Please read the Terms and Conditions carefully as they affect your liabilities under the law. By booking an appointment with Bark Side of the Groom you are deemed to accept the Terms and Conditions as stated below. If you do not agree to these Terms and Conditions, please do not continue with the booking. 

Salon Etiquette 

Please be punctual when dropping off and collecting your dog – this includes arriving early! Please do not attempt to enter the salon any more than 5 minutes before your appointment time. 

If you arrive before your allotted appointment time it is very likely we will be still be attending to a dog who will become excited and, due to the equipment we use, may cause an accident which we will not be held liable for. 

Clients are asked not to talk to or distract any dogs in the salon, including their own until we have safely returned them to you. We aim to allow dogs from various households to socialise together during the grooming process. Distracting them could result in an incident that we will not be held liable for.

Clients are asked to give their dogs the opportunity to relieve themselves before attending their grooming appointment to avoid toileting in the salon. 

If you are dissatisfied with any part of your dog’s groom, please let us know within 48 hours and we will resolve this for you free of charge, noting the correction must be booked in within a reasonable time frame.

Pricing

All quoted prices are estimates only and subject to the following conditions:

• Dogs that are professionally groomed on a regular basis (between 4-8 weeks dependent on breed and coat requirements)
• Condition of dog’s coat (kept tangle, knot and matt free by regular brushing and combing between appointments)
• The dog is well behaved and shows no aggression
• Based on basic pet trims 
• The dog is not overweight or oversized for the breed

Should we need to stop the groom due to the welfare and safety of your dog and/or the groomer, the total balance is still applicable. 

Our fee includes our time, our skill, maintenance of equipment, products and utilities. The cost is adjusted accordingly to the amount of the above used. 

Whilst every effort is made to ensure our clients get good value for money, prices are likely to increase once a year due to the cost of living, increase in utility charges, increase in the cost of products and training to continue to improve our skills. Clients will be made aware of any price increases with as much notice as possible before the increase takes place.

Payment must be made upon collection and be done by cash, debit card or credit card. The groom must be paid for in full before leaving with your dog(s). 

Safety and welfare in the salon 

The health and safety of your dog is our primary concern whilst it is in our care. Clients are asked to inform us of any known health issues, sensitivities or allergies prior to confirming the appointment. We will not be held responsible for any pain or discomfort caused to your dog where we have not been made aware of the issues. Your dog’s tolerance to the grooming process will determine the level of groom achieved.

When grooming, we may discover a pre-existing condition you may not have been aware of. In accordance of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 we will highlight this to you and ask you to seek veterinary advice. 

We make every effort to ensure your dog is groomed as safely as possible, but if there is a risk that your dog could be injured, we reserve the right to stop grooming your dog with immediate effect.  Although extremely unlikely, accidents can happen when a dog is moving around or uncooperative during the grooming process. In the event of an accident or serious medical issue during your dog’s appointment, you authorise us to seek emergency veterinary treatment. Please note, liability is not accepted by Bark Side of the Groom upon taking your dog to a veterinarian in the event of an incident.

Cancellation Policy

Late cancellations hurt small businesses. We work by appointment only, the appointment slot allocated is for your dog’s groom exclusively and we do not double book appointments so a no-show is lost income. 

If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment we respectfully ask that you provide at least 24 hours’ notice. For late cancellation of less than 24 hours’ notice or no-show to your appointment, a fee of 50% of your groom price will be levied. For multiple late cancellations or no-shows, a non-refundable deposit of 50% of your groom price will be levied to secure a future appointment. 

Late Collection 

Unless previously agreed upon, late collection time is not possible. Drop off/collection times are essential and must be adhered to for safety purposes as well as being extremely disruptive for the following grooming appointments. 

Clients who are more than 30 minutes late collecting their dog(s) will be charged a crèche fee of £5 per dog for each period of 10 minutes after the initial 30 minute grace period. Please note this fee will increase to £10 per dog for each period of 10 minutes after 5:30pm. 

Neglected and matted coats

In accordance with The Animal Welfare Act 2006 (clause 5 – animals are to be protected from pain, injury and suffering) any humane de-matting will be undertaken solely at our discretion and only if the matting is minimal, limited to a maximum of 15 minutes and not covering more than 25% of the body. For severely matted coats where de-matting isn't possible, the only humane way to deal with this will be to completely shave off the coat.

In the event that you dog’s coat needs to be clipped down to release it from matting or coat neglect, Bark Side of the Groom will not be held liable for any post-grooming effect this may cause, as it is not without risk. 

Shaving back a matted coat takes additional time and causes excessive wear and tear on our equipment and as such a matting fee of from £10 will incur, dependant on the level of matting. 

Aggressive/nervous dogs

Clients must inform us if their dog has ever bitten, displayed aggression to humans or other dogs or does not tolerate a specific aspect of the grooming process. We reserve the right to refuse or stop the groom at any time before or during the grooming process. 

Dogs that are aggressive often require additional time and careful handling to be groomed, and therefore an additional charge may apply in these circumstances. If your dog bites or attacks any staff, visitor, other customer or animal, the owner will be responsible for any and all related medical bills, veterinary bills, loss of income, and/or any related costs. If your dog damages any equipment due to its aggressive temperament, the owner will be responsible for the cost of repair and/or replacement.

Fleas

If your dog has a flea infestation, we respectfully ask that you reschedule your appointment until such time as the flea infestation is resolved. If live fleas are found on your dog during their groom, this will incur a surcharge of £15. A flea infestation means we will need to reschedule all further dogs that day and disinfect the salon and our equipment to avoid further contamination.