Cancellation Policies
Dog Walking Policies

*Regular Dog Walking:
Cancellations must be made by 10 AM the day before to avoid being charged.

*Weekend Dog Walking:
Cancellations must be made by Thursday to avoid a 50% charge.
Cancellations with less than a full days' notice will be billed in full.

*Adventure Walks:
Require 3 days' notice for cancellations- 50%
24 hours or less- 100%
Exceptions may be made for significant bad weather but please check the forecast before booking.


Pet Sitting Policies

*Regular Pet Sitting (Dogs & Cats):
Cancellations made with less than 1 week's notice will incur a 100% charge.
No refunds or credits for early returns, except in cases of natural disasters or pet illness during your trip.

*Holiday Periods (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, 4th of July):
Cancellations with less than 2 weeks' notice will be billed 50% (excluding holiday fees).
Cancellations with 1 week or less notice will be billed in full.

*Holiday Definitions:
Christmas Period: Dec. 23rd - Jan. 2nd.
Thanksgiving: Day before Thanksgiving through the Sunday after.
Easter: Friday prior- Monday after
Independence Day: July 2nd - 6th.



*Overnights and Boarding:
Cancellations with less than 7 days' notice will incur a 100% charge.


*General Booking Policy

Avoid place holding- this is when you book a walk you MIGHT need instead of waiting until you KNOW you need it.
Frequent cancellations or place holding may lead to a policy requiring you to book as needed rather than in advance.
We strive to accommodate last-minute bookings whenever possible, as team members often welcome additional hours.

*Refund Policy for Prepaid Services

Refunds for prepaid services by credit card will be issued minus a 3% processing fee.
Alternatively, you can keep the amount as a credit on your account.
To avoid processing fees, we recommend using Zelle, especially for pet sitting services.

We truly appreciate your understanding and cooperation with these policies. They are in place to ensure reliable and top-notch care for your pets while supporting our hardworking team. Should you have any questions or need clarification, please don’t hesitate to reach out.



Scheduling
You can reach out to me via phone, text, or email anytime between 7am and 9pm. If you think of something important outside these hours, feel free to send a text or email. Don't worry about disturbing me - my phone is set to Do Not Disturb while I sleep, so your message will not wake me.

Scheduling visits should be fairly simple, but if you're having any issues with the app or software, just text me, and I'll happily schedule your visits for you.

To keep things running smoothly, I aim to have everyone's schedules organized by 6pm on Thursdays. This helps me inform the team about their upcoming week and allows for efficient scheduling. The process can take a bit of time, but rest assured, you can still request walks or visits later in the week and sometimes on the same day. Just keep in mind, for guaranteed availability, it's best to get your requests in early. Our team members have other commitments, so last-minute changes can be challenging once schedules are set.

If you're a regular dog walking client and haven't submitted your requests by Thursday, expect a reminder text from me at 6pm. Many clients find it helpful to set a reminder on your phone or smart device to send in your requests or to text me to add them.

Regarding scheduling, we work with time windows. While I can't promise specific times, we do our best to accommodate your preferences. Clients with twice-daily needs, puppies, or pets on time-sensitive medications receive priority with narrower windows. For all other visits, we schedule efficiently based on location to minimize travel time.

Payment
We offer several convenient payment options for our services. When you receive an invoice through our software, you can choose to pay with a debit or credit card. Please note that selecting this option incurs a 1.75% convenience fee added to your invoice. However, our preferred payment method is Zelle.

Using Zelle ensures a secure, instant, and cost-free bank-to-bank transaction. To pay via Zelle, you'll need my name and email address: Nicole Wilson, Nicole@sitsandwiggles.com.

Additionally, we accept payments through Cash App and Venmo:

For Venmo, my username is @belairaupair. Please include your dog's name in the note field.
On Cash App, my Cashtag is $belairaupair.
Cash or check payments are also welcome if I am personally conducting any of your visits or am one of your regular walkers. Please note, my staff does not handle payments to ensure their focus remains solely on providing the best care for your pets.

Billing Schedules:

Dog Walking Clients: You will receive invoices every other Friday for completed walks (including those scheduled for the upcoming weekend). Payment is due by the following Monday. Please be aware that a $5 late fee is automatically applied at 8pm the next Friday if payment is delayed. This fee will recur weekly until the balance is fully settled.

