Terms & Conditions / Terms of Business

1. About us

These Terms & Conditions ("Terms") apply to all services booked with Home From Home Sanctuary ("we", "us", "our"). By booking any service, you ("the Client") confirm you have read, understood and agree to these Terms together with our Cancellation Policy.

1a. Services covered by these Terms

These Terms, our Cancellation Policy and our booking policies apply to every service we offer, including but not limited to:

• Dog services: dog boarding, residential stays, puppy care plans, dog walking, 1:1 training sessions, group classes, Zoom training, enrichment activities, agility sessions, grooming add-ons.
• Pet care services: pet sitting, in-home sitting, small mammals care, exotic animal care, poultry care, small animal boarding, drop-in visits.
• Add-on services: grooming, bathing, training top-ups, enrichment, agility, GPS-tracked walks and any other extras booked alongside a main service.

Booking any service — including add-ons — confirms acceptance of these Terms in full.

2. Booking confirmation

A booking is only confirmed once all of the following have been received:

• Full payment has been received — unless an agreed non-refundable deposit arrangement applies (see section 3).
• The required booking form has been completed, signed and returned.

An unpaid enquiry or provisional booking does not guarantee availability. Dates are only held once payment / non-refundable deposit and booking form are received.

3. Non-refundable deposits

• Existing clients: 30% non-refundable deposit required to secure a booking.
• New clients: 50% non-refundable deposit required to secure a booking.
• The balance must be paid before the start of the service unless otherwise agreed in writing.

All deposits are non-refundable except where a refund is required by applicable consumer law.

4. Pet health, safety & disclosure

Owners must provide accurate, up-to-date information about their pet at the time of booking. This includes:

• Vaccination status (and dates).
• Flea and worm treatment status.
• Any medical conditions or recent illness.
• Medication requirements (dose, frequency, method).
• Toilet training or toileting issues.
• Behaviour concerns, fears or triggers.
• Any aggression or reactivity towards people, dogs or other animals.
• Any risks the pet may pose to people, other animals or property.

Failure to disclose important information may result in additional charges, termination of care, or both.

5. Cleaning, damage & additional costs

If a client fails to disclose issues that cause problems for other animals, the household, equipment, laundry or property, the owner may be responsible for reasonable additional costs. This may include:

• Deep cleaning.
• Laundry / bedding cleaning costs.
• Specialist cleaning.
• Treatment and sanitisation (e.g. flea, mite or parasite treatment).
• Costs relating to any other animals affected receiving necessary veterinary or remedial care.
• Reasonable repair or replacement of damaged equipment or property.

6. Toileting & house cleaning

If a pet causes repeated or unexpected toileting issues due to undisclosed information (e.g. incontinence, marking, or lack of toilet training), additional cleaning charges may apply depending on the circumstances. Where possible we will discuss any charges with you before they are applied.

7. Behaviour & aggression

If a pet displays aggressive behaviour, unsafe behaviour, or behavioural issues that were not disclosed before booking, additional charges may apply depending on severity (for example, the need for solo care, additional handling time or specialist equipment).

We reserve the right to refuse, pause or terminate care at any time if safety becomes a concern for our team, your pet, other animals in our care, or the public.

8. Holiday & bank holiday pricing

During peak periods, rates may be charged at double the standard rate. Peak periods include:

• Christmas and Boxing Day.
• New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
• UK bank holidays.
• Recognised school holiday peak weeks.

All peak-period deposits are non-refundable. See our Cancellation Policy for full peak rules.

8a. Weekend dog-walking surcharges

Dog walks booked on weekends carry an additional charge on top of the standard walk rate:

• Saturday walks: additional £5 per walk.
• Sunday walks: additional £15 per walk.

Weekend surcharges apply per dog, per walk, and are in addition to any peak-period or bank-holiday rates in section 8. Block-walk discounts do not waive the weekend surcharge.

8b. Residential stays

Residential stays (extended live-in care in our home or yours) are covered by these Terms and our Cancellation Policy, with the following additional requirements:

• Booking & payment: a written booking enquiry, completed booking/intake form and the applicable non-refundable deposit (section 3) are required to hold the dates. The balance is due before the stay begins.
• Cancellation: the overnight / extended-stay notice periods in the Cancellation Policy apply (more than 14 days, 7–14 days, and under 7 days). Peak-period rules also apply where relevant.
• Owner information: the owner must provide accurate, written information about the pet's daily routine, feeding, medication, exercise, toileting, behaviour, triggers and any health conditions.
• Emergency contacts: the owner must supply at least one UK-based emergency contact authorised to make decisions on their behalf, plus the pet's registered vet details.
• Medication: all medication must be supplied in its original labelled packaging with clear written dosing instructions.
• Behaviour disclosure: any history of aggression, reactivity, resource guarding, separation distress, escape behaviour or bite history must be disclosed in writing before the stay is confirmed (see section 7).
• Collection & late collection: pick-up and drop-off times are agreed in writing. Collections more than 30 minutes after the agreed slot may incur an additional day-care charge; failure to collect without contact may result in onward boarding fees and, after 48 hours, the pet being passed to the registered vet or an appropriate welfare authority.
• Right to refuse or end a stay: we reserve the right to refuse, pause or end a residential stay where safety, welfare or undisclosed behaviour becomes a concern (see section 10).

9. Cancellations, changes & rescheduling

We understand plans change occasionally. To protect availability and other clients, the following applies:

• We reserve the right to charge additional fees, or to refuse future bookings, where customers repeatedly cancel, change plans or create significant disruption.
• If booking arrangements are changed more than two times, additional admin charges may apply due to administration time, changes to availability, impact on other customers' bookings and business planning.

Refund eligibility is governed by our Cancellation Policy.

10. Right to refuse or terminate

We reserve the right to cancel or terminate bookings where:

• A customer becomes unreasonable, abusive or difficult to work with.
• Important information has not been disclosed.
• Safety concerns arise for our team, your pet or others.
• Repeated cancellations or last-minute changes occur.
• These Terms are not followed.

11. Payment

Payment is taken through our secure booking provider. Prices include VAT where applicable. Additional charges (peak surcharges, extra visits, agreed add-ons or undisclosed care needs) will be confirmed with you wherever practical.

12. Our responsibilities

We are fully insured, DBS checked and pet first-aid certified. We will care for your pet to a high standard, follow your written instructions, and contact you (or your emergency contact / vet) if any issue arises during the booking.

13. Veterinary emergencies

In the event of illness or injury we will attempt to contact you immediately. If you cannot be reached, we are authorised to take your pet to your registered vet (or the nearest available vet) and you agree to reimburse all reasonable veterinary costs.

14. Liability

While every reasonable care is taken, we are not liable for loss, injury or damage arising from undisclosed conditions, escape due to faulty equipment or fencing, or any cause beyond our reasonable control.

15. Privacy

Personal information collected through bookings and forms is used solely to deliver your service and is stored securely. We never share your details with third parties except where required (e.g. veterinary emergencies).

16. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. The version in force at the time of your booking is the version that applies to that booking.

17. Contact

Questions? Email info@homefromhomesanctuary.co.uk or call 07717 091613.