' notice, the full fee is payable. Deposits are non-refundable.
Daycare membership is billed monthly in advance, covering your dog's agreed regular days for that month. Any ad hoc extra days booked during the month are added on and billed together at the end of that month.
For home boarding, 50% of the total stay is payable in advance, and is non-refundable, due two weeks before your dog's stay begins. The remaining balance is due on the day your dog goes home.
We're insured to hold keys, which works well for most of our clients and helps us run an efficient, unhurried collection round. Dogs are collected and dropped home within the time window given on our site, though we're rarely able to give an exact time, since we're collecting and delivering several dogs on the same run, and won't double back to an area once we've passed it, which wouldn't be fair on the other dogs travelling with us.
If we don't hold a set of keys and there's nobody in to receive your dog, they may need to come back to the farmhouse and board with us overnight, subject to an extra fee. We're always as flexible as we can be, but do ask that our drivers aren't kept waiting.
We don't usually feed adult dogs who come to daycare. Puppies are best fed an hour before collection, or sent with their food to avoid car sickness. We're happy to feed your dog on request, at an additional reasonable cost.
Boarding stays include a natural complete raw diet, which many dogs with sensitivities do very well on. You're welcome to send your own food instead, though we'd gently discourage it for convenience.
Your dog must arrive in a fitted collar or harness with an ID tag. We collect using our own leads to avoid any mix-ups, and have a full range of bedding, toys and coats on hand, so there's genuinely no need to pack anything. Please don't send bedding, and do bear in mind that other dogs may make short work of any toys or belongings that do come with your dog.
The best way to book is by email, to james@dogsandkisses.co.uk. For changes to an existing booking, feel free to WhatsApp us on 07837 952553, it's the fastest way to reach us and James picks these up personally. We're often unable to take calls while we're busy with the dogs, so please allow a reasonable amount of time for us to reply to emails, texts and voicemails.
We don't, as a rule, return calls, texts or emails after 5:30pm on weekdays, or on weekends and public holidays. We run this business from our own home and need to draw a line somewhere, though we'll often go out of our way for a last-minute booking where we can. Please give as much notice as possible.
If your dog needs to see a vet while in our care, we'll always try to let you know first. If treatment is urgent, our priority is getting them seen, and we may not be able to reach you until after the visit. You're liable for the cost of any treatment. If your dog injures another dog, you're liable for that dog's veterinary treatment too, and for our own dog's if needed, though we take every precaution and keep a close eye to avoid this ever happening.
We carry public liability insurance, and your dog is covered while in our car, on walks and in our home. As with any dog walker or boarder, we'd ask that you keep your own pet and home contents insurance up to date too, and let your insurer know about the arrangement.
By registering with us, you also agree that we may use photos or video of your dog on our website, social media or other promotional material.
The full, formal terms and conditions, including our complete liability terms, are provided and must be agreed as part of your registration before your dog's first visit.
Happy to run through any of it before you book - message James on WhatsApp any time.