Welcome to HiKo Hounds Ltd. Our pet sitting services aim to provide your pets with the best care possible while ensuring their safety and well-being. Please read the following terms and conditions carefully. By using our services, you agree to these terms.
Questionnaire – The Customer agrees to fill in a questionnaire regarding the health, behaviour and wellbeing of the pet(s) listed in this contract. The Customer agrees to complete this questionnaire with accurate and honest information that is necessary for The Pet Sitter to provide proper care of the pets listed in the contract. If you are an existing client and we already have this information, you do not need to repeat this in full unless you wish to.
Invoicing – Payment for pet sitting is required to be paid before the service takes place. An invoice will be provided and should be paid no later than 48 hours before the service is due to begin. Non-existing clients will be required to pay a £50 deposit to secure required dates. Should the service be cancelled less than 7 days before the pet sit is due to start, this deposit will not be refunded. For cancellations with more than 7 days notice, the deposit will be refunded in full. Existing clients already using our services are not required to pay a deposit to hold dates, but do still need to pay for pet sitting before the service is provided.
Non-24 hour care – Our pet sitting service does not provide 24 hour care. The Pet Sitter will always provide full care overnight (sleeping at your property throughout the night), but during the day your pet(s) may need to be left alone for period(s) of up to 4 hours at a time. This is because The Pet Sitter will need to come and go during the day to continue to walk their regular clients, return to their own home to refresh belongings and see their own/pets families and continue to carry out their normal daily life routine and errands. If your pet is not able to be left alone during the day, we would advise that a home boarder facility may be better for your needs.
Emergency Contact – An emergency contact must be provided that can take over care in the event of an emergency in which The Pet Sitter needs to terminate the service part way through. This would be in extreme circumstances only, such as The Pet Sitter taking ill or needing to attend to an emergency elsewhere or your pets responding aggressively to The Pet Sitter being in the house (we recommend some trial overnights/dog walks beforehand to limit the chance of this). Your emergency contact will be responsible for taking over care and /or making alternative arrangements to allow your The Pet Sitter to leave, so it is important they are local and have access to the property. If you have no relatives or friends able to take on this role, we recommend contacting either a kennel facility or backup dog walker/pet sitter that could be on standby if needed. Please be aware, this will always be a last resort and in an emergency situation only.
Visitors – Pet sitting away from home can be an isolating experience. The Pet Sitter may be visited by a close family member in your property during their stay. The visitor will never be left unsupervised in your home, will not provide sole care for your pet(s) at any time and will not stay at the property overnight. A full, professional working attitude will be maintained by The Pet Sitter at all times.
Daily Walks – All pet sitting bookings include a daily 30 minute walk. Should you require more than this, these can be booked in extra at our regular rate for dog walks. Dog walks are covered by their own Terms and Conditions which can be found HERE: https://hikohounds.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/
Home Safety: The Customer must ensure that their home is safe and hygienic for The Pet Sitter, with functioning locks, lighting, and other safety measures. The Customer must inform The Pet Sitter of any potential hazards.
Surveillance Devices: If the property has any surveillance cameras or monitoring devices in operation (internally or externally), you must inform The Pet Sitter of their presence and locations. The Pet Sitter reserves the right to request any surveillance cameras or monitoring devices that may breach their privacy be turned off during their stay (such as any cameras in the bedroom areas). We are happy for cameras to be operational in communal areas such as kitchens/lounges, providing The Customer has informed us of their presence prior to the stay.
Damage to Property – The Pet Sitter is not liable for any damage to your property caused by your pet(s) throughout the duration of the pet sit booking.
Pet Injuries – The Pet Sitter is not liable for any injuries or health issues that occur to your pet(s) due to pre-existing conditions or unforeseeable incidents or accidents. The Pet Sitter will only be liable for injuries or health issues which are a direct result of their own negligence.
Feedback: Your dog(s) will have a designated WhatsApp group chat which both myself (Kimberley, business owner) and The Pet Sitter will join. This will be used to provide feedback, photos and/or videos daily. We do not expect you to respond to this, it is just The Pet Sitter’s way of letting you know everything is going well or if there are any problems that need addressing.
Compliance – The Customer retains The Pet Sitter as an independent contractor. No employer/employee relationship is implied with this contract. The Pet Sitter is solely responsible for procuring the required insurance and ensuring compliance with any necessary regulations.
The Pet Sitter Responsibilities – The Pet Sitter agrees to carry out their services in a professional and reliable manner, taking care to treat all pets with care and respect. The Pet Sitter shall not be liable for any other duties that are requested which are not detailed in this contract.
Emergencies – In the event of a non-life threatening emergency, The Pet Sitter will contact the phone numbers provided in the questionnaire that The Customer has filled in. The Customer will be contacted first followed by the phone number of the 2nd owner if required. If neither The Customer or the 2nd owner can be reached, the emergency phone number detailed on the questionnaire will be used. Where no contact can be made with any of the listed numbers on the questionnaire, or if the emergency presents a life threatening danger to either The Pet Sitter or the listed pet(s), The Pet Sitter is authorised to take any necessary action to protect either themselves or the listed pet(s). This includes seeking veterinary or medical advice without consulting The Customer first.
Liability – The Pet Sitter will hold valid and in date liability insurance at all times. Proof of this insurance should be shown to The Customer if requested.
Indemnification – The Customer and The Pet Sitter agree to indemnify and hold each other harmless from any and all claims or liabilities arising from their party’s wilful or negligent actions.
Keys – If The Pet Sitter is required to keep a key for The Customer’s property, this will be stored with no identifying information on other than a tag with the pet(s) name on.
Acceptance of Terms – By booking our pet sitting services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to these terms and conditions. These terms and conditions may be updated periodically.
HiKo Hounds 