Terms of Service

Below please find our terms of service. We ask that if you have any questions to let us know and we will do our very best to answer them. We ask that you give us a minimum of 3 hours for a groom unless you prebook an Express Groom. 

Please walk your dog in our dog walk before entering

Your dog will be in a warm bath and that tends to make them have to urinate if they have not been emptied before coming in. When they become insistent we may have to walk them just rinsed and wet to go out, and this can be exceptionally uncomfortable depending on the weather. It can also become an issue if it’s raining and they’re dry, being finished and they have to go out into the rain, then they must be dried again in order to properly finish them. Please walk your dog in our convenient dog walk before entering. It will relieve a lot of stress from your dog to be comfortable during their groom. 

Express Groom

An Express Groom is when due to medical issues, or other reasons your pet is required to be done in a very short amount of time. (Under 3 hours) This can be done while you wait in our waiting room, or you can come back when we call you to let you know we will be finished in a certain time. The cost for Express Grooming is an additional $10-$20 above the grooming fee. 

School Cancellations

When the Wachusett Regional School District is closed, we are closed as well. We will gladly reschedule you to a day where travel is safer for everyone. 

Fleas

We do not accept pets with fleas. We do not carry any type of flea treatments in our facility. Due to the cancer causing agents of many of these products we do not wish to handle them or be exposed to them. If your pet has fleas we will ask that you see a vet to obtain a topical treatment or Capstar pill to kill the fleas on your pet before returning. Flea baths are an inadequate form of ridding your animal of fleas because fleas will run inside any orifice of the animal they can find while the animal is being bathed. Once the animal is no longer being bathed they simply run back out onto your pet. It is highly recommended all animals in the home be treated because even if they are not scratching if one has them, they all do. Additionally the fleas will be nesting in any bedding or other cozy area in the home. Their eggs will take 2 days – 2 weeks to hatch, so you will need to be prepared for the secondary wave of fleas. 

Pet Illness 

If your pet is ill please reschedule your appointment so we do not pass that illness along to our other clients. We will gladly find a time that will work for you when you call to let us know. 

Missed Appointments

When you make an appointment we block off that time and that crate for your pet.  When you do not give us notice we cannot fill that spot with another pet, and that results in lost wages.  If you do not call and do not show we will require nonrefundable prepayment for your next appointment. 

Aggressive Pets

Our safety and the safety of your pet is our primary concern. To prevent a career ending or physical injury to our staff, as well as harm to your pet, the groom or nail trim is over when it becomes dangerous for either of us. Our minimum charge is half the service fee for that pet’s service. 

It is up to the owner to inform Furry Tails Grooming Salon & Spa staff of any aggressive behaviors that may impact grooming. I understand that should my pet harm any of the staff of Furry Tails Grooming Salon & Spa that I will be liable for the injuries caused by aggression. There is a $10 bite charge that will be added to the groom for punctures.

Severely Matted Pets

Matted dogs and cats can have pre-existing conditions that may become uncovered when the matted coat is removed. When we find a pet is severely matted we take photos/video before, during and after the process to document the condition of your pet and noting anything we uncovered during the grooming process.

 

The procedure to remove the mats is commonly referred to as stripping or shaving down. Upon stripping your pet, the following conditions may be exposed:

· Hotspots

· Extreme flakiness of skin

· Cuts in skin - This can happen due to mats being so tight and close to the skin that the skin becomes part of the mat or sticks and debris that have been cutting the pet.

Shaving/stripping is not a procedure we want to do unless directed by you, the owner. It is done out of necessity when de-matting is more than you wish to pay or too painful for the pet.

Matted coats can cause a variety of problems for your pet. The mats do not allow proper air circulation to get down to the skin, causing the body’s heat to amplify in the matted areas. This can cause overheating for your pet, develop hotspots and/or extremely dirty/flaky skin, and opportunistic parasites such as fleas or ticks maybe hiding under the mats. This further irritates your pet’s skin as well as makes your pet anemic.

It is possible that your pet’s skin may become irritated or nicked due to this process. We take all precautions necessary to avoid this and we use special soothing shampoos on these pets. However, we at Furry Tails are not responsible for problems that arise when pets have been brought to us in this condition. We are not responsible for any skin irritations, hematomas, nicks, cuts or health issues caused by severe matting. All vet expenses, if there should be any, are the owners’ responsibility.
 

For matting that can be brushed out, but will take over 30 minutes of dematting we do charge a $25/half hour dematting feee.
 

Vaccinations
We require all dogs and cats be vaccinated for rabies in accordance with Laws of Mass.

Ch. 140, § 145B; Code of Mass.Regs.330 CMR 10.02. We recommend all dogs be vaccinated for distemper and bordetella. 

Payment

Payment is due when services are rendered. We accept cash, check, credit and debit cards. There will be $25 fee for all bounced checks. 

Anal Glands

We do not express anal glands, as the only safe process to do this without any risk of harming your pet is to express them internally. As Massachusetts requires a veterinarian to be on premises for all internal procedures we will not express your dog’s glands. 

Double Coated Dog Shave downs

We do not recommend this, as it exposes the dog to sunburn, bug bites, and makes regulating their body temperature difficult, so heat stroke can become an issue. Also older dog’s fur may not grow back in properly, or at all. If you want a dog with this type of coat shaved down we will ask you to sign a release form freeing us from liability for any of the aforementioned issues. We will not shave Labs, Boxers, Pugs, or other short coated breeds. We will gladly de-shed them to alleviate shedding. 

Crates

We crate all pets for their own safety. We groom many large dogs that are other dog aggressive. Since we do groom these types of dogs we also have a one dog to the floor policy. That is at no time will more than one dog be on the floor leashed or otherwise in the work area of the shop unless they are from the same household.
We do not crate dogs together at any time unless the dogs are from the same household and the owner requests that we do so. 

Prescription Shampoos

We will gladly use prescription shampoo from your vet on your dog. We will return it to you when you pick up your dog.
 

Perfumes

If you or anyone in your household has a sensitivity to perfumes and would prefer not to have any put on your dog please let us know when you drop your dog off. 

Senior Pets / Pets with medical issues

Grooming can cause stress that can exaggerate or expose new problems, or even lead to a serious medical event or death in some cases. There are mental and behavioral changes in senior dogs or dogs with medical issues (including but not limited to separation anxiety) and they are groomed for comfort only and not looks. We require a release from any liability if any problems/medical issue should occur due to the fact that your pet is a senior or has medical issues or behavioral issues. The owner of the pet is solely responsible for any and all medical bills related to their pet and give permission to Furry Tails Grooming Salon & Spa to seek veterinary care at the nearest vet in case of emergency. Furry Tails Grooming Salon & Spa has the best interest of your pet in mind and will do everything to keep your pet safe. If we feel that grooming will be too stressful for your pet the groom will be stopped immediately and you will be contacted to pick up the pet and payment for services rendered will be paid.