FAQ

Make sure your information is complete and updated. Fill out your “Profile” completely with all necessary information, including your home access information. Make sure you keep your profile updated. This includes the following: Provide your full, accurate, up-to-date address in “Access Notes” so the Paws Speciaist can find your home easily. Provide any relevant information that would be helpful for the Paws Specialist to navigate your neighborhood and/or find your home (e.g., directions, parking, etc.). Include details on how to enter your home. Provide detailed instructions on how to enter your home so the Paws Specialist can enter and leave your home securely and safely. This includes the following: Provide detailed entry instructions for your Paws Specialist (e.g., key location, lockbox access, security codes, etc.) and make sure your instructions are updated if anything changes. If you live in an apartment building, be sure to note how to enter the building, as well as how to enter your apartment unit. On the day of the scheduled service, double-check that your key is in the right place. If you live in an apartment, it can also be helpful to let building management know you are expecting a Paws Specialist (dog walker) in case there are any issues management may help address. Don't forget the lockbox! Be sure to include the lockbox location and access code in your online home access instructions. Pet Parents are responsible for lost or stolen lockboxes, as well as ensuring their lockbox is in working order. On the day of the scheduled walk, leave the lockbox in its designated location, make sure the key is inside, make sure it's in working condition, and ensure that the lockbox access code works. If you live in an area that gets cold, consider putting a plastic bag over your lockbox to keep it from getting damp and freezing shut. Make arrangements to disarm your home alarm. Some Pet Parents use home security/intrusion detection systems/alarms for added security. If you use an alarm system, be sure to notify your Paws Specialist how to disable and rearm it. Leave your dog walk supplies out. Make it as easy and straightforward as possible for your Paws Specialist to find what they need to take your dog on a walk. Provide detailed instructions on where to locate your dog, leash, and any other items the Paws Specialist may need to complete the service. Make sure items are in their designated location or in plain sight. Make sure the relevant items are where you say they are — if the Paws Specialist is unable to find items based on your instructions, the Paws Specialist won't be able to complete your dog's service. Close any doors to rooms you don't want your Paws Specialist to enter. Sometimes dogs may hide or be located in a room where a Paws Specialist can't initially see them, and may have to look for the dog. If you don't want the Paws Specialist entering a particular room for any reason, please leave that door closed. Paws Specialists shouldn't enter a room when the door is closed unless instructed by the Pet Parent. Make sure Pet Care Providers know what to do once they return from the walk. Provide detailed instructions on where to leave the dog and your supplies. Provide detailed instructions on how to exit your home (e.g., reset the alarm system, where to leave the key if you aren't using a lockbox).

We care for most animals, as long as they do not pose a danger to humans, but typically we specialize in dogs and cats. We do not care for any animals that have a history of biting, fighting or attaching other animals or people, unless the animal is going through a rehabilitation program with a certified force-free trainer, or board certified behaviorist.

Prior to introducing us to your animal, you will need to fill out the Apply for Services form and obtain digital copies of up-to-date vaccination for each pet. You will also need to provide emergency contact information, veterinary contact information, and proof of up-to-date vaccines, and the lock box code or any keys needed to gain access to the animal(s) if applicable. Most of the meeting will be time getting to know you and your pets.

Yes. We carry liability insurance and bond through Pet Sitters International.

Dog Walking: An invoice with explanation of charges for the coming month is emailed to your on the 25th. Cards are kept on file and charged automatically on the 1st. You can also pay directly from your Client Account manually. We accept Venmo, Cash App, Paypal and credit cards. Payment is due by the 1st of each month. After 5 days of non-payment, $5 will be added to the total bill for each day that payment is overdue up to 30 days, when at that time the contract will be considered null and void. Pet Sitting & Boarding: 25% non-refundable deposit is auto-charged at time of scheduling, with the remaining balance due by the day before services begin, and is charged to the card on file.

We walk on ALL holidays. Visits are subject to a Holiday Fee of $10 per visit. Pet Sitting is scheduled by first come first serve and we only offer a limited number of slots for Holiday Visits. Holiday Visits include New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.

