Policies & Procedures

• All bookings must be confirmed in advance via email, phone, or WhatsApp.

• Last-minute or ad-hoc bookings are welcome and will be accommodated wherever possible, subject to availability.

      Standard Services
      This includes walks, pop-in visits and 2-hour services.

• Cancellations made 24 hours or more before the scheduled service: no charge.

• Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the scheduled service: 100% of the scheduled fee is payable.
  
  Pet Sitting & Extended Care

• This includes half-day care, full-day care, overnight care and constant care.

• A 50% deposit is required to secure these bookings.

• Cancellations made more than 14 days before the booking begins: deposit refunded.

• Cancellations made between 48 hours and 14 days before the booking begins: deposit retained.

• Cancellations made less than 48 hours before the booking begins: the full booking fee is payable.

• Invoices will be issued following the provision of services, unless otherwise agreed.

• Payment is due within 7 days of the invoice date.

• Deposits for Pet Sitting & Extended Care bookings are payable at the time of booking and must be received to secure the booking.

• Hound & Hoof may amend its services and charges from time to time. Clients will be notified in advance of any changes applicable to their ongoing bookings.

• During services, communication will take place via a shared WhatsApp group including your assigned carer and Hound & Hoof.

• Your carer will provide regular updates, photos and any relevant notes from visits or walks.

• Hound & Hoof oversees services behind the scenes, including scheduling, team support and welfare monitoring.

• Any concerns relating to your pet’s care or welfare will be communicated to you as appropriate.

• In an emergency, Hound & Hoof will take appropriate action in accordance with our Emergency & Veterinary Care Policy, with the welfare of your pet as the priority.

We ask all clients to ensure the following before their pet’s first booking:

• All relevant medical, dietary, behavioural and welfare information is disclosed.

• A current emergency contact is provided.

• Any illness, injury, medication, behavioural change or other change in circumstances that may affect the safe or appropriate provision of services is communicated promptly.

• Information provided to Hound & Hoof is kept accurate and up to date throughout the client relationship.

These details are collected through our Pet Questionnaire, which must be completed and returned before the first service. By using our services, you confirm that the information provided is accurate and complete. Failure to provide accurate or up-to-date information may affect our ability to provide services safely.

• All dogs must have a secure and properly fitted collar and/or harness with appropriate identification.

• Leads, collars, harnesses and any other equipment provided by the client must be suitable, safe and in good working condition.

• Any known aggression, reactivity, anxiety, prey drive or other behaviour that may affect safe handling must be disclosed before services begin and whenever circumstances change.

• Hound & Hoof may modify how an animal is cared for or handled where reasonably necessary for the safety and welfare of the animal, other animals, our team or the public.

• If a dog is no longer suitable for group walks, we may move them to an alternative service where appropriate and subject to availability. Any change in service or price will be discussed with the client.

• Team members providing animal care are expected to have appropriate pet first-aid knowledge or training and access to appropriate first-aid equipment.

Our services continue in most weather conditions, but the safety and welfare of the animals in our care will always take priority. Services may be adapted, shortened, rescheduled or, where necessary, cancelled if conditions make the planned service unsafe or inappropriate.

• Hot weather: Walks may be shortened or adapted during hot weather, with routes and timings adjusted where possible to reduce heat exposure. We carry water for dogs while out and may substitute part or all of a walk with garden time, enrichment or another appropriate form of care where this is safer.

• Severe weather: During storms, lightning, high winds, flooding, snow or other hazardous conditions, walks may be shortened, rescheduled, cancelled or replaced with a pop-in visit or garden time where appropriate. We will communicate any necessary changes to clients as soon as reasonably possible.

​In the event of a medical emergency or serious incident involving your pet:

• Where circumstances allow, we will attempt to contact you using the details provided in your Pet Questionnaire. If you cannot be reached, we will attempt to contact your nominated emergency contact.

• Where we reasonably believe urgent veterinary attention is required, we may seek veterinary care without waiting for prior contact or approval where delaying treatment could compromise your pet’s welfare.

• We will make reasonable efforts to use your pet’s registered veterinary practice where practical. If this is not possible due to urgency, distance, availability or practice closure, we may use the nearest appropriate veterinary provider.

• We will remain with your pet where reasonably possible and keep you or your emergency contact informed as circumstances allow.

• Veterinary costs remain the responsibility of the owner unless they arise directly from proven negligence by Hound & Hoof or its team, in which case the matter will be handled in accordance with our insurance arrangements.

• Our team will take reasonable and appropriate action in the interests of your animal’s immediate safety and welfare.

• Any serious incident will be documented and managed by Hound & Hoof, including any necessary communication with our insurers.

• Keys, fobs, access codes and other property access information are stored securely and used only where necessary for the provision of agreed services.

