Policies, Procedures, & Expectations
* Proof of vaccinations are required for all services provided. Please bring appropriate documentation with you for your first initial visit.
* Never leave your pet unattended and ensure that he/she is on a leash at all times while on facility grounds.
* Prior to leaving your pet with our staff, you as the owner must be in control of your pet at all times. (leads are available – for the fur babies only & not your spouse). 🙂
* Do not approach an unknown fur baby without receiving consent from the owner and ensuring friendliness of strangers.
* Please respect the allotted times of our services.
1.) Facility Required Vaccinations:
Please be aware that these requirements are for the benefit of all our furry guests, including your very own special fur-baby. All pet owners are required to provide proof that their pet(s) are current with vaccinations. This will help to provide a healthy environment for all who visit us. It is also required that updated proofs of vaccinations be provided annually so that we always have an updated, most recent copy on file at all times as it is MN law.
The required vaccinations for dogs in Minnesota are as follows:
Rabies, Distemper/Parvo combination (including Hepatitis), and Bordetella. Most dogs are current with Rabies, Distemper, and Parvo. However, Bordetella is most often only offered when your vet is aware of your pet being kenneled. Therefore, please double check on this vaccination. Although not required, for your pets' overall safety, we recommend heartworm prevention and a topical flea and tick remedy.
Why the Vaccination Requirements?
Our vaccination requirements are to help stop the spread of certain ailments such as Acute Trachea Bronchitis and Canine Cough. By having your pet vaccinated on a regular basis, you are doing what you can to promote a long healthy life for your pet.
When Should Copies be Provided?Please bring a copy of your pet(s) current vaccination records to their first session or provide the original and we will make a copy, sending you back with the original. This is required for sessions to begin. Pet owners who do not present the required proofs will be asked to reschedule, as we legally cannot offer services without them. You may also email photocopies to us at any time prior to your pet(s) arrival time.
Failure to Provide Proof of Vaccinations:
If you arrive and fail to provide proof of vaccinations resulting in us having to last minute cancel your pets' appointment may require a late cancellation fee of up to 50% of your booked service cost. If charged this fee, it must be paid in full before prior to booking future services. This policy is due to the potential loss of other bookings during that time.
Other Means of Providing Required Proofs Upon Arrival:
If you simply forget your proof of vaccinations but live within a 7 -10-mile radius and you are certain you can retrieve them quickly, you may do so without rescheduling, but we cannot ensure your pet(s) services will be completed in full during their scheduled time as this will cause a delay in their services beginning and will depend upon the type of service(s) scheduled, your pet(s) cooperation, and other customer booking times. You may also arrange for your vet to send the records promptly to us via email and we may then proceed with offering services (depending on how quickly we receive the document).
Exceptions to Required Proofs of Vaccinations:The only time that we do not require proof of vaccinations is for outdoor photography sessions only.
2.) Zero Tolerance Aggression Policy:
At Heavenly Pawsome Puppy Spa, the safety and well-being of all of our furry guests and our staff are top priority.
Refusal to Initiate Services or Stopping Services
We reserve the right to refuse and stop services to any pet displaying unsafe, aggressive behavior.
We hold the right to refuse or stop services at any time that we feel that safety may be an issue to everyone involved.
Aggressive behavior arising during active services will result in us immediately ending your pets' services in which we will then contact you to pick your pet up asap. We also hold all rights to utilize an elastic collar or sling in a humanely manner at any point that we feel that our staff or other animals may be in danger, and it will be required that your pet continue to wear said collar or sling until he/she is safely loaded into your vehicle and there are no possibilities of your pet coming into contact with others. If it is not a possibility and poses a safety risk to our staff or your pet to try and place an elastic collar or sling and we find that there are no safe ways to contain your pet, he/she will be safely locked within our spa room, and you will be asked to retrieve your pet upon your arrival, removing them from the facility in the safest manner possible to all bystanders.
