Grooming Schedule Policy

At Stay, we love working with your pets and want the opportunity to truly connect with them. To truly bond with your pet, we need to see them more frequently. We want to see most dogs on a 4-8 week schedule.

Groomers often observe changes in your dog’s health and well-being that can help you care for your dog effectively. Dogs that are groomed frequently are more comfortable with the experience, less matted, and are overall happier. Dogs that are in a matted or impacted condition can have skin issues such as irritation, hot spots, and in severe cases, hematomas; matted and impacted conditions not only cause strain on your dog’s body, but on the groomers’ bodies as well. Regular grooming also lets you maintain cute styles and longer hair. We want only the best for our clients and our employees, which means all dogs need to be scheduled at most every 8 weeks, unless otherwise instructed by your groomer. We understand that sometimes things happen and you need to reschedule, but chronic rescheduling that causes your dog to be regularly overdue for grooming may cause you to lose your spot on our books permanently.

Cancellations/No-Shows

We require a minimum of 24 hours in advance to cancel or reschedule an appointment to avoid a cancellation fee of $40.

If an appointment is missed without a 24-hour notification, a $40 “No Show”/ “Late Cancellation” Fee will be charged AND a deposit of ½ the grooming cost may be required to reschedule a future appointment.

Late Pick-ups

At the time you drop off your pet, we will be able to give you an approximate time for pick up. We will call you as soon as your pet is finished.  If you are late 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: $10 for every hour late. If a pet is left at Stay after closing, your pet will be boarded overnight and charged for a standard room.

Considerations

In order to keep a sanitary work environment, we ask that you walk your dog to relieve themselves prior to your appointment. A clean-up fee of $20 may apply if it is a repetitive problem. 

De-matting

Pets groomed on a regular basis adjust and cooperate with routine. Pets that are not groomed every 6 to 8 weeks may become matted. Matting occurs from lack of grooming, coat overgrowth, not being brushed routinely, or coat not being combed through prior to getting wet. Additional fees apply for de-matting a pet.  When matting is severe and/or close to the skin the only humane way to remove the mats is to clip the coat off to the skin line. In some cases where the matting is not severe and only covers a small area, we can remove them by splitting, thinning, and then brushing them out. There is a fee of $20 for every 15 minutes to de-mat your pet. Severe matting may require an hour or more. Matted coats are hard on our equipment and in most cases require two haircuts, the first to remove the matted coat before bathing and the second to even up the coat after bathing. We do our best to ensure your pets’ skin is cared for, but we are not responsible for health conditions that may be revealed by removing a matted coat such as sores. 

Medications & Procedures

Please inform us of any behavior-modifying medications your dog is on before their grooming appointment. We also strongly suggest you wait a minimum of 48 hours after your dog has had any shots because they will be sore and need to rest. We require a minimum of 2 WEEKS after any spay or neuter appointments to groom your pet.

Pets with Special Needs

“Special needs” pets are considered as the following: Pets with extreme anxiety, pets that show aggression, pets who cannot be kenneled either due to owner request or due to safety concerns, senior pets 12 years and up (may apply to dogs 7+ if giant breed).

We do not guarantee finished haircuts on these dogs. Our main focus is the safety of your pets and our employees. Your groomer/bather will talk with you about any concerns and ways to get the job done in the future. These pets require more time and attention than a pet who has been properly trained into grooming. Senior pets require more careful attention as they tend to get stressed quicker and their joints/bones are not as strong as they used to be. Special Handling Fees may apply. 

Aggressive dogs will be assessed at each time of their grooming appointment. If we need to spend extra time or are required to use a muzzle/cone for at least 50% of the groom based on behavior, a Special Handling Fee of $20 will be applied. We have the right to refuse or discontinue service at any time.