• Personal information, including contact details, addresses and information about your animals, is treated confidentially and only accessed or shared where reasonably necessary for the provision and administration of our services, or where required by law.

• We take appropriate measures to protect personal information and store records using secure, access-controlled systems. Hound & Hoof is registered with the ICO and handles personal data in accordance with applicable UK data protection law.

• Client and animal records, including questionnaires, agreements, consent forms and incident records, are retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for business, legal, regulatory and insurance purposes, after which they are securely deleted or destroyed.

• Clients may exercise their applicable data protection rights, including requesting access to their personal information or requesting its deletion, subject to any legal or legitimate requirement for us to retain it.

• We will not publicly share identifiable personal information such as a client’s full name, home address or specific home or walk locations.

• Photographs or videos will only be used for social media or marketing in accordance with the consent provided through our Pet Questionnaire.

• Further information about how we collect, use and protect personal information is available in our Privacy Policy.

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• Any significant accident, injury, behavioural incident or unusual event involving your pet will be documented, and you will be informed as soon as reasonably appropriate.

• We aim to communicate clearly and transparently about incidents and any relevant concerns arising during your pet’s care.

• Where an incident warrants formal recording, an internal incident report will be completed and retained securely as part of our business records.

• Where appropriate, we may contact your pet’s veterinary practice, seek veterinary advice or recommend follow-up care.

• Carers are expected to respond appropriately to incidents, prioritising the immediate safety and welfare of the animals in their care and seeking support where necessary.

• Significant incidents and welfare concerns must be reported promptly to Hound & Hoof so that appropriate follow-up action can be taken, including notification to our insurers where required.

We understand that care is sometimes needed outside of regular working hours, and we will do our best to accommodate additional, urgent or last-minute requests where possible.

• Services requested outside our usual operating hours are subject to team availability and may incur an additional charge. Any additional cost will be confirmed before the service is agreed.

• Urgent or last-minute requests will be accommodated where reasonably possible but cannot be guaranteed.

• Services outside our usual service area may be subject to an additional travel or mileage charge. Where applicable, this will be discussed and agreed with you before the booking is confirmed.

All Hound & Hoof team members are expected to uphold high standards of care, compassion and professionalism. This includes:

• Treating animals with kindness, patience and respect at all times.

• Communicating clearly, honestly and respectfully with clients.

• Respecting client confidentiality, privacy and property.

• Reporting concerns promptly, including those relating to animal welfare, safety or the client’s property.

• Handling keys, access information and client property responsibly.

• Following Hound & Hoof’s safety, welfare, hygiene and animal-handling procedures.

We are proud to maintain a supportive, ethical and conscientious working culture and expect everyone representing Hound & Hoof to contribute to those standards.

Hound & Hoof maintains specialist insurance appropriate to the pet care services we provide.

Our insurance arrangements include cover relevant to animals in our care and our activities as a professional pet care business, subject to the terms, conditions, limits and exclusions of our policy.

Where an incident may give rise to an insurance claim, Hound & Hoof will manage the matter in accordance with our insurer’s requirements and provide any information reasonably required from the client as part of that process.

Details of our current insurance cover can be provided on request.

We take all feedback seriously and aim to address concerns promptly, fairly and professionally. If you are unhappy with any aspect of our service, please contact Hound & Hoof directly by email or phone.

• We aim to acknowledge complaints within 48 hours.

• We will review the circumstances and respond as promptly as reasonably possible.

• Where a matter requires further investigation or input from a third party, we will keep you informed of relevant progress.

• Where appropriate, complaints or incidents may be referred to our insurer or other relevant professional body for guidance or investigation.

Feedback helps us improve, and we welcome honest and respectful communication about our services.

Hound & Hoof operates primarily in rural environments where livestock, wildlife, agricultural activity and other countryside hazards may be encountered.

Clients must tell us about any known history or tendency to chase livestock or wildlife, high prey drive, unreliable recall or any other behaviour that may affect their dog’s safe management in a rural environment.

For safety and animal welfare, Hound & Hoof may:

• Keep dogs on a lead or long line where we consider this appropriate.

• Alter a walking route to avoid livestock, wildlife or other hazards.

• Remove a dog from a group walk or move them to an alternative service where their behaviour presents an unacceptable risk.

• End or modify a walk where continuing would present a significant safety or welfare concern.

Dogs will only be allowed off lead where Hound & Hoof considers it appropriate based on the individual dog, the environment and the information provided by the client.

Livestock worrying is a serious offence. Dogs must be kept under appropriate control around livestock, and landowners may have legal rights to take action to protect their animals in certain circumstances. GOV.UK

Hound & Hoof will take reasonable precautions when exercising dogs in rural environments. Clients remain responsible for providing complete and accurate information about their dog’s behaviour and for any consequences arising from information or risks that were not disclosed to us. Nothing in this policy excludes or limits liability where Hound & Hoof is legally responsible.