Any service provider hired through Pawgo will be known from here on as “service provider” in the rest of the content of this document. Your animal is very important to your service provider. Your service provider would like to assure you that every effort will be made to make your animal’s grooming experience as safe and pleasant as possible for all involved. Safety comes first for everyone, people as well as the animals, during the grooming process.
Health or Medical Problems
Occasionally, service especially grooming can expose a hidden medical problem or aggravate a current one. This can occur during or after service. In the best interest of your animal this contract/agreement will give your service provider permission to obtain immediate veterinary treatment for your animal should it become necessary. If veterinary care is needed, your service provider will take your animal to your authorized veterinarian or to the nearest veterinarian available. All medical expenses for veterinary care will be covered by the animal’s owner upon signing this contract/agreement.
Accidents
Accidents can and do occur. These include cuts, scratches, scrapes, clipping of nails, clipper burns, brush burns, etc. In most cases this happens when the animal is wiggling or moving around. Every effort will be made to ensure that your animal is groomed as safely as possible. Your animal is very important to your service provider, and your service provider does not wish to cause any harm or undue stress to your animal. In the event an accident does occur, you will be notified of the accident. If your service provider feels it is serious, your service provider will seek immediate veterinary care for your animal. Veterinary costs will be the responsibility of the animal’s owner.
Veterinarian Authorization - Medical Emergencies
This release gives your service provider full authorization to seek medical treatment from authorized veterinarians or nearest veterinarian in the case of any medical emergencies while in the care of your service provider. All veterinarian costs and expenses will be the responsibility of the animal’s owner.
Current Vaccinations
Animals will be current on all of their vaccinations before a grooming session with your service provider. Animals who are not current on vaccinations will be refused grooming services until vaccinations are current. Proof of the rabies vaccinations from your veterinarian will be required before services will be provided. Special circumstances will be taken into consideration by your service provider.
First Grooming - Puppy Grooming
Your service provider wants to make sure your animal’s first grooming appointment with your service provider and your younger animal’s first grooming experience is a positive and pleasant one. The first time for grooming of any animal may sometimes be very scary and stressful. Time and patience are the keys to a positive grooming experience. A good first grooming experience for the younger animal leads to a better overall grooming experience for your pet in the future. More time may be necessary to work with the younger animals. Animals are individuals; some animals may become more stressed than others. If your animal becomes stressed over its first grooming, time and patience, with a little homework on your part should help build your younger animal’s confidence, and assure the animal that grooming is a positive experience. On occasion, some animals due to breed, genetics, health concerns, etc. may be stressed by grooming for their entire life, but this is rare. If this should occur, extra care will be taken and only the very basics will be done for grooming of this type of personality. In some cases an animal may never come to accept some or all of the grooming experience.
Senior Animals
Senior animals and animals with serious illness or medical conditions have a greater chance of injury or death during their grooming experience. Every effort will be made to make sure your senior or ill animal’s grooming experience is as safe and as comfortable as possible. Extra time may be needed for the ill or senior animal to allow the animal to be as comfortable as possible. Muzzling may also be required during your ill or senior animal’s grooming experience, since ill or senior animals have lower tolerance levels. Muzzling is only done when necessary to ensure the safety of both animal and the groomer. Your service provider has the right to stop/refuse service to ill or senior animal if it is felt that grooming will cause undue stress or be harmful to the animal. Your service provider will not be held responsible for the death of any animal during grooming or while in the care of your service provider.
Matted Animals
Animals with matted coats need extra attention during their grooming experience. Mats can sometimes be very difficult to remove, requiring them to be shaved out of the coat. Your service provider does not wish to cause serious or undue stress to your animal. In cases where the coat is severely matted, Your service provider recommends that portions of the coat, or in some cases, the entire coat be shaved down. The decision is made upon examination of your animal’s coat condition at the time of grooming. In some cases the decision may be made during the grooming process if your service provider feels it necessary for the pet’s health and to maintain as much comfort as possible for your animal’s well being during grooming. Your service provider refuses to do any service which will harm or cause undue stress to your animal. Your service provider will advise you in the event that it is necessary to shave part or your animal’s entire coat due to matting. If you cannot be contacted, your service provider will make every effort to take into consideration of your animal’s health and level of stress pertaining the condition of the coat. Most severely matted coats will be shaved down to alleviate stress to your animal.
