Policies and Procedures Agreement

Whenever possible, visit requests should be done at least 24 hours before the first visit is needed to ensure availability. Please understand that your visit request is not guaranteed until a confirmation has been sent by At Home Pet Care, LLC. Please call our office at 651-994-9393 when requesting visits with less than 24 hour notice to check for availability.

Pet Care and Payment

  1. Pet care services will be provided at the agreed upon rate.  Rates for subsequent services are subject to change.  
  2.   Client authorizes At Home Pet Care, LLC to perform pet care services as outlined in the client profile, pet profile, and the veterinary release, which shall also be a part of this contract. Prior to any future pet care services, client agrees to notify At Home Pet Care, LLC of any changes to the information on these forms.
  3.   Emergency care; in the event that any pet(s) being cared for require immediate medical attention, At Home Pet Care, LLC will attempt to contact the client prior to obtaining emergency care. However, client agrees that pet sitter has the authority to act in the pet’s best interest even if this means seeking medical attention prior to notifying client. Client agrees to reimburse At Home Pet Care, LLC for any and additional fees and/or expenses incurred while tending to emergency or veterinary care.
  4.   Inclement weather/natural disaster/act of war; in the event of inclement weather, natural disaster, or act of war At Home Pet Care, LLC is entrusted to use their best judgment in caring for pets and home. Client recognizes that in the event of inclement weather, natural disaster, or act of war At Home Pet Care, LLC reserves the right to alter services outlined in this contract.
  5.   Personal emergency; in the event of personal emergency or illness of the pet sitter, client authorizes At Home Pet Care, LLC to arrange for another qualified person to fulfill agreed-upon responsibilities as set forth in this contract. Qualified person will have been instructed on how to complete the visit.
  6. Home Access Policy: AHPC, LLC requires two methods of entry into the home to prevent inability to enter in case your primary option fails. The primary option can be a garage code, door code or lockbox on your premises. The preferred secondary option is one

of the previous options as well. If you choose for your secondary option to be for us to keep a key on file in our secure office, there is a $25 charge each time we need to use it to cover the extra time it takes an employee to drive to and from the office to pick up and

drop off the key. It may be best to choose a different backup method in order to prevent this charge. Feel free to call our office at 651.994.9393 to discuss different options. At Home Pet Care, LLC will not be held responsible in any way for keys that are left

outside, left in fake rock key hiders, left in the home at last visit, etc. or for any outcomes resulting from keys left in locations such as these.

  1.   Locksmith; client gives At Home Pet Care, LLC the authority to use the services of a locksmith in the event of malfunction of the lock, keys or automatic door opener if client is unreachable. Client agrees to reimburse At Home Pet Care, LLC within seven days of return for all costs incurred and agrees to hold At Home Pet Care, LLC harmless for consequences related to the activities of the locksmith.
  2. Client contact; all client contact and scheduling should be conducted through the main office of At Home Pet Care, LLC and not directly with the pet sitter(s) unless specifically approved by At Home Pet Care, LLC ahead of time.   Attempting to contact pet sitters by exchanging personal information such as contact numbers, email addresses, etc (either client’s or sitter’s) will violate sitter’s non-solicit agreement with At Home Pet Care, LLC and may result in immediate termination of sitter.
  3.   Payment; client agrees to make payment in full prior to, or at the time of, the first visit.  Payment not received upon due date on invoice will incur a late penalty fee.  Recurring ongoing visits may not be subject to prepayment, but payment will be due by due date on invoice and will incur late penalty fee if received by At Home Pet Care, LLC after that due date.
  4.   Extra services; any charges for unplanned services will be due within seven days of completion of service engagement. Invoice for additional charges, including receipts verifying costs, will be left at client’s home upon completion of our service engagement.
  5.   Confirmation; client agrees to update information in their account portal prior to leaving if there are any changes to departure day/time.. If client expects to arrive home earlier or later than planned, At Home Pet Care, LLC must be notified as soon as possible.  If our office does not hear from client on expected date of return, services may potentially be continued, at At Home Pet Care LLC’s discretion,  until contact has been established.  Client will be financially responsible for continuation of visits and all expenses incurred as a result.
  6.   Cancellation; At Home Pet Care, LLC does not charge a cancellation fee.  If the pet sitter has arrived at the client’s home or is en route when the cancellation request is received, the cost of that visit will still be charged.
  7. Late Request Fees; At Home Pet Care, LLC reserves the right to implement a fee of $5 extra per visit for each visit requested with less than 48-hours notice and a fee of $10 extra per visit for each visit requested with less than 24-hour notice.
  8. At Home Pet Care, LLC employees go through a background check and extensive training before being allowed to do unsupervised pet visits.  If you also request to meet with an employee beforehand there will be a $27 fee for that introduction so that the employee can be paid for their time and effort.

