FAQs

Hours

Our office and regular service hours are 9:00 AM to 6 PM Monday - Friday (Vacation visits, evening care visits and special-request weekends are excepted from this). We try to respond to inquiries or requests as quickly as possible, but if you don't hear back from us right away, we're likely busy with other clients and will respond as soon as we're able, up to 1 business day.

Who's coming to your house?

Generally, us! We're mainly a two-person team, with a few trusted back-up team members who help us out on occasion scheduling necessitates or in case of emergency, but assured, you'll meet the ones who'll be showing up to care for your pets when your're away!

Meet & Greets

Our Meet & Greet visits take approximately 45 minutes to an hour, during which we:

Get to know one another a bit, make sure you and your pet are comfortable with us
Go over your pet's routine and schedule
Take a tour of your house and cover where things are (where your pet food and bowls are located, garbage, etc.)
Give you a quick overview of our service management system, Time to Pet and complete your pets profile so that we can know all about their likes, dislikes, preferences and their little personalities
Go over the Service Agreement together and answer any questions you might have and sign it

Finally, we either collect the keys then or schedule a later pick up date, and complete payment for the scheduled services and we're set!

All payment is due in full either when the Service Dates are booked, or upon the first day of service if you have a card on file in Time to Pet, when it will be autocharged. If you prefer, we also accept e-transfer, cheque, or cash!

Time to Pet App

We utilize the software Time to Pet to allow our clients to request/confirm services, share pet/home information in detail, and send/receive messages and updates securely. The app is available for both Android and iOS devices, and uses 128-bit level encryption. If you're not big on apps, you can also access your profile, messages and service requests through our client portal, which you can log into on your browser of choice- you can find the login page pinned in the upper right hand corner of our page. Once we've had a Meet & Greet and confirmed it's a good fit, we'll create your account using the details from the initial contact form, then you can update your profile with the rest!

Clients can select from time blocks when requesting services, which allows us to build a schedule that delivers the best possible service to all clients- client special needs, length of service request, distance/location are all taken into account. The standard windows of service that you can request in Time to Pet are:

Morning: 8:30 am-11:30 am
Mid-day: 11:30am-2:30pm
Afternoon: 2:30pm-5:30pm
Anytime: 8:30am-5:30pm

If you'd like to make a special request for an evening (after 6 pm) or Overnight visit (7:30 pm - 8:00 am), you can do so via message once you have a client profile, and we can set up a booking if we're able to accomodate.

Payment

Keys

We require a set of keys or a keyless entry code to be provided prior to the time you leave. Depending upon the circumstances, keys can be collected at the Complementary Meet & Greet appointment, or we can return to pick them up at a later date closer to your departure. We keep your keys in a secure location with a code attached (your personal information is not included on the key tag for security reasons). We can keep these keys on file for future visits, or if you prefer, we can return them to you after you're home.

Vaccinations

All pets must have proof of up-to-date vaccinations (DHPP, rabies, etc.) or titre testing administered by a veterinarian. Unfortunately, due to our contact with so many animals, we cannot care for animals who are not vaccinated, for both their safety and those of our other clients.

Aggressive Pets

If your pet exhibits aggressive behaviors at the Meet & Greet, or has a history of aggressive behavior, we will not be able to care for your pet. We know that context is everything- if your pet bit someone while injured/being injured, or just really doesn't get along with cats (and you don't have cats) that may be fine! Our chief concern in this case is our safety and the safety of others in the case of services such as dog-walking.

Dog Parks, Off Leash & Pack Walks

For both liability reasons and your pet’s safety, we do not offer visits to dog parks. Our insurance allows us to care for your pet only, and we cannot be held responsible for the actions of other pets at the park or any injuries that your pet may either sustain or inflict while in the presence of other animals. We are, however, happy to take your pet for on-leash walks on ravine or river valley trails near your home for extra stimulation if requested.

Pack walks however, we don't offer by choice- all walks are provided to one dog at a time. The only exception for this is for dogs that live together in the same household (though if you'd prefer them walked separately that's okay too). You're paying for our time and attention, and we want to ensure that it is dedicated to your pet(s) alone during our time together! We also know we don't always like everyone we meet, so we don't expect dogs to either!

Holidays

A $10 Holiday surcharge will be added to regular rates for pet sits occurring on: New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Heritage Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day.

Other Services

A walk-around check of doors/windows, in addition to mail checking, plant watering, and disposing of any garbage in the indicated receptacles (if requested) is included with pet visits. If you would like us to perform these duties, please let us know when booking the service!

Cancellations & Late Requests

Last minute cancellations, especially during holiday weeks can create a substantial loss of business that could have been available to other clients. For this reason, less than 24 hours notice of cancellation for dog walking services, or 48 hours notice for vacation bookings to avoid any cancellation charges. Cancellation fees for vacation and holiday bookings are as follows:

Regular Vacation Cancellations

2 - 6 days prior to any regular service: 20% cancellation charge (up to the first week of the booking only- all other days are refunded in full!) Cancellations made 7 days prior to any regular service are not subject to cancellation charges.

Holiday Cancellations:

2 - 6 days prior to any Holiday service: 50% refund is provided, minus a 50% holiday cancellation charge. With 7 days notice: 80% refund is provided, minus a 20% holiday cancellation charge (also up to the first week of the booking only- all other days are refunded in full!), Cancellations made 2 weeks prior to any regular service are not subject to cancellation charges.

For Late Requests:

Bookings requested with less than 24 hours for dog walking services, or 48 hours for all other services may or may not be scheduled and confirmed, depending upon our availability.