Appointment & Cancellation Policy
Cancellation Policy for Individual Dog Walking Appointments:
Cancellations must be received 24 hours prior, by 5pm the day before the scheduled appointment.
An email with the cancellation request must be received prior to 5pm.
Anything received after 5pm will be cancelled but you will still be charged for the full visit.
Cancellation Policy for Cat Sitting, Pre-booked Visits and Overnight Pet Sitting in the Pet Check Technology system:
Cancellations made within 2 weeks of scheduled service start date will receive a 100% refund.
Cancellations made within 1 week of scheduled service start date will receive a 50% refund.
Any cancellations for ongoing visits made with less than 48 hours notice of scheduled service start date will not be refunded. You will be charged for the full cost of service.
Cancellation Policy for Cat Boarding:
Cancellations made before 30 days of scheduled service start date will receive a 100% refund.
Cancellations made within 2 week of scheduled service start date will receive a 50% refund.
Any cancellations for ongoing visits made with less than 1 week's notice of scheduled service start date will not be refunded. You will be charged for the full cost of service.
For visits over holidays, a deposit will be due in advance.
Holiday Cancellation Policy for Individual Dog Walking Appointments:
Cancellations must be received by 5pm the day before the Tails On Trails office is closed for any holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.)
Any cancellations received after 5pm will be updated in our system, but you will still be charged for the full visit, including the holiday charge.
If you do not cancel by 5pm the day before we are closed for any holiday, your visit will be scheduled and charged the additional holiday rate.
Changes or Additions to Individual Dog Walking and Cat Sitting Appointments:
Schedule Requests: Existing clients can schedule advance services using the Pet Check Technology client management portal. New clients can send requests to our email: info@tailsontrails.com.
Schedule Additions: Any requests for schedule additions made after 12pm for the next day are considered last minute. We cannot guarantee we can fill last minute requests, however, we will do our best to accommodate you. All last minute requests are subject to an additional $8.00 charge per visit.
Evenings/Weekends: Will be scheduled by advanced appointment and availability. Weekday evenings after 5pm and weekend visits are subject to an additional $4.00 charge.
Holidays: We recommend you book with us for any holidays as soon as possible, as we book up quickly. Please note holidays are subject to an additional $8.00 charge per visit.
Time-Frames: All visits are scheduled within three-hour time-frames. This provides our dog walkers and pet sitters a slightly flexible schedule so that they may deal with any unexpected happenings during the day (such as potty training messes, weather issues, traffic, etc) and still visit all pets on a timely basis. For example, 11am-2pm, 12pm-3pm, 1pm-4pm, etc. For our scheduling purposes, that means walkers can arrive a half hour before or after the scheduled time. It allows us to work with variables like traffic, unpredictable client issues, inclement weather and Jersey City's ongoing construction, along with scheduling demands of each day.
Payment Policy for Cat Sitting:
In order to pre-book your visits, you must pay in advance to confirm your appointment. Invoices will be sent once visits are requested, including the link to PayPal.
Please note unless you prepay, you are at risk of losing your spot to another client.
A credit card must be on file with our Pet Check Technology system as a back-up for payments.
For clients who have inadvertently made a partial payment, a late fee of $15 will be applied to your invoice and payment must be received before the visits are concluded.
Once visits have started, any clients who realize they need to continue their cat's care, we would be happy to accommodate them based on availability. An updated invoice will be sent and all payments for additional visits must be received via PayPal before the visits are concluded
If payment is not received by the time visits conclude, there will be a $15 charge for lateness, applied each week, until payment is received via PayPal.
While tips are not required, they are always appreciated. With the new policy in place, all tips must be left in cash, marked as "Tip for Tails On Trails Cat Sitter."
Inclement Weather Policy
We are always mindful of how the weather will affect your pets, from rain to snow to extreme temperatures, your pet's safety is our priority.
If your dog requires any specific gear, such as raincoats, parkas, sweaters, booties, and harnesses, etc, please leave them out for the walker.
If you know there is a chance of rain or snow, please leave out a towel and any storage instructions, so we can make sure your dog is dry and comfortable before we finish the appointment.
We are always mindful of hazardous conditions when we walk, including ice and salt in the winter and hot pavement in the summer. Our policy is to err on the side of caution when it comes to extreme weather and severe increases or drops in temperature. If there is lightning in the area, our walkers are instructed to immediately take shelter/return to your residence. We will complete the remainder of your 30-minute walk inside your home by creating a fun playtime experience for your dog and also help ease any potential anxiety from the weather.