Terms and Conditions

Your dogs health and welfare is of the upmost importance to us at Fur By Flint Dog Grooming which is why we have the following term and conditions which must be agreed upon before your dogs first appointment.

 

Health and Welfare – At the start of every grooming appointment please make us aware of any health issues, allergies or concerns you may have so we can adjust the groom accordingly if we need to. During grooming it is possible we may discover something relating to your dogs health that may concern us and if this is the case you will be informed of them in order for you to seek veterinary advice. Extremely rare accidents can happen whilst grooming, or medical issues can arise. In the unlikely event of this happening you authorise us to seek emergency veterinary treatment. Any pre-existing health conditions, allergies (that we weren't made aware of) and Injuries that occur because of the dogs behaviour that require veterinary treatment will be fully covered by the cost of owner. Please also toilet your dog before attending their appointment to avoid any accidents.

 

Salon Exclusivity - At Fur By Flint Dog Grooming we operate strictly by appointment. The quoted price includes salon exclusivity. This helps ensure a calm, low risk environment. The only time more than one dog is allowed in the grooming area is when they are from the same household. If you have two dogs, only one of whom is groomed,and they are not used to been apart, the second can remain at our discretion.

 

Pricing – All quoted prices assume:
The dogs coat is well maintained free from Knots, matts and tangles.
The dog is well behaved, shows no aggression and groomed at our recommended periods.
The dog is not overweight or oversized for the breed.
Whilst we are happy to work with nervous/ timid dogs, these may incur extra charges due to the extra time and handling skills required.
Charges will be incurred for matted coats, those that are poorly maintained, or dogs with fleas. All charges are payable before you leave the salon with your pet.

 

Time Keeping- To ensure the best grooming experience for each dog and to avoid rushing, we have timed appointment slots for individual dogs with a buffer to prevent overlap. When we provide you with an appointment time, it signifies the time we expect to admit your dog to the salon. Please note the following:
Arrival Time: If you arrive early for your appointment, we may not be able to accommodate you immediately. We appreciate your understanding.
Late Arrival: If you are late for your appointment, we may have to decline grooming on welfare grounds, and a fee will be charged.
No Show: Customers who are 30 minutes or more late will be considered a 'no show' and will be charged the full appointment fee.
Late Collection: If you leave your dog with us and are late to collect them, it will impact the next customer, and a fee will be incurred.
We kindly request that everyone treats others with the same courtesy that they would expect for themselves.

 

Cancellations and No Shows – All bookings from new clients require a £25 deposit to be paid to secure the grooming slot. We appreciate that sometimes you may need to cancel/rearrange your dogs appointment. as long as this is done with more than 48 hours notice your deposit will be refunded/reused. Any failure to show or cancellations with less than 24 hours notice will result in the full fee been payable, and no further appointments been booked until the account is settled.

 

Neglected / Matted coats - We practice humanity before vanity. Should a dog be presented with a matted or neglected coat, if our opinion is that it will be kinder to shave the coat back completely, this will be done in compliance with The Animal Welfare Act 2006 ( Sec 5. – Animals are to be protected from pain, injury and suffering) This incurs extra charges due to time and extra wear and tear on equipment. There is an additional terms and conditions for when this occurs which will need to be agreed upon and can be viewed below. 

 

Aggressive/Nervous Dogs – We have lots of experience with nervous/aggressive dogs and in some cases we may be able to groom your dog as long as we are informed of the behaviour prior to the groom. We reserve the right to refuse to groom any dog if we believe it may cause injury to itself or any members of staff at our Salon. If a dog exhibits aggression or behaviour we have not been informed of prior to the groom, the session will be stopped immediately and the full fee incurred. We must be informed prior to grooming of any previous history of biting or aggression. Your attention is drawn to the dangerous dogs act which holds owners liable for bites and Injuries.

 

Grooming Feedback - After each session we will inform you of any problems we have encountered, or any concerns we have re your dog. This is the time to inform us of any concerns you have in relation to the groom. The majority of our business is repeat custom, and we wish to maintain our standards and reputation. We often take pictures to show examples of before and after work and to use for training and information. Should you not wish photos of your dog to appear on social media please inform us at the time of the groom. We also ask that should you have a problem, we are approached prior to any negative reviews been left on social media.

 

Matted Policy

In addition to our Terms & Conditions Fur By Flint Dog Grooming has policies in place with regard to Matted Dogs. For further information on caring for your dog's coat in between grooms and keeping it matt free please take a look at the client copy which will be emailed to you after your dogs groom.

The Animal Welfare Act (2006) outlines 5 needs that must be provided to the animals in our care. One of these is the "need to be free from pain, suffering, injury and disease" which means that as a Groomer, Fur By Flint Dog Grooming must not perform any service which may cause your dog pain or suffering.

Although tangles may appear cosmetic, matts can pose a real health concern to dogs. Failure to thoroughly brush out the coat can lead to the build up of matts close to the skin that cannot be brushed out without causing the dog distress and pain. Matted coats can cause the following problems:
• Skin irritation caused by dirt and dander
• Parasites such as fleas, ticks and even maggots may become trapped under the hair and cause skin infections
• Sores and hair loss - as mats become tighter, they can pull on the skin, causing lesions and hair loss
• Mats can obstruct the skin and hide conditions such as hot spots, sores and other skin issues. These can only be revealed once the hair has been clipped off and may need treatment.
• The skin beneath tight matts is usually raw and inflamed
• Ear bleeding (haematoma) - if the ears are heavily matted, circulation can be restricted. Once the mats have been removed, the dog may feel ‘tingling’ as the circulation returns and may shake their heads excessively, which can causing bleeding.
• De-matting of younger pets tends to make them dislike grooming to the point that they become VERY difficult to work with, and may even become biters, requiring them to be muzzled in order for them to be groomed at all.
• When a dog is severely tangled or matted, it causes greater stress on the dog to be de-matted. Since your pet has no way of telling us that we are hurting him/her, their only alternative is to bite.

In line with the Animal Welfare Act, Fur By Flint Dog Grooming will not subject any dog to de-matting attempts as these can cause considerable pain and distress to the dog, as well as causing micro-tears and brush burn to the skin. Not only this, but attempts to comb out mats will damage the structure of the hair, which may well subsequently cause more mats to form. The only solution to matting is to clip the coat off. Should the matting be extensive, there will be an additional charge to cover the time required to carry out the procedure and to cover the wear and tear on our equipment.

There is a chance that your dog's skin will become irritated during the clipping process, as the the clippers work their way through the matts. This is because the matted hair rests tightly against the skin and the only way of removing them is to use a short blade to clip between the skin and the matts. It is possible that your dog may be nicked because the Groomer has to work so closely to the skin to remove the entire matted coat – We will be as careful as possible but it is important to know that the possibility of injury exists and that we will not be held responsible. This also includes any after-grooming effects of matt clipping procedures, which could include, but are not limited to the following: itchiness, skin redness or self-inflicted irritations/abrasions from excessive external rubbing.

By acknowledging that I have read, understood and accepted the above terms and conditions I therefore release Fur By Flint Dog Grooming from the responsibility of the above shaving process and any problems that may be uncovered or occur during said procedure. Should my pet need veterinary care after or during the process I agree to pay any and all veterinarians fees for my pet’s care. I further agree to obtain veterinary attention for my pet within 24 hours of the grooming date should such action be advised.