Policies & Procedures

Thank you so much for choosing Elly’s Spaw & Boutique for you dog’s grooming needs. We strive to create a stress-free, safe, and pawsitive experience for your furry friend and rest assured you that they are in great hands!

Please read the following carefully. A copy of this service agreement will be sent to you via text message or email when your appointment is set up to digitally sign. By signing, you certify that you agree to our policies and also acknowledge that payment is due when grooming services are rendered, including any special handling requirements, de-matting charges, etc., pricing of which is subject to change.

Vaccinations

All dogs are recommended to have current vaccinations at time of visit of grooming appointment, however the Rabies vaccine is the only vaccine required to be serviced by Elly’s Spaw & Boutique. As we are a one-on-one grooming service, we do not require other vaccines to groom your dog, but highly recommend they be vaccinated with DHPP and Bordetella vaccinations. Please provide a copy by your vet of your dog’s current Rabies vaccination. If your dog is unable to receive vaccinations due to medical reasons, please inform us and we will consider special circumstances.

Senior dogs and medical needs

Grooming can be a very stressful situation for any pet, but especially for those that may have additional medical needs or are senior pets. We make sure that every dog we see is given the utmost care and is worked on at their pace in order to achieve maximum comfort. Because grooming can be a stressful event it may also expose pre-existing health problems/conditions for which Elly’s Spaw & Boutique cannot be held liable. It is your responsibility to inform the groomer of any pre-existing health conditions the pet may have prior to the grooming appointment, including skin issues, allergies, heart conditions, breathing problems, seizures, etc. In the event of any emergency and the owner is unreachable, the owner gives Elly’s Spaw & Boutique permission to seek immediate veterinary medical help and authorize the vet to treat the dog as necessary. We will do our best to contact you first, then take your pet to your authorized veterinarian, or if the authorized veterinarian is not readily available and/or deemed too far away, use a veterinarian of our choice. All veterinarian costs and expenses incurred will be the responsibility of the dog’s owner if vet visit is due to pre-existing conditions not caused by the grooming service.

Aggressive behavior/Special handling

For the safety of the pet and groomer, especially since we are a one-on-one service with no additional help, Elly’s Spaw & Boutique does not accept aggressive dogs. Aggressive behavior or behavior that requires special handling includes biting or snapping at groomer or tools, crocodile rolling, violent jerking, or any other extreme negative reaction to towards groomer or service. If we cannot safely groom the dog using proper tools to help protect the groomer and the dog (including but not limited to muzzles, Groomer’s Helper, or Hound Hammock) the service will be discontinued. Dogs have certain thresholds that, when met, will induce stress to the point that is unsafe and unhealthy for them. Dogs that have met their thresholds will not continue to be groomed. Our goal is to provide a safe, secure, and positive experience for the dog, but if that cannot be met in our care then we will discontinue service and kindly ask you seek a different better suited for your dog’s needs. We refuse to groom dogs past their thresholds and will not tolerate aggressive behavior.

Accidents

Nothing is more important to us than the safety of your dog and we use the utmost care and patience while working on your dog. However, as grooming equipment is sharp and dogs naturally move or wiggle around, accidents may occur. In the event an accident does occur, you will be notified immediately. If the accident is deemed serious by Elly’s Spaw & Boutique and the owner is unreachable, we will seek medical treatment for your dog at your authorized veterinarian, or if the authorized veterinarian is not readily available and/or too far away, Elly’s Spaw & Boutique is authorized to use a veterinarian of its choice. Reimbursement for such care will be at the sole discretion of Elly’s Spaw & Boutique.

Mat Removal/De-matting

Dogs with matted coats need extra care and attention. Mats in a dog’s coat grow tight and can ultimately damage and tear the dog’s skin, which in turn may cause a variety of skin issues including, but not limited to: parasite infestation, hot spots, excessive itching, etc. De-matting a dog’s coat is a time-consuming process requiring special conditioners, tools, skill and patience. There is an extra charge of $1 per minute, or $60 per hour, for de-matting.

