Acres 4 Dogs Ltd - Terms and Conditions of Service - Updated March 2024
1. Termination, Cancellation & Absence
1.1: Thirty (30) days' notice is required for termination of service or a reduction in your fixed days. Notice of termination or a reduction in fixed days can only be made by email to info@acres4dogs.co.uk. Dates must be specific and unambiguous.
1.2: Service is charged for your fixed days, as well as any ad hoc days that you may have added, regardless of attendance. Charges still apply in the event of illness, injury, unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances. You will have the option to swap a cancelled day to a Monday or a Friday, subject to availability. The banked day can be used before or up to 30 days after the cancelled day, after which it expires.
1.3: In the event your dog is not available immediately when we arrive at the collection address provided, we will not wait and charges apply in line with 1.2.
1.4: Acres 4 Dogs is closed on all public holidays as well as Christmas Eve and all other days between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. These days are not charged.
2. Attendance
2.1: ‘Fixed’ days booked are recurring and without an end date. Enrolment requires a minimum of one fixed day per week.
2.2 Ad hoc bookings can be made in addition to fixed days subject to availability.
2.3: Our service is for sociable dogs only. Acres 4 Dogs Ltd reserves the right to withdraw service immediately if a guest’s behaviour is deemed inappropriate, including (though not exclusively), aggression, dangerous play, repeated defecating, urinating, or vomiting in vehicles.
3. Payment
3.1 An initial payment is required equivalent to one month’s fees based on the fixed days chosen. The initial payment will be credited against your first monthly invoice(s). In the event that Acres 4 Dogs permanently terminates service, a pro-rated refund is provided such that only days attended are paid for. Refusal of service due to illness or injury (see 4.2) does not constitute permanent termination of service.
3.2 After the prepayment period, invoicing is monthly in arrears on the last day of the month. Invoices will be sent by email to the address provided at registration. The client is responsible for advising Acres 4 Dogs of any changes to primary contact details.
3.3: Payment terms are strictly seven days from the invoice issue date and without deduction.
3.4: Invoice queries should be made by email to info@acres4dogs.co.uk and within seven days of issue date.
3.5: Current prices are published on our website. Ad hoc days are charged at each clients’ ‘fixed’ day rate for that week. A ‘rush’ fee of £10 applies to bookings made after 2pm for the following BUSINESS day*. Ad hoc bookings are subject to availability. Acres 4 Dogs Ltd reserves the right to change rates where no fewer than thirty days’ notice you will be informed by email to the address provided at registration. *Business days are Mon - Fri excluding public holidays.
3.6: Upon notice of termination, Acres 4 Dogs Ltd reserves the right to invoice immediately (or at anytime ahead of the normal monthly billing cycle) all future bookings until the end of the notice period. Payment must be made in line with 3.3.
4. Medical, Injury, Vaccination and Care
4.1: For your dog to attend it must be fit for normal, ‘off-lead’ socialisation, exercise and play. If you dog displays or requires any dressings, bandages, head cones, other medical aids or we believe you dog to be unfit to attend we may refuse service at the point of collection. 1.2 still applies in such circumstances. If your dog is diagnosed as harboring a parasite in the past 3 months (and even if being treated successfully), you must make us aware immediately.
4.2: Your dog cannot attend if suffering any illness (coughs, sickness bugs or other) that may pass to another dog. If we believe (at our sole discretion) your dog is not fit to attend we will refuse service at the point of collection. 1.2 still applies in such circumstances. If your dog shows signs of being unwell once in our care and to the extent of serious concern for your dog or for other guests and we believe (at our sole discretion) it should not travel with other dogs we will advise you of the situation by phone and return your dog to the address we collect from immediately.
4.3: The welfare of the dogs in our charge is paramount. However, you accept that during a dog’s day to day movement and play injuries can occur. Acres 4 Dogs Ltd will not be held responsible for any such injury.
4.4: All due measures are taken to ensure maximum standards of hygiene. However, you accept that, just as they can from person to person, coughs, sickness bugs and other illness can pass from dog to dog. Acres 4 Dogs Ltd will not be held responsible for any such illness and recommend all owners have adequate insurance.
