The Peaks Pet Nanny, LLC

Service Agreement ~ Effective Aug 2011

Reservations: The Peaks Pet Nanny is a "reservation" service and pet sitting requests are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. While we will make every effort to meet last-minute needs, we cannot provide "on-call" service consistently. Advance notice is requested to ensure coverage of your pet sitting needs. Last-minute requests allow less flexibility in scheduling and preferred pet nannies.

~ Contact the Office for reservations, cancellations, date changes, extensions of care, or any other information you need to pass on to your pet nanny. In addition, make sure your voicemails or e- mails are acknowledged by us and a confirmation e-mail is received before leaving for vacation.

~ Do not call, text or e-mail your pet nanny. In order for your services to be covered by our liability insurance and bonding - all communications must be made through the Office.

~ It is a breach of contract to hire a Peaks Pet Nanny "on the side" without contacting the Office to schedule service.

Contact Information:
E-mail: gina@thepeakspetnanny
Phone: 973-601-3035
949 Hunters Ridge, Lake Hopatcong, NJ 07849
Web: thepeakspetnanny.com

Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Messages are periodically checked in the evenings and on weekends.

Confirmation E-mails: The Peaks Pet Nanny will verify all information for scheduled appointments and send a confirmation e-mail once the appointment is approved. Review your confirmation e-mail carefully (dates, number of visits, departure and return times) and advise if any changes are needed. Confirmation e-mails also include the invoice amount.

Visitation Times: We will make every effort to visit during the requested time frame. However, if an unforeseen situation arises, times may be adjusted or pet nannies may be switched.
We ask for a (2) two-hour window of time for all scheduled visits.

Cancellation Policy: 50% of the service fee will be charged for any cancellations not made at least twenty-four (24) hours before your reservation.
Note: Exceptions may be made for inclement weather at the discretion of The Peaks Pet Nanny.

Early Returns (Vacation Care): Once an appointment begins, any visits that were scheduled and no longer needed will be invoiced at half of the regular rate, as this time was reserved for your visit.
(Holiday and weekend surcharges still apply).

~ If you don’t notify us of an early return and your pet nanny is already in transit or makes the trip to your home, the full charge will apply.

Holiday Cancellations: We receive more requests for reservations than can be accommodated during the holidays. We may have turned away other clients to schedule your pet sitting appointment. If you cancel five (5) days or less before any holiday, you will be charged for half of the appointment.

Holidays include: New Year's Eve, New Years Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Extension of Care (Vacation Care): If your return is delayed, contact the Main Office as soon as possible so that we may plan for additional visits until you return.

"Honey, I’m Home" Call (Vacation care): Contact the Office when you have returned home safely and your pet(s) are back in your care.
Call at ANY hour and leave a message that you have returned. We look forward to hearing your feedback and will relay any messages to your nanny.

Payment: Checks should be made payable to "The Peaks Pet Nanny" and mailed directly to the Office.
Please refrain from leaving payment behind for the pet nanny to collect.

~ For your convenience, we accept Visa and MasterCard. Contact the Office if you wish to pay by credit card. The credit card on file will be charged for all completed pet sitting appointments and a 3% processing fee will be added to the total invoice. All future invoices will default to credit card payment, unless otherwise notified.

~ Payment for dog walking: Statements are e-mailed at the end of each month. Payment is due in full, upon receipt.

~ Payment for vacation care is due in full, PRIOR to your departure. Please remember to mail your payment before leaving for vacation to avoid any late fees.

Late Fees: Any unpaid balances are due upon receipt of invoice and will accrue a $15.00 late payment fee every 30 days.

Returned Checks: There is a $35.00 fee for each returned check, for any reason.

Gratuities: Never required, but always appreciated, are passed directly to your pet nanny(s).
It is best to mail a separate check to the Office or leave behind a check or cash specifically marked for your pet nanny(s).

Keys: As a precautionary measure, we REQUIRE two (2) copies of your key—one for your primary pet nanny (for entry purposes) and the second key is secured at our Office or, in some cases, with a back- up pet nanny.
Keys are coded for confidentiality. A back-up key is invaluable if a pet nanny becomes sick or accidentally locked out of your home.

~ If you decide not to keep your keys on file, OR if keys are not provided during the initial consultation, there will be an additional charge for a key pick-up and/or return: $5.00 on weekdays and $10.00 on weekends.

~ All keys are collected and tested at the initial consultation to ensure they work properly.

Locksmith Authorization: In the pet sitting industry, there is no such thing as being too careful. As a last resort, we ask you to authorize The Peaks Pet Nanny to use the services of a locksmith in the event of malfunction of a lock and/or keys. By signing below, you agree to allow The Peaks Pet Nanny to contact a locksmith for entry into your home only if necessary, and to fully reimburse The Peaks Pet Nanny for the cost incurred.