Skin Conditions Under Matted Coats
The skin under a matted coat can become or will be very irritated and sensitive. A severely tangled or matted coat that has not been properly groomed is a dangerous risk to the health of your animal. Under the matted coat your animal’s skin is usually red, swollen, cracked, and dangerous to groom. There are higher chances of nicking or cutting the skin during dematting. Clipping a matted coat away from the skin may cause the animal’s skin to become very irritated, crack, and bleed. A severely matted or tangled coat does not allow air to get through to the skin causing irritation to the skin in the areas where the matting has occurred. Irritation can also occur after the matted coat has been shaved away from the skin. Many animals may react to having their matted coats shaved away from the skin by licking, chewing, or scratching these areas. This can cause more irritation as well as problems with skin infections. Parasites may also be harboring in your animal’s coat due to situations where your animal’s coat is matted. A topical or oral flea treatment may be required before grooming services are given. Special shampoo may be used to alleviate the problems of parasites. Treatment of your home is suggested to remove parasites from the animal’s environment. While bathing and grooming will remove parasites from your animal, they will again become infested with these parasites when they are returned to their home environment if their home environment hasn’t been treated to remove the parasites.
Parasites
Your service provider requires flea/tick treatment from April – November to enter the facility. In the event of finding parasites such as, fleas, ticks and lice your service provider reserves the right to refuse service to your animal. Your service provider suggests that you treat your animal with one of the many products that are out on the market. Note: Flea infestations usually lead to your animal acquiring tapeworms-an intestinal parasite. Tapeworms can be transmitted from animals to humans. Your service provider will notify you if there is a need for veterinary care concerning your animal if your service provider does find anything that looks like it may need the assistance from a veterinarian. Your service provider will also notify you if your service provider feels that parasite treatment is necessary.
Refusal of Grooming Services
Your service provider has the right to refuse any services at any time. In the event that your animal is too stressed or becomes dangerous to groom, your service provider has the right to refuse grooming services, stop grooming services, or cancel grooming services at any time before or during the grooming process. Some animals may need the services of a groomer who is working within a veterinarian’s clinic/hospital so that the animal may be properly sedated for grooming. your service provider does not groom animals under sedation.
Dangerous or Aggressive Animals - Refusal of Services
Your service provider has the right to refuse any services at any time. In the event that your animal is too stressed or becomes dangerous to groom, your service provider has the right to refuse grooming services, stop grooming services, or cancel grooming services at any time before, during, or after grooming. Failure to disclose that your animal is a biter, known biter, or is dangerous will result in a fee of $500. Said animal’s owner will be responsible for all payments of any or all of the medical expenses, emergency medical treatments, hospital costs, and recovery costs including physical therapy incurred by your service provider or any person employed by your service provider for any harm or damage caused by your animal should medical treatment be necessary. Animals who are known biters or are dangerous must be handled differently than those who are not aggressive. Some animals may need the services of a groomer who is working within a veterinarian’s clinic/hospital so that the animal may be properly sedated for grooming.
Animal Bite
One bite can end a promising career for any professional animal groomer. This release is designed to protect all involved. In the event of your service provider or any person employed by your service provider being bitten by your animal, you as the animal’s owner, caretaker, or responsible party for such animal, will take full responsibility for all payments of any or all of the medical expenses, emergency medical treatments, hospital costs, and recovery costs including physical therapy incurred by your service provider and any person employed by your service provider should medical treatment be necessary.
Use of Muzzles
Your service provider will advise if muzzling is necessary. Muzzling does not harm your animal and protects both the animal and the groomer. In some cases, muzzling may even calm a stressed animal, allowing the grooming process to continue. If an animal still acts in a way that is dangerous, your service provider has the right to stop grooming services at any time.
Animal Owner or Caretaker Being Present During the Grooming Process
Due to insurance purposes, your service provider requires that no unauthorized individuals be inside the grooming area at the time of grooming services unless requested by your service provider to help calm or restrained animal during grooming services. During grooming services at your service provider or for in-home services, some animals may become agitated or aggressive during their grooming experience if their owner or caretaker is present. Your service provider needs to be able to be in control of your animal during its grooming experience. The equipment used during the grooming process is sharp and can cut very easily. Your service provider has the best interests of your animal’s safety in mind. Controlling your animal is the best way of making sure both the animal and groomer do not get hurt. The professional animal groomer must be able to be in control of your animal at all times to ensure the safety of your animal as well as the professional animal groomers safety. In the event that your animal becomes overly excited or stressed while you, the owner or caretaker are present, your service provider will ask that you, the owner or caretaker, or any other person or family member present, leave the area where the grooming is taking place. Some animals become too excited while their owners or family members are present. In such cases, accidents are prone to happen when your animal is overly active during the grooming experience. Sharp equipment and moving animals just do not go well together and can lead to accidents happening.
Interruptions during Grooming Services
For the safety of the animals being groomed, as well as the professional animal groomer, it is asked that you do not interrupt the professional animal groomer during grooming. Interruptions may cause the animal being groomed to jump or move in a way that can cause an accident. The equipment used during grooming is very sharp and can cut easily. Every effort will be made to ensure the safety of your animal during the grooming process.