4.5: Acres 4 Dogs Ltd will not be held responsible for any situations (pregnancy or other) arising due to a bitch being in or coming into season. Service will be declined to bitches known to be in season. 1.2 still applies in such circumstances. When adolescent males demonstrate urges to mate and/or behavior change towards dominance, owners will be advised that to continue service, they must demonstrate a booking has been made to castrate within a reasonable time frame. In such circumstances (vet procedures/convalescing) 1.2 still applies in such circumstances.
4.6: In the event we consider your dog needs immediate medical attention we will endeavor to make arrangements with your vet. Depending on the severity of the condition or time constraints we reserve the right to take your dog to the nearest practice. In the event that we are unable to contact you, we will defer to the advice of the vet for any necessary medical decisions. You agree to settle all bills immediately and directly with the vet. We recommend that dog owners have adequate insurance.
4.7: To commence service you must first send us a copy of your pup or dogs vaccination card (including kennel cough), which must be valid. You agree that on the anniversary of all vaccinations and under advice from your vet you will continue with vaccinations and that you will always furnish us with the latest vaccination card. Dogs who have previously resided in Asia or in Eastern Europe (any country lying East of the Eastern Borders of Germany, Austria and Italy), must evidence a clear test for Brucella canis.
5. General
5.1: Whilst we endeavour to meet all bookings, we cannot guarantee service during periods of adverse or dangerous driving or operating conditions. In such circumstances, charges still apply in line with 1.1 – 1.3 and you will be notified of closure by email. This includes but is not restricted to our service area being subject to a government Red Weather Warning for wind, heat, snow, ice or flooding at any point during the day.
5.2: Acres 4 Dogs Ltd reserves the right, on occasion, to alter, add or remove terms and conditions. The latest terms and conditions are provided monthly attached to your invoice.
5.3: You consent to Acres 4 Dogs Ltd storing the information provided on this form indefinitely. Information to be used solely by Acres 4 Dogs Ltd for the purposes of communication related directly to the provision daycare service.
5.4: Acres 4 Dogs Ltd may duplicate your house key for efficiency of logistics. If you request the return of your keys, all keys will be returned.
5.5: Acres 4 Dogs Ltd may use photographs or video of your dog on official company social media, the company website and/or other marketing material.
5.6: All dogs will be crated for transportation. All feeding dogs and resting puppies will be crated. All dogs may be crated if we feel it is the best option due to injury or illness (we will notify owners if we suspect injury or illness). We may crate a dog on occasion as a short-term measure (‘time out’) if we feel that it is behaving in a way not in its own interests or the interests of other dogs. If this becomes a regular requirement for a dog, we will terminate service. Acres 4 Dogs will decide at its own discretion what is in the best interests of the individual dog regarding frequency and duration of crate use.
5.7: New dogs always travel in a crate alone while we assess them. Thereafter, dogs of similar weight and familiar with each other will share a crate in transit.
5.8: You accept that for your puppy/dog to get maximum benefit from socialising and play, Acres 4 Dogs Ltd will separated guests/allocate paddocks at its discretion based on your puppy or dog’s age, breed, ability, physical and mental attributes.
6: Customer Drop-Off and Collection (applicable only to clients dropping off and collecting dogs from our premises)
6.1: Dogs must be dropped off at our premises between 7.30am and 9.30am and collected between 2.30pm and 4.30pm. All sessions must be pre-booked. We will not be able to provide service if you arrive without a prior booking.
6.2: Subject to availability and to your home being within our collection and drop-off catchment area you will be able to request occasional home collection or return as needed. At the time of issuing this document, this service is charged at £12.50 per leg (£12.50 per collection and £12.50 per return). We are unable to accept return requests after 12:00pm on the day of service. If we do not have availability to collect or return your dog upon request (regardless of notice), 1.2, 6.1 and 6.3 still apply.
6.3: To initiate service, we will need a key to your home and instructions for deactivating alarms if applicable. In the event that you are unable to collect your dog within the designated collection window, a late fee of £25 will be charged immediately. If your dog is not collected within 15 minutes after the collection window has closed, we will assess whether to wait for you or return your dog to your home using the provided key. In either case, the late fee will increase to £75. If we are unable to access your property or leave your dog safely upon returning your dog to your home, you will need to collect your dog the next BUSINESS day between 9:30am and 10:30am, with an additional charge of £200 for the first night and £100 for each subsequent night. Any collections after 10:30am will incur a daycare charge for the day. Charges are without exception, including unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances.
6.4: Sections 6, (Customer Drop-Off and Collection), is to be read in addition to sections 1-5, not instead of.