These are the terms for which a dog can be accepted to Underdog Pets:

1. Under the Five Freedom Animal Health & Welfare Act 2006 a dog must protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease. I, the owner, grant permission for matted hair to be shaved off to prevent pain.
2. A dogs safety and the safety of our team are of the highest importance at Underdog Pets. We reserve the right to refuse service to a dog if we deem their behaviour to pose a risk to themselves or our team.
3. The dog is fit and healthy. (Grooming of sick or elderly dogs is entirely at the owner’s risk. Grooming may expose underlying skin or health problems that we cannot be held liable.)
4. The dog is vaccinated and up to date. An unvaccinated dog puts itself and others at risk.
5. I agree that the groomer with not be held liable or responsible for any mishap caused by a non disclosure of my pets medical condition or behavior.
6. It must be clearly understood and agreed that whilst every attention is given to your dog(s) they are accepted at the owner’s risk. Our first concern if for the welfare of your dog so in the event of injury or illness a vet may be called in and unless it can clearly be shown that we are liable, all costs in connection with and in the carrying out of this instruction shall be at the owner’s expense. (We recommend dog insurance)
7. Payment will be made on collection of dog. Estimates are made on an average of dog breed or type, but owner’s must be aware that some dogs may require extensive extra work and this will be charged extra. Uncollected dogs will be charged a sitting fee of £5 per 30 mins. 
8. As the customer I agree to my dogs photograph being taken and it being used on the underdog website/social media and for any marketing purposes.

Additional charges may apply for the following reasons:

• Difficult dogs require additional time and staff to perform the job. We reserve the right to charge an additional fee for dogs we deem as difficult that have resulted in more labour intensive work.
• Uncollected dogs will be charged a sitting fee of £5 per 30mins.
• Poorly Maintained Coat / Matted Hair requires additional time to perform the job. We reserve the right to charge an additional fee for dogs we deem as matted that have resulted in more labour intensive work.
• Fleas -  Grooming a dog with fleas can take longer and require more effort than grooming a dog without fleas. We may need to spend extra time and care to ensure that all the fleas and eggs are removed from the dog's fur as well as the equipment and surrounding areas that may be affected, which can be a time-consuming process. Products used to clean these areas can be expensive and add to the cost of grooming.

MATTED HAIR POLICY

Matted Dogs will be charged extra because of the following:

Matted coats can cause a variety of skin & health problems. Matted fur does not allow for air circulation to the skin, causing hot spots, bacterial and fungal infections. Fleas, ticks, maggots and other parasites may be lurking in the coat causing further skin infections. Matted fur also pulls and binds, causing pain to your pet when they move or lay on mats. The skin underneath is usually raw and inflamed. Matted coats will not dry properly and can lead to rotting fur and skin.

Due to matting, your dog’s hair may need to be shaved extremely short to the skin and may show signs of skin irritations and sores due to matting, wet undercoat and dirty coat. In order to take care of a dog that has not been groomed often enough, and is matted, the required grooming sessions may be long, stressful, or painful (please note, more than 1 grooming session may be required if your dog is severely matted).

It is the goal of Underdog Pets to make your pet’s grooming experience as stress free as possible. Due to the condition of your dog, Underdog Pets has determined that the only humane thing to do is to shave the dog’s coat down. This is a short clip, removing all the matting. Where feasible, we work to de-mat/brush out the dog’s coat, but only when it would not cause excessive pain and suffering to attempt to do so.

There is a strong chance that your pet’s skin will become irritated during the clipping process. We will use a medicated shampoo to help sooth any irritation that may occur. The matted hair rests tightly against the skin – the only way of removing mats is to use a short blade to clip between the skin and mats. Your dog may be nicked and cut because the groomer has to work so closely to the skin to remove the matted coat. Our groomers are very careful, but the possibility of injury exists. Understanding these risks, Underdog Pets is authorized to proceed with the dematting process.

Underdog Pets will be happy to show you how to care for you pet’s coat so that matting does not recur. Please schedule a follow-up appointment to speak with our groomers about the best methods for maintaining your dog’s coat.

The pet owner releases Underdog Pets from any liability associated with the above mentioned process and any and all medical problems that may be uncovered and/or occur during the stripping and de-matting process. Should any dog need veterinarian care after or during the process, the owner agrees to pay any and all veterinarian fees.

Cancellations, Missed Appointments and No Shows

Whilst we understand that sometimes appointments have to be cancelled due to an emergency, we ask that you give us at least 24 hours notice where possible, prior to appointment cancellation, as we have a waiting list of clients that can be filled with another dog in need of a groom. On the occasion that you have missed your appointment we have been also let down by an empty appointment slot and as a small business this has a negative impact on us financially. 

We reserve the right to charge a fee of £25 for full groom appointments missed and £15 for bath and dry appointments or cancelled with less than 24 hours notice payable prior to any future booking. Arriving 20 minutes or more late for appointments will in most cases require re-scheduling and a missed appointment fee of £25 will apply.