Terms and Conditions
Thank you for choosing Star Paws Dog Grooming and Star Trex Dog Walking & Pet Care.
These terms and conditions apply to our dog grooming, Emmi-Pet ultrasonic teeth cleaning, dog walking and home visit services. Please take a moment to read them carefully, as they help us provide a safe, reliable and stress-free service for every pet in our care.
1. Cancellations and missed appointments
We appreciate as much notice as possible if you need to cancel or rearrange a booking.
For grooming and teeth cleaning appointments, we require at least 24 hours' notice. Cancellations made with less than 24 hours' notice may be charged at 50% of the appointment price, with advance payment required to secure your next booking. Same-day cancellations and no-shows may be charged at the full appointment price before another booking can be made.
For appointments involving two or more dogs, we require at least 48 hours' notice. Cancellations made with less than 48 hours' notice may be charged at 50%, and cancellations within 24 hours may be charged at the full appointment price.
For dog walks and home visits, please provide at least 24 hours' notice wherever possible. Cancellations made with less than 24 hours' notice may still be charged, particularly where the time slot cannot reasonably be filled by another client.
We understand that genuine emergencies happen and these will always be considered at our discretion.
2. Appointment times
Please arrive at the agreed time for grooming and teeth cleaning appointments.
Star Paws operates predominantly on a one-to-one basis, allowing your dog to receive our full attention during their appointment. This can only work effectively when dogs are dropped off and collected at the agreed times.
We reserve the right to refuse an appointment if you arrive more than 10 minutes late. If we are still able to accommodate your dog, a £5 late fee may apply.
3. Collection after grooming
You will be given an estimated collection time when leaving your dog with us.
Dogs should be collected promptly once their appointment is complete. A pet sitting fee of £5 per 30 minutes may apply where a dog is collected more than 15 minutes after the agreed collection time.
4. Before your dog's appointment
Please ensure that your dog has had the opportunity to go to the toilet before arriving for a grooming or teeth cleaning appointment.
Please tell us about any medical conditions, injuries, allergies, medication, behavioural concerns, previous incidents or anything else that may affect the way we care for your dog.
5. Matted coats
In accordance with our commitment to animal welfare, we operate a non de-matting policy where attempting to brush out severe matting would cause unnecessary pain, distress or discomfort.
Where a coat is heavily matted, we will usually recommend clipping the affected coat rather than attempting prolonged de-matting.
If your dog requires additional work because of matting, an additional charge of up to £10 may be applied. A full shave down due to severe matting may incur an additional £18 charge.
Where possible, this will be discussed with you before or during the groom.
6. Fleas
If fleas are discovered during a grooming appointment, your dog may require an appropriate flea bath.
Because the salon must then be thoroughly treated and cleaned to reduce the risk of cross contamination, an additional £10 charge per dog may apply.
You will also be advised to appropriately treat your pet and home environment.
7. Aggressive, anxious or difficult behaviour
We have experience working with dogs with a range of temperaments and will always try to work calmly and safely with your pet.
However, we reserve the right to stop a grooming, teeth cleaning, walking or home visit service if a dog becomes excessively distressed, aggressive or presents a risk to themselves, another animal or a person.
Full or partial charges may still apply depending on the amount of time and work already carried out.
The safety and welfare of your pet will always come before completing a service.
8. Pre-existing health conditions
Grooming, teeth cleaning, walks or home visits may occasionally highlight an existing health concern that was not previously obvious.
We will inform you of anything concerning that we notice and may recommend seeking advice from a veterinary professional.
Star Paws and Star Trex do not diagnose medical conditions or provide veterinary treatment.
9. Grooming styles
We will groom your dog according to the style discussed with you, as far as your dog's coat condition, coat type, behaviour and tolerance safely allow.
Your dog's welfare, safety and comfort will always take priority over achieving a particular style.
If we cannot safely complete the requested style, we will endeavour to contact you and agree on an appropriate alternative.
10. Grooming instructions
Your preferred grooming style will be discussed during the pre-groom consultation.