Yes, you can expect competently trained animal lover to help take care of your pet!

Liabilities Playful Paws Pet Care Service is fully insured for the client’s peace of mind: General Liability Insurance through Pet Sitters Associates: bodily injury, property damage, personal injury, pets lost, stolen, injured, or killed while in our care, loss of keys, & more. Playful Paws Pet Care Service cannot be held liable for theft or damage to your property or injury/illness to your pet unless we can be shown to be negligent, and the Insurance only provides coverage when working on an assignment from the company and for the duration and times of the selected service. It is agreed that it is The Client’s responsibility to also ensure that the property, its contents, and pets are adequately insured throughout the duration of the assignment. The Client should notify their neighbors and their home insurance company that Playful Paws Pet Care Service will be visiting the property in The Client's absence Playful Paws Pet Care Service, Paws Specialists hereby accept no liability for any breach of security or loss of or damage to The Client’s property if any other person is given access to the property during each session of Pet Sitting or Dog Walking Services. Playful Paws Pet Care Service, Paws Specialists are released from all liability that is related to any transporting of the pets to and from any approved walking location, groomers, or veterinary facility for any necessary medical treatment and incurred medical expenses. Playful Paws Pet Care Service, Paws Specialists are released from all liability of injury to the pets caused by other pets or animals that are not under the control of Playful Paws Pet Care Service. Under most circumstances The Client shall be held liable for all medical expenses and damages resulting from an injury to Playful Paws Pet Care Service, Paws Specialists caused by the pets as well as damage to The Client's property. Playful Paws Pet Care will care for your animal as you would, and while every effort will be made to ensure your pet is well looked after in your absence, Playful Paws Pet Care Service, Paws Specialists cannot be held liable for any loss, injury or death to a pet either inside or outside of the home while in our care. The Client is responsible for any veterinary bills, no matter how they are incurred, while pets are in the care of Playful Paws Pet Care Service, Paws Specialists.

We try to keep the time consistent to not interrupt an established routine, but sometimes things get moved around. Of course if you have an animal that needs medicine at a critical time, please let us know.

Yes, we do. We keep dog waste bags on us at all times. Keeping private and public property free of pet waste is healthy for your pets and other animals, and considerate to your community.

Yes, we will clean up after your pets to the best of our ability. We do a quick walk through to check for accidents upon arrival. We can't guarantee complete smell and stain removal, but you won't have any unpleasant surprises waiting for you when you get home!

Yes! You will receive report cards and messages. Expect funny, silly images that show how much fun your pets have while you are away paired with a personally written message!

We will notify you that there is not enough food. We are happy to make a special trip to purchase food, too! Reimbursement for the cost of food and a $10 trip fee will be added to your bill.

We are committed to the safety and happiness of all dogs in our care, and to peace of mind for pet parents. To ensure the highest levels of safety and security are in place for Overnight Care, we require Pet Parents to provide accurate and up-to-date contact info in the form of Emergency/Trusted Contacts. The Emergency/Trusted Contacts feature is reserved for friends or family that may be reached to make a decision on your behalf in the unlikely event of an emergency. While emergencies are rare, this is a precautionary measure taken to ensure your pet’s safety at all times. The Emergency/Trusted Contact section should be filled out prior to your first overnight service, and can be updated at any time.

Please understand that we have made time for your visits and may have turned other people down to allow time for your pets. We appreciate your understanding in this matter, and under certain circumstances credit towards future services may be offered.

Cancellation notice as early as possible is very appreciated and should be done through text message and client portal. Visits/walks need to be cancelled 5 hours before the start of your time frame. A late cancel fee ($15) will be charged if cancellation policies are not adhered to or if a scheduled Paws Specialist arrives and is turned away. There are no refunds for cancellations of Monthly packages because The Client understands they pay for reserving a time slot. Pet Sitting Services canceled may be refunded or added as a credit to the client’s account, minus the $75 non-refundable deposit and card processing fees. A late payment fee ($10/week) will be added for unpaid invoices 14 days after you received notice. In the event that Playful Paws Pet Care Service must cancel a monthly dog walking visit due to an emergency or illness, every attempt will be made to have the backup Paws Specialist take over the visit or reschedule the visits within the same month. If that isn't possible, the visits will be added to the next month's schedule, in addition to the visits they already have. Playful Paws Pet Care Service will give as much notice about vacation plans as possible, but no less than 30 days. In the event of an emergency out of town trip, Playful Paws Pet Care Service will give notice immediately.

