Your dog’s comfort, safety, and wellbeing are always my highest priority. For this reason, the handling of matted coats is taken very seriously and is carried out strictly in line with professional welfare guidelines.

Assessment Of Matting:

Every effort is made during the pre-groom consultation to identify any areas of matting. However, in some cases the full extent of the matting cannot be fully assessed until the groom has begun. If it becomes clear that your dog requires a shave-down due to severe or extensive matting, this will incur an additional charge. This will be discussed with you at drop-off, and I will make every effort to contact you should anything unexpected arise during the groom.

If I am unable to reach you, I will proceed with the most humane and welfare-focused option, using my professional judgement to ensure your dog’s safety and comfort.

Welfare First - No De-matting Of Severe Matting

In accordance with the animal welfare act 2006, any request to brush out severe matting will be refused. Attempting to de-mat a heavily matted coat causes significant and unnecessary pain, stress, and potential injury. For this reason, I will not carry out prolonged or intensive brushing that compromises your dog’s welfare.

Potential Risks Associated With Removing Matting

Removing matted coats - whether by shaving or light de-matting where appropriate - may increase the risk of:

• Minor Nicks, Cuts, Or Grazes

• Skin Irritation Or Redness

• Haematomas (Blood Blisters)

• Changes in Behaviour i.e. Scratching, Licking Or Scooting

These risks arise because matting pulls tightly on the skin, often making it thin, delicate or difficult to see.

Additional Charges

Matting fees reflect the extra time, specialist equipment, increased wear on blades, and additional products required to safely remove a matted coat. These charges are applied fairly and transparently and will be explained during your appointment.

As many of you know, I run a strictly 1-to-1 grooming environment to ensure every dog has a calm, safe, and positive experience. Recently, I’ve noticed a significant increase in late pick-ups, and unfortunately this has begun to affect the flow of the day, the wellbeing of the dogs in my care, and my ability to stay on schedule.

Because I do not use holding pens or crates, each dog stays with me in the grooming area for the duration of their appointment. This is part of the calm, personalised service I offer - but it also means that timely pick-up is absolutely essential. When a dog isn’t collected on time, I cannot safely or comfortably bring the next dog in.

Late collections can also be very distracting for the next dog arriving. Some dogs become unsettled, anxious, or overexcited when another dog is still in the salon, which can make grooming more difficult and potentially unsafe for everyone involved.

I completely understand that life happens - traffic can be unpredictable and unexpected delays occur - truly, I do. However, repeated late collections have a real impact on the smooth running of the business and the calm atmosphere I work hard to maintain for each dog.

Please remember that the salon is not a day-care service. I appreciate that it can be tempting to fit in shopping or errands while your dog is being groomed, but I do ask that you remain mindful of your collection time, the running of my business, the schedule for the day, and the comfort of all dogs in my care must remain the priority.

For this reason, a £5 late pick-up fee will now be applied for late collections.

This policy helps ensure the salon runs smoothly, safely, and stress free for every dog and allows me to maintain the high standard of care you expect.

As a small, independently run grooming business, cancellations and no-shows have a significant impact. Each appointment is reserved especially for your dog, and when a slot goes unused, it affects my income as well as my ability to cover essential overheads such as products, equipment, insurance, rent, and general bills. I work on very small profit margins, and much of what the business earns goes straight back into keeping everything running smoothly.

While I understand that emergencies can happen, I kindly ask all clients to give at least 24 hours' notice when cancelling an appointment. This allows me to offer the slot to another client who may be on my waiting list.

Less Than 24 Hours Notice:

A charge of 50% of the grooming cost will be applied to appointments cancelled with fewer than 24 hours' notice.

Missed Appointments (No Shows):

Missed appointments require 100% payment of the groom. A deposit will also be required to re-book, which will be deducted from the final grooming cost.

Repeat Cancellations Or No Shows:

Clients who repeatedly cancel late or fail to attend appointments may be required to pay in full upfront for future bookings or may be unable to make further appointments.

Please understand that just as you wouldn't like money being taken directly from your own payslip, this fee is essential for me to cover my living costs and the business overheads that keep everything running. My income comes solely from the services I provide, and missed appointments have a real financial impact. I kindly ask that you be mindful of this and ensure any outstanding fees are paid promptly.