If somebody else is bringing your dog to their appointment, please provide them with clear instructions or contact us directly beforehand to confirm your requirements.
This helps avoid confusion or instructions being incorrectly passed on second hand.
11. Grooming alterations
If there is anything you would like changed after your dog's groom, please let us know before leaving wherever possible.
We are happy to make reasonable minor adjustments.
If you notice an issue afterwards, please contact us within 24 hours. Where we are responsible for an issue, we will do our best to correct it.
Requests made after this period may require another full appointment and may therefore be charged accordingly.
Emmi-Pet Ultrasonic Teeth Cleaning
12. Teeth cleaning service
Our ultrasonic teeth cleaning service uses the Emmi-Pet NEO system and is intended to support your dog's ongoing oral hygiene.
This is a non-invasive cosmetic and maintenance service and is not a replacement for veterinary dental treatment.
Results vary between dogs depending on factors including the level of plaque and tartar present, age, diet, dental health and how frequently maintenance sessions are completed.
13. Dental disease and veterinary treatment
Emmi-Pet teeth cleaning is generally suitable for dogs with mild to moderate plaque and tartar build-up, typically associated with earlier stages of dental disease.
Dogs showing signs of advanced dental disease, including severe tartar, significant gum inflammation, loose or damaged teeth, infection, bleeding, pain or other concerning symptoms, may require veterinary treatment instead.
We reserve the right to refuse or stop treatment if we believe continuing would be inappropriate or uncomfortable for your dog.
We will always recommend contacting your vet where we identify anything that may require professional veterinary assessment.
14. Teeth cleaning is not veterinary treatment
We cannot guarantee the complete removal of tartar or staining, and we cannot diagnose or treat periodontal disease.
Our service is designed to assist with oral hygiene and maintenance, not to replace veterinary dental procedures when these are required.
15. Teeth cleaning maintenance
Regular maintenance is important once your dog's initial cleaning programme has been completed.
The longer maintenance appointments are left, the greater the likelihood that plaque and tartar will build up again.
Where more than 8 weeks has passed since your dog's previous maintenance appointment, additional cleaning time may be required and an additional charge may therefore apply.
In some cases, your dog may need to return to a more frequent cleaning programme before resuming their normal maintenance schedule.
16. Individual toothbrush heads
Each dog receiving Emmi-Pet treatment will have their own individual toothbrush head for hygiene purposes.
A £10 deposit is required when booking an initial consultation to cover the cost of the toothbrush head. (Toothbrush heads are required to change yearly from regular use)
Dog Walking and Home Visits
17. Dog walking information
Owners must provide accurate and up-to-date information about their dog's health, behaviour, temperament, recall, interactions with other dogs, prey drive and any history of aggression, reactivity or escape behaviour.
Please tell us immediately if any of this information changes.
We reserve the right to move a dog from a group walk to solo walks, temporarily suspend walks or refuse future walks if we feel that continuing would be unsafe or unsuitable.
18. Group walks
Dogs taking part in group walks will be carefully matched as far as reasonably possible based on temperament, size, behaviour and suitability.
We cannot guarantee that every dog will be suitable for group walking.
The safety and welfare of all dogs in the group will always take priority.
19. Off-lead walking
Dogs will only be walked off lead where this has been agreed with the owner and we believe it is safe and appropriate to do so.
Owners must provide accurate information regarding their dog's recall.
Even with good recall, dogs can behave unpredictably. We will always make decisions based on the dog's welfare, the environment, livestock, other dogs, wildlife, traffic and any other relevant risks.
We reserve the right to keep any dog on a lead or long line whenever we consider this safer.
20. Collars, harnesses and equipment
Owners are responsible for providing safe, appropriately fitted collars and/or harnesses.
We may use our own leads, long lines or other appropriate walking equipment where required, with GPS tracking on Star Trex collars.
Please inform us of any restrictions or equipment requirements before your dog's walk.
21. Weather and walking conditions
Walks may be shortened, adapted, relocated or converted into an alternative form of care where weather or environmental conditions may place a dog at risk.