In the event a dog is too severely matted, the mats may be removed by shaving, but only as a last resort. We will contact you before shaving your dog if it was not previously discussed at check-in. Removing a heavily matted coats can include the risks of nicks, cuts, or abrasions due to warts, moles, or skin folds trapped beneath the mats. After-effects of mat removal procedures can include clipper irritation, self-inflicted irritation by dog licking or chewing, or abrasions and failure of hair regrowth naturally. Prevention is the best defense against matting by scheduling regular grooming sessions and committing to every 4-6 week appointments.

Fleas & Ticks

ALL DOGS MUST BE ON AT LEAST A FLEA PREVENTATIVE. We DO NOT provide flea and tick preventatives. Dogs that have fleas found on them during grooming service will automatically be bathed in our flea & tick shampoo at an additional charge of$15. Dogs that need ticks removed will be charged an additional fee of $15 for the flea & tick wash as well as $1 per tick removed. Elly’s Spaw & Boutique reserves the right to turn away a dog if the flea and/or tick infestation is too severe and needs veterinary assistance.

Appointment Times

All clients are expected to arrive on time to their scheduled appointment time. If you know you are running late to your appointment, please call or text our studio to inform our grooming team of your current status. Clients that arrive anytime 15 MINUTES after their appointment time will be asked to reschedule their appointment. As we are a one-on-one grooming service, your appointment time is a customized time space reserved for just your pet. Arriving late pushes the appointment time into our next client’s reserved space. Please be respectful and courteous of our time and our other clients using our services.

Additionally, as we are a home-based grooming studio we DO NOT accept walk-in appointments. Please do not show up without an appointment and without any notice that you are arriving. Any client that arrives at our home-based studio unannounced will be asked to leave premise and to seek grooming services elsewhere. Arriving unannounced to our family home will not be tolerated. Please respect our family’s privacy.

Cancellations/no-Shows

We understand that schedules sometimes change and cancellations need to happen. If you must cancel, we ask that you give us a 48-hour notice in order to waive the FULL appointment fee. Any last minute cancellation (canceling less than 48 hours before appointment time) WILL be charged 100% of the grooming fee. Invoices will be sent through our scheduling software and future grooming appointments will not be scheduled until the last minute cancellation fee is paid in full.

In the event of a family emergency or other uncontrollable circumstances, Elly’s Spaw & Boutique has the direction to waive the fee within the 48-hour period. Elly’s Spaw & Boutique also reserves the right to cancel or reschedule a groom if we feel the need to do so. Every effort will be made to reschedule at a time convenient for both the client and the groomer.

In the event of a no show, Elly’s Spaw & Boutique reserves the right to charge the FULL grooming fee due to the loss of revenue. Any no shows WILL be charged 100% of the grooming fee. Invoices will be sent through our scheduling software and future grooming appointments will not be scheduled until the no show fee is paid in full.

Excessive client cancellations/no-shows will result in a removal from the clientele list and will no longer be able to book appointments with Elly’s Spaw & Boutique. Please respect our time as much as we respect yours.

Payment

Payment is to be made at the end of service, no exceptions. Payment can be in the form of cash, credit card, Apple Pay, Zelle, or Venmo. Grooming rates are based on the service, weight, breed of the dog, and time required to complete service. Additional charges apply for add-ons, de-matting, difficult behavior, flea & tick bath, and tick removal. Nail trimming/filing, ear cleaning, and teeth brushing are part of every service unless the process is too stressful for the dog or too dangerous for the groomer. Otherwise each service is all-inclusive and there is no price difference or discount for opting out of a part of the service.

Touch-ups/Redos

We strive to create the utmost pawsitive experience for you and your pet, and though we value your pet’s comfort over the outcome of their haircut, we still want to make sure we get them as cute and spiffy as we possibly can, and want you to be happy with their spaw service. In the event that your are dissatisfied with your pet’s groom, we will make an effort, if time and availability allows us, to fit your dog in within 48 hours of the initial grooming appointment to fix what we can, if possible. Requests for touch-ups or redos will not be accepted or honored if the client does not notified Elly’s Spaw & Boutique of the dissatisfaction within the first 48 hours of the initial grooming appointment.

Photographs

A large part of our job is making great memories with your dog by taking pictures and videos of them and sharing them on our social media. Elly’s Spaw & Boutique is given permission to take pictures and videos of your dog and post them on our website and social media pages. (If you are not comfortable with us sharing pictures and videos, please let us know in advance.)