PET SITTING AND DOG WALKING – THE PROCESS
GET IN TOUCH
WITH US
Contact us to schedule a complimentary pet sitting or dog walking consultation. During this meeting, we will discuss how to tailor our visits to perfectly meet your pet’s needs. We’ll cover visit schedules, unique care requirements, and address any additional concerns you may have.
MEET &
GREET
We’ll schedule a complimentary meet and greet before services commence to get acquainted with your pet(s) and your home. During this visit, we’ll discuss your pet’s specific pet sitting or dog walking needs, finalize contracts, and get keys and alarm codes.
SCHEDULE
SERVICES
Once the service is confirmed, you can relax and leave everything to us! We’ll provide exceptional care for your fur family member(s) ensuring they feel safe, secure and loved in your absence; we will care for your pets as if they are our own!
THE CLIENT PORTAL
Please fill out all of your contact information, veterinarian information and pet care details in our secure client portal. Just as importantly, please keep the portal updated. It is important to communicate with us when you change veterinarians or when there are changes in your pet(s) medical history (e.g. vaccinations). The portal is what we use to carry out our services. You may also use the client portal to pay online, check your schedule, and request and cancel services.
HOME VISITS
Home visits occur daily. We do not do partial visits (shared with a neighbor or friend) nor do we do every-other-day visits as requested by some cat owners. It is our policy that all cats be visited no less than once every 24 hours but strongly recommended every 12 hours. No exceptions will be made. This is for the safety of your fur-baby. When scheduling your booking, please indicate a time block that is best suited for your pet. In the event that your pet has a medical condition that requires medication at a specific time, please reach out to us and let us know. Your pet’s health and safety are always top priority!
BOOKINGS
Please submit all pet sitting and dog walking booking requests through our client portal. We are unable to accept requests via email, phone call, or text. Once entered, your request(s) will be reviewed and confirmed through the portal within 24 hours. If we have any questions, we will contact you.
We ask for a 24 hour booking courtesy to ensure that we can accommodate you and your pet. Requests made within 24 hours of the reservation time are subject to availability. So, it is always best to book in advance to ensure that we can accommodate your reservation request.
For your security and protection, all canine companion reservations must be confirmed before you leave. Please be sure that we have responded to your request for services and have you on our calendar. We will always confirm with you at least 24 hours prior to your departure.
OUR CANINE COMPANION SERVICE
To reserve a canine companion, a non-refundable deposit equivalent to one night’s fee is required. For reservations exceeding one week, a deposit equivalent to two nights is required to confirm the reservation./
PAYMENT
New Jersey Pet Concierge accepts all major credit cards. We also accept ACH payments. For clients who use a recurring service (e.g. dog walking), we ask that you keep all credit card information up-to-date.
HOLIDAYS
There is a high demand for pet sitting and dog walking bookings during the major holidays. Therefore, clients are encouraged to reserve early to ensure that we can accommodate your request. There is a $15 additional charge for any services we provide on the following holidays:
- New Year’s Day (January 1)
- Presidents’ Day (Third Monday in February)
- Memorial Day (Last Monday in May)
- Independence Day (July 4)
- Labor Day (First Monday in September)
- Thanksgiving Day (Fourth Thursday of November)
- Christmas Eve (December 24)
- Christmas Day (December 25)
- New Year’s Eve (December 31)
Bookings that occur during the week preceding or following any of the holidays outlined above are required to be paid in full at the time of booking. This payment will be non-refundable and is not-transferable. Additionally, all holiday bookings require a 5- night minimum. If you do not meet the minimum booking requirement, you may opt to pay for the additional nights to reserve your pet’s spot.
CANCELLATIONS
We understand that life happens and sometimes clients need to cancel a reservation. Daily visits and dog walks must be canceled at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled start time. No charges will apply for cancellations made with 24 hours’ advance notice. For daily dog walking clients, please email by 8 AM to avoid being charged for the day’s visit. If we get to your home for a scheduled visit and are turned away due to someone being home, the full fee applies.
OUR COMPANION SERVICES
Reservations for our companion service are subject to a 7-day cancellation policy. If a cancellation is made within 7 days of the start date, the client will be invoiced and responsible for 25% of the total invoice for the booked and confirmed services. Cancellations made within 3 days of the start date will incur a charge of 50% of the total invoice. This policy also applies to services that are cut short, such as when a client returns early and cancels the remaining services. If we have already arrived, we have spent time and gas to come to your home/location and denied other bookings with other clients. Cancellations made on the day of a booked service will be invoiced in full for that calendar day, with the remaining canceled visits billed at 50% You may be wondering what happens with your cancellation fee. The fee is shared between the business and your pet sitter, who both rely on the income your booking provides. Oftentimes, dog walkers and pet caretakers plan their vacations and family time around clients’ schedules. Thus, the fee is strictly enforced to compensate employees for their dedication to the job and to your pet(s). It is very important to let us know if you are returning early and need to cancel services you have already booked with us. Services canceled on the day of service will be charged as booked and will NOT be applied to future services.
ACCESS TO YOUR HOME BY OTHERS
We aim to provide you with exceptional service and cannot do so when others are given access to your home as it may compromise our efforts. Therefore, we ask to be informed if you will be home, or if there will be other people accessing your home at the same time as our visits with your pet (roommates, houseguests, other service providers, etc). We take the safety of your pet and your home very seriously, and keeping us informed greatly reduces the risk of any misunderstandings that could arise from other people accessing your home. In short, we do not want to accidentally call the police on your cleaning person!
EMERGENCY CARE
In the event that your pet requires medical attention, we will first attempt to contact you prior to obtaining any emergency care. In the event we are unable to reach you, we must act in your pet’s best interest and secure emergency medical care as needed. Please be sure to include any pet insurance policy information in your pet(s) health profile. As our client, you understand that you are responsible for all pet sitting or dog walking veterinary charges incurred by your pet(s) while undergoing emergency or veterinary care.
EXTREME WEATHER
In the event of extreme weather when driving is dangerous, we will make every effort to make it to visits as scheduled. If the roads become too dangerous or people are being ordered to stay off the roads, we will get there as soon as possible but cannot risk any sitters’ safety. In this event, it is recommended you give a neighbor access to your home & give us their contact info should we need to reach out to them. We also ask that clients ensure that driveways, steps, entrances to the home are free from ice and debris and safe for both pet caretakers and your pets during the winter months.
EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION
Please be sure to always update your emergency contact information and make sure we have a trusted neighbor’s phone number on file. You may do so by logging into the online system.
COMMUNICATION
Reservations and/or scheduling changes should be scheduled via the App or Client Portal to ensure accuracy in your requests. Please do not contact the pet caretaker as they have been instructed to direct you back to us. If you have any issues with scheduling via the client portal or app, please contact the office via email, text , or phone call (201-749-2517) so that we can assist you.
PET PHOTOS
Our dog walkers will often take pictures of your pets while in their care to share with you via text or email. We like to share these photos with other interested clients via our website or on social media. If you wish to not have your pet featured, please contact us to let us know.