Access to Your Home by Others: We all want our pets to have all the love and attention they deserve, but please let the Office know if other people will be entering your home. The Peaks Pet Nanny is not liable for the acts of third parties, whether known or unknown. This includes, but is not limited to, friends, neighbors, relatives, or other service persons that enter your residence, for any purpose. Our liability insurance and honesty bond will become null and void when other people are in the home. Inform us of anyone who may have access to your home while you are away. Also notify the person(s) in your home of our visitations so they are not alarmed by our entrance.

Household Emergencies: The Peaks Pet Nanny will attempt to contact you if there are any emergencies. If you cannot be reached, your emergency contacts will be called.

Fences: Fenced-in yards are wonderful play areas for pets; however, no fence system is totally secure. The Peaks Pet Nanny does not accept responsibility or liability for any customer’s pets that may escape, are injured or become lost, fatal or otherwise, when pets are left out or given access to a fenced-in area. This includes electronic, wood, metal or any other fence types.

Unforeseen Purchases: The client will provide all pet supplies (medications, food, litter, cleaning supplies, etc.) and should be available at all times. If additional supplies are needed, necessary items will be purchased by The Peaks Pet Nanny. We will retain a receipt, and the customer will be responsible for reimbursement of these items. A 20% fee will be applied.

Medications: The Peaks Pet Nanny will attempt to administer medications as directed but cannot be held responsible for any complications that may arise as a result. Excessively-shy pets with medical problems can be a serious risk. If you have such an animal, this must be thoroughly discussed with The Peaks Pet Nanny.

Vaccinations: For the safety of all, The Peaks Pet Nanny requires that all pets have the necessary vaccinations before service begins. If a pet nanny is bitten or exposed to any disease from the client’s pet(s) which has not been properly or currently treated, the client will be responsible for all costs and damages that may be incurred. Exceptions may be made for young puppies or kittens not old enough for vaccinations.

All Pets Under One Roof: The Peaks Pet Nanny needs to be advised of all of the pet(s) living in the home.
We understand that some types of animals require less attention than others (fish, small caged pets, etc.); therefore, rates vary accordingly.

Veterinarian Care: If emergency care becomes necessary, The Peaks Pet Nanny will attempt to contact the owners and/or emergency contacts.

~ If a client or emergency contact CANNOT be reached, The Peaks Pet Nanny is authorized to act on behalf of the client for the pet’s medical care.

~ The Peaks Pet Nanny reserves the right to utilize the services of any available veterinary clinic. If time and/or location permits, we will attempt to utilize your primary veterinarian.

~ The Peaks Pet Nanny assumes no responsibility for the loss of any pet(s) and is released from all liability related to transportation, treatment and expense.
The client is responsible for any and all charges incurred during the treatment of their pet(s).

Contagious Diseases: If a pet exhibits symptoms of kennel cough, the canine flu or any other highly-contagious diseases, we urge you to contact your vet immediately and cancel your pet sitting or daily dog walking service. These viruses can be transmitted by humans, and our pet nannies cannot take the risk of infecting other clients’ pets. It will be necessary for anyone whose pet is infected with a contagious virus or disease to produce a note from their vet showing a clean bill of health before we can safely resume service.

Fleas: The Peaks Pet Nanny cannot provide service to any animal with fleas, as we cannot run the risk of carrying fleas into another client’s home. If a pet nanny finds fleas upon arrival or at any point during scheduled care, the Office will contact you to make alternate arrangements.

Pet & House Clean-Up: The Peaks Pet Nanny will properly dispose of pet waste and will do our best to clean up any accidents. We are not responsible for carpet/flooring stains created by your pets. We do request that you provide plastic bags, towels, cleaning products, paper towels, trash bags, and indicate where you would like the waste to be disposed of.

Animal Behavior: Animal behavior can be unpredictable. The Peaks Pet Nanny does not accept responsibility or liability for animal behavior which results in self-inflicted injury, injury to other animals, injury to a third party or damage to the client's property.

~ If a Peaks Pet Nanny is injured by the client’s pet, the client accepts full responsibility for the cost of any necessary medical expenses and/ or damage to a pet nanny’s property or to a third party.

Leashes: All dogs are required to be on leash, at all times during walks. We prefer not use retractable leashes for large dogs.

Our Privacy Policy: All information will be kept private and confidential. The Peaks Pet Nanny highly respects our clients entrusting us with the care of their home and their pets.

Inclement Weather: The Peaks Pet Nanny will use our best judgment during times of inclement weather. We will try to carry out the visitation schedule to the best of our ability. We have requested the name and phone number of a “inclement weather contact” who lives nearby and has access to your home. If we are physically unable to drive to your home due to unsafe weather conditions, we will call the contact person to request assistance. If an inclement weather contact is not provided or the contact is not available, the customer realizes that The Peaks Pet Nanny will provide service, but not until road conditions allow us to reach your home safely.

~ When possible, clear all walkways and paths to the primary entrance of your home.

~ Please keep in mind that garage door openers are not operational in the event of power outages.

Copyright - 2011