To provide the very best service possible, the following processes and procedures have been developed.
Your Sitter: We hire only the best of the best to care for your fur babies. Every sitter is required to complete background checks and clearances as part of our interviewing process. Five Paws is incredibly proud to have built a collective team environment. Two primary sitters are assigned to clients based on service areas. Every effort is made to schedule one of your primary sitters. We never want your pups and kitties to be left without their TLC, so we have backup plans to our backup plans! This is a HUGE benefit of working with a team of pet sitters! In the event of illness, vacations, jury duty or an unforeseen problem, it is understood that another Five Paws team member will pop into that particular visit, perhaps without notice or being introduced to the client. Any backup sitter will have access to your pet profile and will have all of the same necessary information to take proper care of your pets! No worries!
Scheduling: We use a very user friendly online scheduling system! Every client has their own personal login and pet profile. To request visits or cancel visits, simply login and submit your scheduling request. Of course, you can always call or email the main office at 484-598-3259 or info@fivepawsdelco.com. The master schedule is managed by the office and not your individual pet sitter. Sending requests through your sitter may result in confusion and/or miscommunication. We strongly advise that you work through the main office.
Scheduling Deadlines: The weekly schedule is finalized for the sitters each Sunday. If your schedule changes weekly or if you have changes needed to a reoccurring schedule, please submit your request as early as possible or by Saturday 12pm. We do our best to accommodate all requests but space is limited. Advance notice is recommended especially during our busiest times (holidays, summer vacation time). A last-minute request fee of $10 will be charged to any service requested with less than 48 hours’ notice.
Cancellation Policy: For regular daily visits, cancellations must be received by 9am. This notice gives our sitters adequate time to finalize their schedules and allows us the opportunity to cover emergency requests when needed. If the cancellation is received after 9am, the cost of the visit is charged. See below for the special cancellation policy during holidays.
Holiday Cancellations: Please understand that pet sitting services and kennels receive more requests for reservations than they can usually handle during these holiday time periods. We may have turned away other clients because we have reserved time for you during a busy season. If you have vacation visits scheduled during the holidays and cancel seven days or less before any holiday, you will be charged for half of the visits.
Payments: To keep our administrative costs low (and therefore our rates low), we do not send invoices to our weekly dog walking clients. When you receive email confirmation of your scheduled visits, the total due is listed within that email. The payment is due, IN FULL, upon the first visit for vacation visits or at the beginning of the week for regular service. We primarily utilize an auto- pay credit card system within the scheduling site. You can also submit your own individual credit card payments. Additionally, we do accept cash and checks. Should you choose to pay by cash or check, we respectfully request that you leave the payment for the sitter to pick up during their visit. Make checks payable to “Five Paws” and please write the dates of corresponding service on the “memo” line. Please leave payment and any special instructions for the sitter in a prominent location inside your home before you depart. If you have any questions regarding your amount due or billing, please contact the main office as your pet sitter doesn’t maintain this information.
Tips: Tips, while not required nor expected, are VERY much appreciated. All tips are paid 100% directly to the pet sitter! Tips can also be made online as well as within your check/cash. Simply indicate on the memo line that the additional amount is for your sitter!
Keys: Beginning in 2019, Five Paws has updated our key management system to provide safe, more efficient options for our clients and sitters. Our sitters will no longer carry keys between client homes and instead we will request access to client homes via one of the following alternatives: Lockbox (our favorite!) or keypad on door, Garage door code or hidden key. The lockbox can be hung on a doorknob (front or back), fence railing, deck railing or pipe. The lockbox location info and code will be stored securely in our leash time system and only accessible to your sitter and Five Paws management. Five Paws will provide the lockboxes at a discounted fee of $15 per box or you can provide your own. Lastly, Five Paws strongly suggests that a 2nd copy of your key be stored in our safe for emergencies.
Business Hours: Our office hours fall between the hours of 9am and 5pm from Monday through Friday. During this time, we will monitor and respond to all requests. All phone messages and emails will be responded to within 1 business day. During off-hours (including weekends) our phone and email is monitored and emergencies are handled accordingly.
Service Hours: Visits will be accommodated between the following regular hours: 7am – 10pm, 7 days per week, 365 days per year.
Vacation Schedules: Keeping in mind the safety of your pets as well as the appropriate level of exercise and human interaction, we have a couple minimum scheduling requirements. For cats, we require no less than one visit every other day. For CRATED dogs and puppies, we require no fewer than three visits per day for no shorter than 30 minutes at each visit.
Holidays: If you have regular service that falls on a holiday, we will assume you do not need the visit unless you notify us and request holiday service. Holiday visits can be accommodated with a $5 surcharge applied to the regular visit cost. This extra charge applies to the following holidays: New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve & Christmas Day.
Access to Your Home by Others: Please notify Five Paws if someone will be in your home. If a customer allows any other person(s) access to their home during the contract period, Five Paws cannot be held liable for any damages to property or pets as a result. Please also notify the person(s) in your home that Five Paws is coming so that your visitor is not surprised by our entrance.
Inclement Weather: Five Paws of Delaware County will use our best judgment in caring for your pet(s) and home if we are providing service at the time of inclement weather. Customer selection of a nearby emergency contact is recommended.
The inclement weather plan is as follows:
• Every effort will be made to drive to your home;
• The service schedule may be changed, interrupted, or altered due to
uncontrollable circumstances;
• If it is not possible to drive safely to your home, you will be notified. If you cannot be reached, we will reach out to your emergency contact (if provided in your profile);
• You will be notified that the above-mentioned contingency plan has been activated. In the event you, the customer, do not provide a nearby emergency contact who has access to your home, the customer realizes that Five Paws will provide service once conditions allow us to reach your home safely.Thank you for being a part of our Five Paws family and allowing us to be a part of yours!