Use of Muzzles and Shock Collars
Please be advised that we are designed to offer therapeutic, non-invasive, and stress-free services to each and every dog that comes through our door, therefore we do not possess or believe in the utilization of muzzles or shock collars. We do not feel that doing so helps the behavior/situation nor is it fair to the pet involved. We are here to build rapports and trusting relationships and the use of muzzles and/or shock collars will not help us reach this goal. We are also aware that placing a muzzle on an already combative or potentially combative dog poses a risk to our staff at the initial time of placement. There is also the possibility that a dog may still be able to make some contact with their teeth even with a muzzle placed. Therefore, if your pet requires a muzzle (or shock collar) for their services, we kindly ask that you do not book with Heavenly Pawsome Puppy Spa. We appreciate your understanding.
The Obvious:
Nobody knows your pet better than you; therefore, you are most likely aware as to rather or not your pet may act out aggressively. If any part of you even slightly feels that this could be a possibility, we ask that you please refrain from booking services with Heavenly Pawsome Puppy Spa. If your pet has never shown aggression but you are still concerned or even remotely unsure (as we never know for sure what could transpire), we request that you inform us, and we will have you stop in at no charge to you, so that we may conduct a quick assessment prior to booking your appointment. Better to be safe than sorry!
Pets With No Previous Grooming Experience, Lacks Socialization, or New Family Additions:If your pet has shown no signs of aggression but has never attended a spa or seen a groomer, is not well-socialized, is shy/intimidated around strangers, or your pet is a new addition to your family, we invite you to schedule a complimentary temperament assessment at our facility before booking your pets' service.
The Importance of Full Communication:
Please communicate with us any concerns or previous situations, no matter how mild or moderate they may be. We will not judge you or view your pet differently; instead, we will collaborate with you to identify any potential issues and will assess as to whether or not we feel it is safe to accommodate your pet's needs.
Failure to Communicate the Known:If your pet acts out aggressively while in our care and we find that this is something that you (the pet owner) has failed to communicate, you will be responsible for 100% of the cost of your pets booked service cost, your additional or future pet(s) will not be permitted from being booked with us, and you will be held liable if any of our staff are injured and require medical attention due to your pets' aggression.
Always Remember... Honesty is the Best Policy!
Our primary concern is the safety of everyone involved, including your pet.
All of our products used within our spa and grooming services are homemade, all natural, organic, and PH Balanced. Even though our products are made of natural and organic ingredients, we have heard of some rare occasions where dogs have allergies to even safe and organic ingredients such as oatmeal being one of those rare ingredients. Please take a minute to look over our list of commonly used ingredients and let us know if any would be of potential cause for a reaction to your pet, otherwise we will assume that your pet is fine to use our products.
Our Most Common Ingredients Used Are as Follows:
- Colloidal Oatmeal - Aloe Vera - Coconut Oil - Vitamin E - Hempseed Oil - Shea Butter - Sunflower Oil - Bentonite Clay - Organic Healing Mud Powder - Bees Wax - Refined Pink Himalayan Sea Salt - Chamomile - Epson Salts -Sea Salt - Glycerin - Refined Blue Earth Salt - Apple Cider Vinegar - Pure Vanilla - Diluted Lavendar or Peppermint Essential Oils.
Your Pets' Comfort & Well-Being Is Our #1 Priority
If you booked with us a spa service and we identify that your pet’s coat is matted, we will contact you to discuss options to address their condition. We do not brush out mats that are extremely severe, may inflict high levels of pain, and/or unmanageable. If we do decide to do any brushing, we will not go past 30 minutes of brushing and/or combing in one session as it is an uncomfortable experience for your pet and is unfair to push it.
Shaving of Matted Coats:
If we are requested to shave your pets' matted coat (restart shave), please understand that there is an increased risk for clipper burns or nicks to occur while shaving the matted areas. We take our time while completing this procedure to ensure your pet’s comfort and safety so there will be an additional charge due to the time needed to remove the mated areas and a quote will be provided to you for your approval prior to us initiating this process.
Pre-Existing Skin Conditions and Matted Coats:
It is typical for removal of matted coats to expose pre-existing skin issues that were previously covered by the matted areas. If you are aware of any skin issues or conditions that your pet struggles from, we require that you inform us prior to us providing any de-matting services. We may or may not continue de-matting services for your pet as it is all dependent upon the type of skin condition and/or the severity of the issue.