Your pets' health and well-being is our top concern; if we can make it to your home, but extreme weather makes a normal walk unsuitable, we use the protocol below: Extreme Heat/Cold/Rain For all 30 minute and 60 minute visits for dogs, we will do a potty break outside, then indoor play and backyard play if appropriate (if a backyard is available).

We know you care about how your personal information is used and shared, and Playful Paws Pet Care Services takes your privacy seriously. So that you may better understand how we use your data, we’ve provided our privacy guidelines and procedures in the policy below (the “Privacy Policy”). Please read the following to learn more about our Privacy Policy. By using or accessing the Services in any manner, you acknowledge that you accept the practices and policies outlined in this Privacy Policy, and you hereby consent that we will collect, use, and share your information in the following ways. Remember that your use of the Services is at all times subject to Playful Paws Pet Care Service Terms of Service (the “Terms”), which incorporates this Privacy Policy by reference. Any capitalized terms used in this Privacy Policy without definitions have the definitions given to them in the terms. What does this Privacy Policy cover? Except as provided herein, this Privacy Policy covers only our data practices for information that we gather from your access or your use of the Services. Will Playful Paws Pet Care Service ever change this Privacy Policy? We're constantly improving our Services and must also comply with constantly changing federal and state laws, so we may need to change this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will alert you if there are any material changes by placing a notice on the site, by sending you an email, via the Services and/or by some other means. Please note that if you've opted not to receive legal notice emails from us (or you haven't provided us with your email address), those legal notices will still govern your use of the Services, and you are still responsible for reading and understanding them. By using, or otherwise accessing, the Services after any changes to the Privacy Policy have been posted, you are effectively agreeing to all of the changes. What Information does Playful Paws Pet Care Service Collect? We obtain information from you through the means discussed below when we provide the Services to you and when you use the Services. Please note that we need certain types of information to provide the Services to you. If you do not provide us with the required information, or if you ask us to delete that information, you may no longer be able to access or use certain Services. Information You Provide to Us: We may collect information that you provide directly to us through the following methods: When you use our Services, e.g., when you register for an account, request a service from a Paws Specialist, or communicate with a Pet Owner looking for services from a Pet Care Provider/Paws Specialist; When you participate in surveys or fill out forms; When you register for promotions; When you request customer support and/or technical assistance; and When you otherwise communicate with us or other users, including Paws Specialist or Pet Owners, through the Services. The information you provide directly to us may concern you or others and may include, but is not limited to, the following: Information Regarding Pets. For example, we may collect information regarding your pet, such as vaccinations and health history, age, and videos and photographs of your pet. Financial Information. In your use of the Services, you may provide us or our service providers with financial information such as financial account or credit card account information. Location Information. We may collect general location information (e.g., inferred from your IP address) or specific location information (i.e., geolocation with your consent). For example, we may request geolocation information of Paws Specialist when they are providing services for Pet Owners. Communications. We may collect communications you make through the Services, such as when you communicate with us or other users. For example, Pet Owners may communicate with Paws Specialist through tools offered on the Services or you may communicate through email, text message or telephone. If you send text messages with a Pet Owner or Paws Specialists using the telephone number for that user available on the Services, we may use a third-party service provider to track these text messages. We track these text messages for fraud prevention, to enforce our Terms, and for quality. As part of this process, Playful Paws Pet Care Service and its service provider will receive in real time and store data about your text message, including the date and time of the text message, your phone number, and the content of the text message. Information From Affiliates, Business Partners, and Other Non-Affiliated Third Parties We may collect information about you or others through our affiliates, business partners, or through other non-affiliated third parties. For example, to the extent permitted by law, we may, in our sole discretion, ask for and collect supplemental information about you from third parties. Examples of this include information to verify your identity for fraud prevention, for safety protection purposes, or information that enhances our ability to market products or services that may be of interest to you. We may also work with business partners to integrate our services into their services (and/or vice versa). Where you choose to use such integrated services, we may receive information about you as part of that integration. We may combine information that we collect from you through the Services with information that we obtain from such third parties and information derived from other products or services we provide. You may be able to access the Services through a social networking account, such as Facebook. If you access the Services through your Facebook account, you may allow us to access certain information within your Facebook account including, but not limited to, your name, profile picture, gender, networks, user IDs, list of friends, location, date of birth, email address, photos, videos, people you follow and/or who follow you, and/or your posts or "likes." Social networking sites, such as Facebook, have their own policies for handling your information. For a description of how these sites may use and disclose your information, including any information you allow the public to access on their platforms, please consult each site’s privacy policies. We have no control over how any third-party site uses or discloses the personal information it collects about you. Information Collected Automatically Device and Usage Information. Whenever you interact with our Services, we and our third-party service providers, which include ad networks and analytics companies such as Google Analytics, may use cookies, web beacons, and other tracking technologies to collect information about the computers or devices (including mobile devices) you use to access the Services. The information collected includes, without limitation, your IP address, device identifier, “cookie” information, the type of browser and/or device you use to access our Services, and the page or feature you requested. Cookies and Other Electronic Technologies. We and our third-party service providers may use cookies, clear GIFs, pixel tags, and other technologies that help us better understand user behavior, personalize preferences, perform research and analytics, and improve the Services. These technologies, for example, may allow us to tailor the Services to your needs, save your password in password-protected areas, track the pages you visit, help us manage content, and compile statistics about usage of our Services. We or our third-party service providers also may use certain of these technologies in emails to our customers to help us track email response rates, identify when our emails are viewed, and track whether our emails are forwarded. You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but your browser may allow you to modify your browser settings to decline cookies if you prefer. If you disable cookies, you may be prevented from taking full advantage of the Services, because it may not function properly. Flash cookies operate differently than browser cookies, and cookie management tools available in a web browser may not affect flash cookies. As we continue to update our current products and develop new technologies, we may also gather additional information through other methods.

