Policies

Things Stumpy thinks you should know…

  1. Cancellation policy: We require a minimum notice of 48 hours to change or cancel an appointment so that we have an opportunity to fill it. We will require payment for missed appointments with less notice, as we have set that time aside for you and made it unavailable for others.
  2. If your dog is ill: Please don’t bring your dog in with illness. If your dog has fleas or lice, speak with your vet. If your dog has an undiagnosed cough, diagnosed kennel cough, or other symptoms of illness, please call us and we’ll reschedule. In circumstances beyond your control, if we are given some notice so that we can fill the appointment, we don’t charge for the missed appointment.
  3. If your dog has fleas or lice: If we discover a few fleas on your dog during grooming, we may bathe the dog in a special product to prevent spread in the shop, and will need to charge you an additional fee for the additional time and product for the required special bath and the deep clean of the shop. If the infestation is severe, or if we see lice on your dog, we may opt to send your dog home, as-is at time of discovery, with a fee for the partial groom and deep cleaning that will be required. The dog can then be treated at home and rescheduled once the treatment has had an effect. We will recommend that you put the dog on treatment from your veterinarian. Typically lice needs more frequent application of treatment than fleas, so consulting with your veterinarian is important.
  4. Dogs are kept separate: Your dogs won’t interact / play with another client’s dogs in the shop. This is for hygiene and safety reasons. Dogs are kept separate, and for almost all of the time your dog is with us, they are busy getting one on one attention from us anyway.
  5. Dogs must be vaccinated: We do require dog vaccinations to be up to date for your dog to come into the shop. Puppies should be at least two weeks beyond their second set of shots to come for grooming. Adult dogs should be up to date on their vaccination schedule.
  6. Matted / neglected dogs: If your dog is matted, they will likely need to be clipped very short. We don’t want to make you unhappy, but de-matting is painful and inhumane. Hair will grow back. We like dogs and don’t want to hurt them, so while a few tangles might be able to be brushed out – we will charge for additional time – dogs with extensive matting will be clipped short and we will give you lots of tips on effective brushing and combing techniques, and recommend a grooming schedule that will keep your dog looking and feeling great.
  7. Elderly dogs – the comfort trim: Age catches up to all of us if we’re lucky. If your dog is elderly and no longer up for a fancy trim, we will recommend a comfort trim. Think of your elderly dog as being like a person in long-term care. You want to keep them comfortable, clean and tidy, but they probably aren’t up for anything beyond basic. Short and sweet is in the best interest of your elderly dog.
  8. Dogs must be well-walked: If your dog has bathroom accidents that take time to clean up and re-bath the dog after, we will need to charge you for the additional time. Trust us, we would rather not have the accident and not have to charge. It’s much easier if they empty themselves before coming in. Messes that require re-bathing the dog and disinfecting the area will be charged at our hourly rate. This can add a significant fee to your bill. Save yourself the money, and us the time and aggravation of dealing with messes by walking your dog for 15 minutes before coming in.
  9. More time = more cost: If your dog has behavior issues, that require special handling and extra time, or if your dog is overgrown, we will need to charge for that time at our hourly rate.
  10. Severe aggression / unsafe behavior will not be tolerated: We provide grooming services, and need to be able to reasonably and safely provide those services. If your dog is a danger to us or to themselves, we will send the dog home and recommend a course of action going forward (i.e. working with a trainer, speaking to your veterinarian etc.).