 

Liability

  1. At Home Pet Care, LLC, its employees and/or independent contractors, agrees to provide the services in a caring, responsible manner. The client waives and relinquishes any and all claims against At Home Pet Care, LLC, its employees and or independent contractors, except those arising from negligence of the pet sitter. Client agrees to notify At Home Pet Care, LLC of any concerns related to agreed-upon services within 24- hours of return home.
  2. Emergency contact; client agrees to provide At Home Pet Care, LLC with contact information where he/she can be reached while away. Client will also provide a name and phone number of someone who is authorized to handle any major problems that may arise. If client or designated contact person cannot be reached in a timely manner, the client agrees to accept any decision At Home Pet Care, LLC makes in regards to pet care or client property.
  3. Visitors; if anyone will be entering the client’s home while it is under our care, the client agrees to notify At Home Pet Care, LLC in advance. At Home Pet Care, LLC will not enter an occupied home if we have not previously been made aware of any visitors. Similarly, unless we receive instructions from the client, we will not grant access to the home to any visitors. At Home Pet Care, LLC will not be held responsible for any damages incurred to the client’s home or pets by any visitors. It is understood that anyone with access to the home will be notified of At Home Pet Care, LLC’s presence and vice versa. The police will be called without exception on all intruders or any suspicious acts.  At Home Pet Care, LLC will not be held responsible for any damage to property or pet(s) that occurs during shared visits with neighbors, friends, other pet-sitting companies, etc.
  4. Outdoor access; At Home Pet Care, LLC will not be held liable for the well-being or actions of any pet with unsupervised access to the outdoors.
  5. Aggressive pets; if a pet has a history of biting or other aggressive behavior, At Home Pet Care, LLC reserves the right to refuse or cancel service. The owner will be liable for the pet sitter’s medical expenses and/or damages that are the result of an animal bite or injury due to the pet’s aggressive behavior.
  6.   Vaccinations; client agrees to provide At Home Pet Care, LLC with proof of current vaccinations for all pets when requested. Should the pet sitter be bitten or otherwise exposed to any disease or ailment received from the client’s pets, the client agrees to pay any costs and damages incurred as a direct result.
  7. Future services; client authorizes this signed contract to be valid for future services without additional signed contracts or written authorizations. 
  8. Client gives At Home Pet Care, LLC permission to take and use photos and/or videos of pet(s) for promotional/advertising reasons without any compensation to the client.  All photos  and videos become the sole property of At Home Pet Care, LLC and client releases At Home Pet Care, LLC from any and all claims which arise out of or are in any way connected with such use.  Client may revoke permission for future use of photos and videos at any time in writing to At Home Pet Care, LLC.

Veterinary Release

  1. During my absence, a representative of At Home Pet Care, LLC will be caring for my pet(s) and has my permission to transport them to your office for treatment. I authorize you to treat my pet(s) and will be responsible for payment to you upon my return. I will assume full responsibility upon my return for payment of veterinary services rendered.  If the named veterinarian in the client’s profile is not available, another veterinary group is acceptable. If emergency care is needed after regular veterinary office hours, my pet(s) may be taken to the nearest Emergency Veterinary Clinic.  I understand that At Home Pet Care, LLC assumes no responsibility for the loss of any pet and is released from all liability related to transportation, treatment and expense. 

     This consent for treatment has no expiration date unless otherwise noted.   A photocopy/facsimile of this consent shall have the same force and effect as the Client/Pet Owner’s original signature. 

FAQs

  1. What happens at the Meet and Greet?

A Meet and Greet will be scheduled where you can give us a tour of your home, we can meet your pets, verify our two entry methods and continue to answer any other questions you may have.  If necessary, we will also schedule a complimentary Practice Visit that will be completed before you actually leave for your trip to ensure that your pets are comfortable with us coming into your home while you are not there and to iron out any questions we may have about the care you desire.  

  1. Can we contact our Dog Walker/Pet Sitter directly?

In order to ensure continuity in service, we ask you to direct your messages to info@athomepetcare.com or simply call 651.994.9393.  Directly contacting your sitter tends to create unnecessary confusion and could result in your needs slipping through the cracks.  Our employees want the very best for your pets and are not permitted to give out their personal information or accept yours.  Please add info@athomepetcare.com and ahpc@preciseemail.net to your contacts to ensure that our communication with you does not end up in your spam folder.

  1. What are my payment options?

You will receive an invoice by email typically about two weeks before your first visit date.  It will have an electronic button that will allow you to pay with a credit or debit card through PayPal (no PayPal account is necessary).

  1. How will I know that a visit has been completed?

After each visit, your sitter will use our online software to send you a journal (aka “Nose Boop”) in real-time via email.  It will include events that took place during the visit and pictures of your cute pet if it is feeling photogenic!  By clicking the link in the email to take you directly to the journal, you are also able to respond back/ask questions if you wish!  This way, you never have to wait until you arrive back home to see how the visits went!

  1. What happens if the assigned sitter/walker is unable to make it?

You never have to worry about a sitter calling off sick because all of our sitters have a back-up sitter in case of emergency.  In cases of extreme inclement weather, we do our best to still arrive for the visit if at all possible.  We will notify you if Minnesota weather makes completing a visit too dangerous.

  1. Can I tip my Pet Sitter/Dog Walker?

Although tips are never expected, they are certainly appreciated.   If you leave a tip in your home, please mark it clearly in an envelope labeled At Home Pet Care Team for your sitter so that there is never any confusion as to whether it was meant for them!  You can also add a tip to your invoice when you pay by PayPal.  100% of the tip always goes to your sitter(s).  

The client states that he/she has read this entire agreement and understands and agrees to its terms and conditions.                       

I, the client, agree that I have requested that At Home Pet Care, LLC take care of my pet(s). I agree to pay the charges accrued for the services provided as outlined in the agreement.