Grooming Policies
Fear Free Grooming
At Zen Dog Spa, we understand that grooming can be a stressful experience for pets. That's why we take a compassionate and positive approach to the grooming process. Our team is trained in techniques to alleviate fear, anxiety, and stress, and we never push any dog past their stress limit. We work collaboratively with owners and other care providers to find the best way to complete their pet's groom, ensuring a comfortable and stress-free experience for all.
Cancellations
Zen Dog Spa takes pride in providing individualized care to every pet we groom. Our fully trained and highly skilled Stylists and Groom Techs use a kind and gentle approach in handling your pets. Our appointments are scheduled so that each pet receives personalized care in a calm environment. Your spa appointment is a reservation for services and for the individualized attention we provide each pet. We can only take a limited number of appointments each day. A missed appointment is a loss of income to a small business and our groomers.
Please call or text at least 24 hours prior to your appointment to cancel or reschedule. We provide a reminder email and text 48 hours prior to every appointment to allow plenty of time for changes to be made in a timely manner if needed.
Late Cancellations or No Shows
If an appointment is canceled less than 24 hours prior to appointment or is missed without any notification, a $25 fee will be charged. A deposit of ½ the grooming cost will be required to reschedule a future appointment if you have missed more than two appointments within a calendar year.
Late Arrivals
We are only able to perform the grooming services for your pet in the time allotted for your scheduled appointment. If you suspect that you may be late for your appointment, please call us to let us know. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late to your scheduled appointment, we may not be able to perform your scheduled grooming services and you may need to reschedule your appointment so that we can stay on schedule with our other clients. If time allows, an additional fee of $10 may apply in order to complete a full groom.
Late Pick-up
At the time you drop off your pet, we will be able to give you an approximate time for pick up. We will call and text you as soon as your pet is finished. If you are late (after regular business hours), an additional fee will be added to accommodate the time spent caring for and keeping your pet comfortable until you arrive. Late Pick-up Fees are as follows: $20 for every 15 minutes after a 15 minute grace period after 5pm.
Vaccinations
The following vaccinations are required for all dogs receiving grooming services: Distemper/Parvo and Rabies. Titer test results will also be accepted. It is the responsibility of the client to provide updated vaccinations for their pet(s). Pets with expired vaccinations may be refused service.
Dematting
Animals with severely matted coats require extra attention. Mats in an animal’s coat grow tight, and can ultimately damage and tear the animal's skin, which provides a breeding ground for parasite infestations.
Zen Dog Spa will not cause serious or undue stress to your pet by dematting. Mats can be very difficult to remove, and may require the pet to be shaved. Removing a heavily matted coat can cause nicks, cuts or abrasions due to skin growths trapped in the mats. Heavy matting can also trap moisture and urine near the pet's skin allowing mold, fungus or bacteria to grow, producing skin irritations that existed prior to the grooming process.
If dematting can be done in a safe and comfortable manner, there will be an additional charge.
After-effects of mat removal procedures can include itchiness, skin redness, self-inflicted irritations or abrasions and failure of the hair to regrow. In some cases, pets may also exhibit brief behavioral changes. Prevention is the best defense by scheduling regular grooming appointments, every 4-8 weeks. If your pet needs to be shaved to remove matting, your groomer will alert you before doing so.
Health & Medical
Occasionally, grooming can expose a hidden medical problem or aggravate a current one. This can occur during or after grooming. Please make sure to alert us of any current or past issues so that we may keep an eye out for them. All medical expenses for veterinary care for pre-existing conditions will be covered by the pet's owner.
Although accidents are very rare, there is a risk when dealing with animals. Grooming equipment is sharp, and although we use extreme caution and care in all situations, possible problems could occur including cuts, nicks, scratches, quicking of nails, etc. In most cases this can happen when an animal is wiggling or moving around.
Your pet’s safety and comfort is our number one priority. In the event an accident does occur, you will be notified of the accident. We will seek immediate veterinary care for your pet with the closest vet clinic if necessary.