Playful Paws Pet Care Service hereby warrants to keep safe and confidential all the Client's keys, remote control entry devices, access codes and any other personal items of The Client entrusted to Playful Paws Pet Care Service, Paws Specialists to allow access to The Client's location, and to return all items to The Client at the termination of services or immediately upon request by The Client. The Client understands they are required to have a key storage lock box for entry keys, if the property allows for such. Key storage lock box must be large enough to hold a minimum of two sets of keys to the residence in the case of a key becoming lost or broken. The storage box must have a combination code access with at least four digits. Any access codes or alarm codes need to be in the Access Instructions section of The Client’s Account before the first day of service

Any notice that is issued under these terms by either The Client or Playful Paws Pet Care Service may be delivered in writing or by United States postal mail service, registered or certified with the postage prepaid and a return receipt requested. If one or more of the provisions of these terms are to be found invalid for any reason that shall not affect any other provision of these terms. These terms will then exist as if that provision never existed. These terms hereby supersede any other prior understanding, written or oral agreement between the parties listed above regarding the subject matter of these terms. These terms contain the entire agreement between The Client and Playful Paws Pet Care Service and no oral representations or modifications shall be put into force except by a written amendment that is agreed to by both parties. If any legal action is brought to enforce or interpret these terms, the prevailing party will be given reasonable attorney’s fees by the other party in addition to any additional relief the other party may be entitled to. These terms may be terminated by either party submitting a written notice to the other party or may immediately be terminated under the following circumstances: If there is a failure to make a required payment when due, in the event of bankruptcy by either party or the failure to make available or deliver the Services in the time and manner as described here. In the event of termination of services, no refunds will be made of any payments already made to Playful Paws Pet Care Service.