Terms and Conditions
Grooming can be a wonderful or sometimes stressful experience, especially if your dog is not on a regular grooming or bathing schedule. Please ensure you tell us if your dog has any pre-existing medical conditions or behaviours that we should be aware of. These would include recent surgery, heart condition, aggression, anxiety, sedating/calming medication, etc.
Animal Health & Safety, and Accidents.
Although accidents are rare, there is always a risk when working with animals. Grooming equipment can be sharp, and although we use extreme caution and care in all situations, accidents can occur including cuts, nicks, scratches, quicking of nails, etc. Any incident, no matter how small, will be communicated to the pet owner.
In circumstances in which the dog may require veterinary attention, Elle Grooms Pets will alert you and take your pet to the closest vet clinic which is Mount Waverley Animal Hospital, or give you the choice to pick up and transport to your own vet.
Any veterinary bills resulting from a pet being matted, elderly, aggressive or unruly temperament, or from a pre-existing or unforeseeable condition, will be the sole responsibility of the owner.
Your pet’s safety and comfort is our number one priority. Therefore, if we feel that your pet’s or our own safety will be compromised, we will cease the groom and notify you immediately.
Aggression & Biting
Every precaution is taken once we are aware of a predisposition towards potential aggression towards any part of the grooming process, however, it is not always possible to calm a pet down once they are acting aggressively. Any signs of aggression, whether it be due to lack of training, fear, anxiety, pain, etc., are taken seriously and will incur an additional service fee at the discretion of the groomer.
Any instances of aggression will be reported to the owner, and a grooming schedule and/or vet visit is highly recommended. If a grooming schedule is not followed, there is the possibility of the dog progressing further with these signs and being refused service in the future due to liability and lack of accountability on the owner’s part.
In the event that the groomer is bitten and harmed, the owner may be charged $100 and asked to consult a veterinary behavourist and provide a letter from this veterinarian before the dog will be accepted back. The owner must commit to a strict grooming schedule in which all appointments will require a 50% deposit paid at the previous appointment.
Aggression includes but is not limited to, biting, scratching, growling, thrashing, snarling, sharp warning barks, profuse licking of lips and nipping, headbutting, dangerous behaviour, etc.
We implore all clients to realise that aggression doesn’t mean their dog is in any way a bad dog. It means they need some extra help and understanding to feel more comfortable with grooming as a normal part of their life.
We reserve the right to utilise muzzles, safe restraints, or to cease the groom entirely for the safety of the dog and/or the groomer.
Senior Dogs
Grooming older dogs does come with risks and considerations, especially if they no longer want to stand for parts of the groom, or do not tolerate washing or blow-drying. We take all due care, however, if we feel the dog is not coping, we reserve the right to discontinue services and refer to a vet groomer where veterinary assistance is on stand-by.
Our mission for older dogs is to enable quality of life with a “comfort groom”, rather than a perfect groom. All grooms are performed at a pace the dog is comfortable with.
Matting
It is the owner’s responsibility to address any matting that develops as soon as possible, with the help of the groomer. For more than a few small areas (at groomer’s discretion), the humane course of action is to shave to remove this matting, and start again. Matting removal is charged by the hour at a higher rate due to greater risk of injury, wear and tear on equipment, discomfort of the dog, and emotional fatigue for the groomer. Severe matting will require a separate waiver to be signed and agreed upon.
It is not uncommon to find previously hidden pre-existing conditions such as hot spots, sores, wounds, bacterial/fungal infections, redness, maggots, and other skin issues once matting is removed. There is also the chance that your dog’s skin will also become irritated after removing the matting. Matting pulls on the skin, and the tighter it is the shorter the blade that will be required to remove it, and higher chances of accidental cuts and scratches as the matting pulls on the skin and creates tension wrinkles. It is also possible for dogs to get shave shock which can last a few days once matting is removed.
We are not liable for any vet related costs due to health or behavioural issues as a result of neglect, including:
Pre-existing hot spots, pressure sores, other wounds
Bacterial/fungal infections of skin, ears, feet, or any parts of the dog’s body
Irritated skin where matted hair has been removed, including clipper rash, and hematomas where circulation has been restored (common on ears)
Exposing of pre-existing hot-spots and sores, minor cuts, or any other pre-existing conditions
Nicks, cuts, and scratches
Embedded nails, quicked nails
Cancellations
Cancellations made with less than 72 hours notice may be required to pay a percentage of the service at the discretion of your groomer, to cover the appointment spot that could have been otherwise filled. Cancellations made the day of your appointment will be required to pay 100% of the appointment costs, within 12 hours. Future appointments may require a deposit of 100% of the groom which is non-refundable and non-transferrable. Late payments will accrue a $20/day fee after one day. Dishonesty fees apply for declined credit cards on file.
No-Shows
No-show with no call to advise will require 100% of the appointment cost to be paid within 12 hrs, and credit card details will be required to hold future appointments. Dropping off your dog 15 minutes or later after your appointment time with no prior notice via phone call will be considered a No-Show. We understand that life happens, and just request a phone call if possible and safe to do so.
Late Drop Off
Please call if you suspect you are running late as our business relies on punctuality to provide a great service. A grace period of 10 minutes is provided, after this time it is impacting other appointment times. The groom may either go ahead with a Late Drop Off fee of $15 (under 15 minutes late), or a shorter appointment option made available (e.g. Tidy Bits instead of a Clip) at the price of the original service, plus the late fee.
If an owner shows up later than 15 minutes without reasonable prior contact with the salon, the appointment will be cancelled at the discretion of the groomer, and a no-show fee will be payable as per the No-Show policy above.
Late Pick Up
You will be given as much notice as possible that your pup will be ready at a certain time to support your day. We operate as a one-on-one salon offering 100% of our attention to the dog/s with us, and are unable to hold pets past their appointment time, unless in case of an emergency or as discussed prior to drop-off.
If unable to reach you, you will be given a 15 minute grace period, then charged an extended visit charge at $20 per 15 minutes after the notified pick-up time. This is payable prior to collection.
In the event of an emergency, your emergency contact will be notified and asked to collect your dog.
Life Happens - It’s ok if you miss your appointment because of an emergency! Just let us know you’re safe and that your pet is OK as we will worry.
Social Media Content
Please let us know if you would prefer us to keep footage of your pet off of social media for privacy reasons. We endeavour to share photos of our pupstomers after they have been picked up for their safety and ours.
For the latest version of our Service Agreement, please see MoeGo via our online booking portal. All clients are required to sign prior to their first appointment.