Pet Sitting Clients: Invoices are issued once your visits are scheduled. Full payment for pet sitting services is due by the day of your departure.

We appreciate your prompt payments as they help us continue providing excellent care for your beloved pets. Should you have any questions or need assistance with payments, feel free to reach out.

Inclement Weather
Your pet's safety and comfort, as well as the safety of our team, are our top priorities. In cases of extreme weather conditions, such as unsafe roadways, extreme cold, or excessive heat, our approach to pet care may be adjusted accordingly.

Inclement Weather Policy:

If road conditions are hazardous, we will resume visits as soon as it's safe to do so.
During freezing temperatures or extreme heat, walks will be shortened to the time necessary for your pet to complete their business. The rest of the visit will be dedicated to indoor play and cuddle time.
In the event of a lightning storm, we avoid walking but will look for a safe opportunity to take your dog out for a quick bathroom break.
Please provide us with instructions for walking your dog in the rain, along with towels for drying them off.

School Closures & Delays:

In the event of a school delay or closure due to inclement weather, you can cancel your scheduled service without any cancellation fee, as long as you inform us before 9am.
If there's a forecast for heavy snow or icy conditions, I'll proactively reach out to you to discuss whether you'd like to cancel your service in advance. This helps us optimize our walkers' schedules and ensures fewer people are on the road for everyone's safety.
There will be no cancellation fee for these preemptive cancellations made before 9am.
If the weather turns out to be milder than expected and you'd like to reschedule your walk, please feel free to contact us, and we'll gladly arrange that for you.

Safety for Our Team:

To ensure the safety of our team, we require a clear, safe path to your door. This may involve shoveling, salting, sanding, or using kitty litter to manage icy conditions.
If our walker finds the path to your door hazardous, they will unfortunately have to leave, and the scheduled walk will be billed. This is necessary to maintain a safe working environment and manage high workers' compensation rates in our industry.

For Pet Sitting Clients:

We are deeply committed to the safety and well-being of your beloved pets. However, severe weather conditions such as heavy snow, ice, or fallen trees can sometimes create unsafe situations for travel. In these rare instances, we prioritize the safety of both your pets and our team.

Emergency Contact Plan:

We kindly ask that you arrange for a nearby emergency contact, like a neighbor, who can step in to care for your pet if we are unable to safely reach your home due to severe weather.
Rest assured, our team will make every possible effort to reach your pet, but safety is our foremost concern in extreme weather conditions.


We ask for your understanding and cooperation in these matters. Rest assured, we are committed to doing everything possible to care for your pets, even in challenging weather conditions. Your support in creating a safe environment for our team is greatly appreciated and reflects the care they extend to your beloved pets.



Holiday fees

*Walks & Drop Ins:

*A nominal fee of $5 will be added for walks or visits scheduled on New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Mother's Day, Memorial Day, Father's Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and New Year's Eve.

*Visits on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day will include a $10 surcharge per visit.


*Boarding:

* A $10 fee will apply to boarding on any of the listed holidays: New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Mother's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve.


*Overnights & Live-Ins:

* A $15 fee will be charged for the following holidays: Easter Sunday, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve

Photo Policy
All photos taken are the property of Your Pet AuPair and will be used on our social media, website, and marketing materials. We try to make sure the photos that are postedt are either taken outside or are cropped enough not to show anything personally identifiable. We never tag my clients in our posts for privacy reasons, leaving it up to you if you'd like to claim ownership of your beautiful pets.


If you would prefer that we do not post pictures please make us aware of that personally as well as noting in one of the notes fields on the software.

Christmas & Thanksgiving
We do not accept dog sitting requests until early October for Thanksgiving and late October for Christmas. This is so that we don't overextend ourselves not knowing how many team members will be available. Due to family obligations, many team members choose not to work on these holidays but every year a handful of people volunteer to be put on the schedule.

I am also happy to transport your dogs to and from a local boarding facility if you would like to schedule over the Christmas holiday if we're not available.

We have a couple people on staff that offer boarding but it's extremely limited (one family at a time). You can ask to see if anyone is available over Christmas. It's unlikely that anyone will be available for overnights but you can ask and I'll check.