Policies

Payments

Payment is due in full by the due date listed on your invoice. Payment is accepted via cash, check, Venmo (@preciouspawspetcare), Apple & Google Pay, ACH, and credit card. We also offer automatic credit card payments for your convenience.

Non-recurring services: full payment is due upon completion of service.
Recurring services (e.g. weekly recurring dog walks): full payment is due on the last day of service each week. Our weekly billing period begins Sunday and ends the following Saturday.
Overnight services: 50% deposit is required at the time of booking to reserve the date, with the remaining 50% due upon completion of service.

Late Payments

We offer a three-day grace period for making invoice payments. A $25 late payment fee will apply to all invoices not settled within three days of the invoice due date. Unpaid invoices will continue to accrue a late fee of $15 per week. If three payments within a six-month period are made later than three days after the invoice due date, you will be required to pre-pay for all services.

Cancellations

Need to cancel a service? No problem! You can cancel any scheduled service without incurring Late Cancellation Fees, if received in a timely manner per the below guidelines. Please submit all cancellations/modifications via the Client Portal.

Cancellation Policy: Non-Holiday Bookings

Regular Services (e.g. routine walks/visits while Client is at work)

Cancellations made at least 24 hours before your scheduled service start time are free.
Cancellations made less than 24 hours in advance will be charged at the full rate.

Pet Sitting Services (e.g. cat sitting, walks/visits, overnights while Client is traveling)

Cancellations made at least 72 hours before your scheduled service start time are free.
Cancellations made less than 72 hours in advance will be charged at the full rate for one day; all remaining services are charged at 50%.

Cancellation Policy: Holiday & Peak-Period Bookings

Regular Services (e.g. routine walks/visits while Client is at work)

Cancellations made at least 7 days before your scheduled service start time are free.
Cancellations made less than 7 days in advance will be charged at the full rate.

Pet Sitting Services (e.g. cat sitting, walks/visits, overnights while Client is traveling)

Cancellations made at least 14 days before your scheduled service start time are free.
Cancellations made between 14 days and 7 days in advance will be charged at the full rate for one day; all remaining services are charged at 50%.
Cancellations made less than 7 days in advance will be charged at the full rate.

Why We Charge Cancellation Fees

Precious Paws is proud to be the trusted pet care provider for so many amazing clients. We prioritize each pet receiving the timely care and attention they deserve. To maintain this level of quality consistently, we adhere to a strict No Overbooking policy. When you schedule a service, we reserve a time slot just for you, and you are holding a space on our calendar that is no longer available to our other clients.

While we understand that schedules change and want to remain as flexible as possible, it is challenging for us to fill open slots resulting from late cancellations. Our Cancellation Policy is in place to help ensure that we can a) service as many clients in need as possible, b) maintain an optimized service schedule with efficient time planning, and c) minimize lost income resulting from late notice cancellations.

Surcharges

Off-Hours & Weekend Services

Surcharge applies for services scheduled outside of our business hours (M-F, 9am-5pm) and on weekends.

Off-Hours* +$6

(6-9am & 5-10pm)
Weekends +$6

(Saturday & Sunday)

*The Off-Hours surcharge does not apply to Overnight Pet Sitting bookings.

Holiday Services

Surcharge applies for services scheduled during holidays and corresponding peak periods.

Holidays (Walks & Visits) +$12
Holidays (Overnights) +$45

Additional Pets

Fee is charged per each additional pet. Additional pets are permitted from the same household only. One additional dog permitted for walks.

Walks - Additional Dog +$11
Relief Visits - Additional Dog +$8
Cat Sitting - Additional Cat +$6
Overnights - Additional Dog +$30
Overnights - Additional Cat +$12

Extended Travel Time

To ensure we can provide the highest quality care for as many pets as possible, we aim to keep our travel time between bookings to 15 minutes or less. While we are often able to accept bookings that require additional drive time, we charge a small additional fee to offset the increased costs associated with longer drives.