This may include extreme heat, storms, flooding, ice or other hazardous conditions.
Your dog's safety will always take priority over completing the full planned walk duration.
22. Mud, water and dirty dogs
Dog walks take place outdoors and dogs may become wet, muddy or dirty.
We will make reasonable efforts to towel your dog down before returning them home, but we cannot guarantee that they will return completely clean or dry.
23. Home visits
Home visits will be carried out in accordance with the instructions provided by the owner.
These may include feeding, providing fresh water, toilet breaks, medication where previously agreed, play, companionship and general welfare checks.
Owners are responsible for ensuring that sufficient food, medication, cleaning equipment and other required supplies are available.
24. Access to your property
Where keys, key safes, access codes or other property access arrangements are provided, they will be treated confidentially and used only for the purpose of providing the agreed service.
Owners must ensure that access arrangements are accurate and working.
If we cannot gain access to the property through no fault of our own, the visit may still be charged.
25. Security
We will take reasonable care to secure your property when entering and leaving.
Please inform us of any alarms, internal doors, gates, locks or other security procedures that need to be followed.
We cannot accept responsibility for security issues resulting from faulty locks, doors, windows, gates, alarms or incorrect instructions supplied by the owner.
26. Veterinary emergencies
By using our walking or home visit services, you authorise us to contact you and, where necessary, seek veterinary assistance if we reasonably believe your pet requires urgent medical attention.
We will always attempt to contact you or your emergency contact first where circumstances allow.
If immediate veterinary treatment is required and you cannot be contacted, your pet's welfare will take priority.
Any veterinary fees or associated expenses remain the responsibility of the owner.
27. Illness and contagious conditions
Please tell us if your dog develops any contagious illness, parasites, coughing, sickness, diarrhoea or other symptoms that could present a risk to other animals.
We may temporarily suspend grooming, teeth cleaning or walking services where necessary to protect other dogs.
28. Vaccinations
Owners are responsible for ensuring their pets are appropriately vaccinated and protected against parasites according to the advice of their veterinary professional.
Please inform us of any medical reason why your dog cannot receive normal vaccinations.
29. Photographs and social media
We may take photographs or videos of dogs while they are being groomed, receiving teeth cleaning, enjoying walks or during home visits.
These may be kept as part of your dog's records and may also be used on our website, advertising or social media.
Most clients enjoy seeing their pets featured, but please let us know if you do not want photographs or videos of your pet used publicly.
30. Pet records
Owners are responsible for providing accurate and complete information regarding their pet.
This includes medical conditions, medication, allergies, behavioural concerns, previous incidents and any other information that could affect the safe provision of our services.
Please inform us whenever this information changes.
31. Accidents and unexpected incidents
We take reasonable precautions to protect every animal in our care.
However, animals can sometimes behave unpredictably and accidents, minor injuries or unexpected incidents can occur despite appropriate care and supervision.
Owners must disclose any known behavioural or medical risks before using our services.
32. Respectful behaviour
We work extremely hard and treat every animal in our care as if they were our own.
Abusive, threatening or inappropriate language or behaviour towards us, our clients or anybody associated with Star Paws or Star Trex will not be tolerated.
We reserve the right to refuse future services where necessary.
33. Prices and additional charges
Prices may vary depending on factors including breed, size, coat condition, behaviour, service duration and the amount of additional work required.
Any reasonable additional charges will be explained wherever possible.
Our current prices are available through our website or by contacting us directly.
34. Changes to bookings or services
We reserve the right to make reasonable changes to appointments, routes, timings or services due to circumstances outside our control, including illness, emergencies, severe weather, traffic or safety concerns.
Where possible, we will contact you as soon as reasonably practicable.
35. Acceptance of these terms
By booking and using any Star Paws Dog Grooming or Star Trex Dog Walking & Pet Care service, you confirm that you have read, understood and accepted these terms and conditions.
These terms apply to grooming, Emmi-Pet ultrasonic teeth cleaning, dog walking and home visit services.
36. Tips
Tips are never expected, but are always greatly appreciated.