love handle grooming Policies

Your animal is very important to me and Love Handle Grooming would like to assure you that every effort will be made to make your animal’s grooming experience as safe and pleasant as possible. Safety comes first for everyone, people as well as the animals during the grooming process. 

One on One Grooming 

At Love Handle Grooming, I work one on one with each pet and they are not in a kennel at any point. I require pets to be picked up within 15 minutes of being finished as other clients are scheduled directly afterwards. Generally, small dogs will take 1 hour, medium dogs 1.5 hours and large dogs 2 hours. A block of time will be set aside pertaining to each size. Should more time be required due to special handling (ie. aggressive, scared, senior) an additional appointment will need to be scheduled. If you are unable to pick up your pet at the time they are finished, please call me to discuss ahead of time. 

No-Shows, Cancellations, Late Arrival

Cancellations and rescheduled appointments will not incur a charge if notified 24 hours before the appointment. If you cancel less than 24 hours, a $20 cancellation fee will applied to your next appointment. My day relies heavily on dogs being dropped off and picked up on time. A late fee of $10 will be applied if you are late dropping off within 14 minutes of your scheduled appointment time. If you are 15 minutes late, your appointment will need be rescheduled as this creates a domino effect for all other following appointments. 

In the event your pet is severely matted (May lead to extra charges) 

Matting is a condition in your dog’s fur that is caused by dense tangles and knots. It is a painful condition that can lead to other health concerns such as infections, skin irritations, sores, cut-off circulation to your dogs skin and cause hematomas. Tights matts are not able to be brushed and will have to be shaved before the bath. De-matting will result in an extra charge as this process is hard on grooming clippers and takes extra time. 

Accidents 

Grooming equipment is sharp and although I use extreme caution and care in all situations, possible problems could occur including cuts, nicks, scratches, quicking of nails etc. Your pet’s safety and comfort is my number one priority. In the event an accident does occur, you will be notified of the accident and if Love Handle Grooming feels it is serious, and the owner is not on-site, Love Handle Grooming will seek immediate veterinary care for your pet at the expense of Love Handle Grooming where I am at fault. 

Health or Medical Problems 

Occasionally, grooming can expose a hidden problem or aggravate a current one. This can occur during or after grooming. All medical expenses for veterinary care are to be covered by the pets owner.

Double Coated Shave Downs

Shaving a double coated dog is not recommended as it may cause issues with coat regrowth. If this is something you would like to have done, please ensure you are aware of all the risks.  

Some problems that may occur are: 

· Loss of hair growth 

· Coat funk – the coat not growing back in the same texture and or color prior to shaving 

· Bald patches 

· Hyper pigmentation of the skin – darkening of the skin where the coat has not grown back 

· Sunburn 

· Loss of guard coat – top layer of coat 

· Coat re-growth in different directions (cowlicks) 

Veterinary Authorization – Medical emergencies 

This release gives Love Handle Grooming full authorization to seek medical treatment from the nearest veterinarian in the case medical emergencies while in the care of Love Handle Grooming. All veterinarian costs and expenses will the responsibility of the animal’s owner. 

Current Vaccinations 

Vaccinations are not required however, I strongly recommend they are up-to-date on rabies, distemper and Bordetella. The Love Handle Grooming salon is sanitized between clients so there is minimal risk of infection. 

Fleas/Ticks 

If your pet has any fleas, service will be refused and you can reschedule your appointments after the problem is taken care of. 

Dangerous or aggressive animals – refusal of service 

Love Handle Grooming has the right to refuse any services at any time. In the event that you animals is too stressed or becomes dangerous to groom, Love Handle Grooming has the right to refuse grooming.

Use of muzzles

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 rooming process to continue. If an animal still acts in a way that is dangerous, Love Handle Grooming has the right to stop the grooming services.