Thank you for choosing Tara's Elegant Pets to groom your pet.
Please take a moment to read the terms and conditions that help us run our stress-free business.
Please take a moment to read the terms and conditions that help us run our stress-free business.
- We appreciate 48 hours notice if you need to cancel your appointment. Failure to cancel without prior notification results in a small charge of $20 per dog to cover staff costs, and advance payment to secure your next appointment.
- Please stick to the appointment time specified upon booking, and confirm in your pre-appointment automated text reminder. Tara's Elegant Pets operates on a one -to-one basis which is a premium grooming service, that ensures that your pet is given 100% of his or her groomer's attention throughout the appointment period.
- Matted Coats. We have a non de-matting policy, in compliance with Animal Welfare Act (2007) section 5 which states that 'All animals are to be protected from pain, injury, suffering and disease'. Attempting to brush out heavy matting would lead to a great deal of discomfort for a dog. Instead we will at all times advise clipping to remove the matted and damaged coat. If your pet has become matted, we require your permission to clip before we begin the groom. Where pets are heavily matted, an extra charge of up to $15 to remove the coat will apply, on top of the regular groom price.
- Flea Policy – your groomer will check for fleas during the pregroom consultation, and will advise you if your dogs needs to be treated. Any dog found to have fleas will go straight into a flea-bath with special shampoo to remove the fleas. The grooming van will also need to be treated to prevent cross contamination therefore we make a charge of $10 per dog to cover the extra costs involved. You will be advised to treat your pet and your home environment to eradicate the problem.
- Sedated dogs. We do not accept dogs that are under sedation for grooming under any circumstances.
- Pregnant dogs. Whilst every care is taken with every dog, females that are pregnant are accepted for grooming at the owner's risk.
- Challenging behaviour. Some dogs may require a longer appointment time or a split appointment, due to excessively nervous or challenging behaviour. We will advise the owner of any alteration in charges before we begin.
- Aggressive dogs. While we have a great deal of experience and success in the grooming of difficult dogs, we reserve the right to halt the grooming process should a dog become aggressive to the point of being a danger to staff or to his or herself. Full or part of the grooming charge may apply.
- Pre-existing conditions. Your groomer may uncover evidence of a health issue while grooming your pet and will always advise you of any further recommended actions i.e. visit to the vet , dietary requirements etc.
- We groom each dog to the owner's specifications, as far as the dog will tolerate and the coat condition and type allows. We will always place a dog's welfare, safety and peace of mind above adherence to a particular style. In case of being unable for any reason to groom to the exact style wished by the owner, we will endeavour to contact the owner and agree upon a suitable alternative style.
- Due to the nature of the mobile grooming business every appointment time is given a plus or minus one hour leeway should the prior appointment go longer or shorter than expected. We will always do our best to stick to a specific time of arrival for your convenience. However, many things can and often do cause us to arrive slightly later than than appointment time. Examples of these are: Traffic issues, undisclosed/unforeseen grooming issues (oftentimes new customers fail to tell us their pet has a matted coat that requires extra time, etc and therefore we don’t know to add more time on the calendar for that dog- making the arrival to the next house later), uncooperative pets, chatty owners and people stopping us to ask the price to groom their pets (happens every single day!). PLEASE do NOT expect us to arrive at EXACLY the appointment time we give you! Have patience, we will be there!!
- Please allow the groomer to groom your dog alone. You are welcome to check in on the groom from time to time, however if your dog becomes overly excited to see you, we ask that you make yourself scarce, and not be seen by your dog, so that we may finish the groom safely.
- Our groomers work extremely hard, and care for each dog as if they were their own. Any abusive language or behavior towards our staff will not be tolerated.
- We will groom your pet to your specifications (* see 10), which will be discussed in the pre-groom consultation. If you are having a friend or family member hand over your dog to us when we arrive, please send written instructions or give us a quick text to confirm your requirement. This eliminates any confusion which can occur when receiving a client's wishes 'second hand'. If you’d like to text us instructions, you may do so in as much detail as you wish. We always read through a clients appointment notes prior to the groom.
- Photographs. Occasionally, we may take photos of your pet before, during and after the groom, which we keep on file to assist us in future grooms. We may use some photos in advertising our service and/or post to our social media sites. Most clients enjoy seeing their pet featured. Please let us know beforehand if you do not wish your pet's photos to be made public.
- Pet Records. Please provide a thorough account of any shot records, health issues, allergies or behavioral challenges appertaining to your dog. These notes are very valuable to us to give us a clear picture of the background before we begin to groom.
- Alterations. If, after the groom is complete, there is anything about the groom that you would like altered, please advise your groomer accordingly before they leave your property. We are never offended by timely requests to make minor changes, so please ask so we can both have a happy experience. If you do not let us know that you are unhappy with your groom we can not fix it and we are not responsible.
- Tipping your groomer. Tips are never expected – but always appreciated.