Additional Travel Time +$6

Holidays

Special cancellation fees and surcharges apply to services scheduled during the below holidays and corresponding peak periods:

New Year’s Day (January 1-3)
MLK Jr. Day (January 16-19)
President’s Day (February 13-16)
Easter Day (April 5)
Memorial Day (May 22-25)
Juneteenth (June 19)
Independence Day (July 3-5)
Labor Day (September 4-7)
Veterans Day (November 11)
Thanksgiving (November 25-29)
Christmas (December 19-31)

Meet and Greets

All new clients are required to have a complimentary in-home meet and greet. This session is a great way for us to ensure a good fit and get to know your pets, as we do not provide services for animals we have not met.

Our meet and greets typically last 15-30 minutes and are scheduled Monday through Sunday between 9am – 5pm, subject to our availability.

During our meet and greet, we will:

Connect with you and your pet(s), while reviewing their specific needs, routine, preferences, and temperament.
Familiarize ourselves with the location of your pet(s) supplies.
Discuss home access, including entry methods, security alarms, and lockbox instructions. If you prefer to provide us with a physical key copy, please have a key ready. (An additional fee will apply for separate key pick-up or drop-off trips.)
Answer any questions you have and outline next steps.

To get started, please fill out a New Client Service Request. After we’ve confirmed service availability, we will contact you to schedule our meet and greet.

Service Length & Arrival Time

Your scheduled service begins from the moment we arrive at your home and ends when we leave. This includes all time spent entering and exiting your property. We’ll also create a digital report card for your pet(s) during this time.

We do our best to arrive as close as possible to the scheduled service start time (or for flexible services, within the agreed upon time frame). Please allow for circumstances that may cause us to arrive earlier or later such as traffic, road conditions, inclement weather, last minute appointments, and cancellations. We will notify you if running more than 30 minutes late.

Welfare Checks

Ensuring the welfare of your pet(s) is our highest priority. When Precious Paws is caring for your pet(s) while you are away, it is your responsibility to notify us (via client portal message or text) upon your arrival back home, or if your return has been delayed. A Welfare Check is conducted when Precious Paws is unable to ascertain if you’ve returned home safely or if your return has been delayed past the frequency of care established in your pet care schedule. Precious Paws reserves the right to enter your home to perform Welfare Checks for your pet(s).

We charge a fee for Welfare Visits as they are unplanned and disrupt our schedule. Welfare Visits are typically quick in-and-out “vital care” visits. We charge a base fee of $33 per required Welfare Check.

Inclement Weather & Home Access

Precious Paws operates in all weather conditions. Services during inclement weather may be modified or shortened to ensure the safety and comfort of your pets and our team.

During the winter months:

Please ensure your steps and walkways are clear of ice and snow. If we are required to clear a path to safely reach your pets, you will be charged an additional fee.
Depending on placement, your lockbox may freeze over if exposed to the cold weather elements such as freezing rain. Please check that yours is working properly during freezing weather.

Reactive & Aggressive Dogs

We accept most pets that display reactive behaviors (and are experienced in handling leash-reactive dogs), but for our own safety, we cannot accept any pets that have demonstrated aggression towards humans.

A reactive dog provides overexaggerated responses to specific triggers because they are flooded with a heightened emotional state, but they are not typically attempting to cause physical harm as a result. If your dog is reactive, please ensure you clearly detail their known triggers in our Meet and Greet so we can be properly prepared.

Reactive Dogs:

Have specific triggers (e.g. encountering other dogs) that result in a hyperaroused emotional state
React with barking, whining, and/or pulling on leash (can be difficult to break their focus from the trigger)
Don’t cause physical harm or damage towards humans as a result

Aggressive Dogs:

Can cause damage/physical harm to humans or other animals (typically triggered over people, food, toys, bed, and other resources)
Demonstrate aggression via snapping, growling, biting, baring teeth and charging/lunging
Can stiffen and growl when approached or handled, pupils may dilate, raised hackles

Schedule your free Meet and Greet

Ready to enjoy peace of mind with a superior pet parent experience?