Unsafe Shaving of Matted Areas
If we find that the mats are tangled too tightly against the skin which in turn causes concern for removal by clippers, we will do our best to loosen the mats in the most comfortable way that we can which may require multiple appointments. Once we have the matted areas loosened enough, we will then assess as to whether we can comfortably remove them with de-matting tools or if we will need to proceed with shaving them out. The assessment will include how well your pet tolerates the process, the amount of discomfort associated with the process, and how easy or difficult they are to manually remove. On the rare occasion that we are unable to loosen the matted areas enough to either comfortably remove them or safely remove them by shaving them out, we will inform you that we can no longer be of service to you in regard to this particular situation.
Cost of De-Matting Services:
Any de-matting services performed costs $1.50 per minute after the first initial 15 minutes of de-matting has occurred.
Be aware that if your pet is found to have fleas, we will not be able to complete the service(s) requested and you will need to pick up your pet immediately to prevent fleas spreading to other pets. Flea removal may require an additional fee to remove them and must be booked in advance as we will need to prepare a special area to complete the removal process so that we are not infesting future customers.
In the case of an emergency, we will do everything we can to provide the best care for your pet. By making an appointment, you authorize Heavenly Pawsome Puppy Spa to seek professional veterinarian care for your pet in the event of a medical emergency, at your expense. In the event of an emergency, we will make every effort to contact you immediately and will contact your emergency contact if we are unable to reach you.
Please reschedule your appointment if your pet is showing signs of illness or insect infestations. Coughing or wheezing can be a sign of common respiratory infections that can be highly
contagious. Do not bring your pet in if he/she has been throwing up or experiencing diarrhea. If at any point we notice signs of these issues, your dog will be sent home.
7.) Covid, Common Cold, & Flu Policy
As we are a small business and see a limited number of people a day, we still have interactions with our customers by conversing with them in our waiting room, by handling their pet’s leashes, and by collecting their payments. Therefore, if you are feeling under the weather, we
kindly ask that you call and reschedule your pets' appointment so that we are not catching and potentially spreading whatever illness you may be carrying.
Staff Illnesses:
Any questionable illnesses to our staff will cause us to reschedule our appointments and shut our spa, retail store, and boarding facility down until we are better or have received a negative covid test.
Additional Precautions:We are more than happy to take extra precautions upon request, please speak with us if you have concerns. We have hand sanitizer and face masks readily available in our waiting room for anyone who feels uneasy. Please also note that our waiting room is sanitized at the end of every
day and is sanitized in between appointments during the flu season.
8.) Heat CyclesPlan on rescheduling your pets' appointment if she is in heat or a week before or after her heat cycle. Even the lingering smell of a female in heat can cause other dogs, especially males, to behave erratically and even aggressively. Please, for our safety and the safety of our clients, do not bring in a female in heat. We will do our best to reschedule you quickly. If at any point we discover a female is in heat, she will be sent home.
9.) Open Sores & Post Surgical Stitches/Staples
Please do not book an appointment with us if your pet has open sores of unknown causes or that may be potentially contagious. If your pet has an open sore and it is something that is uncommon to your pet and from an unknown source, we ask that you have your pet evaluated with their veterinarian prior to booking with us.
We also ask that you not book your pet with us if they have stitches or staples from a recent surgery or procedure. Once these areas are stitch/staple free and are completely healed, we will be more than happy to service he/she.
10.) Leash PolicyFor everyone's safety we require the use of leashes while in our waiting room and that no pets be left unattended at any time. If you need to borrow a leash, they are readily available for you to do so.
11.) Greeting Other DogsWe ask that you do not allow your dog to approach other dogs without checking with the owner or staff first. If your dog has issues with other dogs or you just need to borrow a leash, let us know before you bring your dog in, and we will help ensure a safe transition for everyone. Inside our Customer Waiting/Retail Area, is a doorbell to ring if you would like assistance. We are always happy to assist in order to keep everyone and their pets' safe.
At Heavenly Pawsome Puppy Spa, we believe wholeheartedly that communication is key when it comes to building and maintaining relationships with our customers.
If your pet has any physical or behavioral limitations, please be open and honest in communicating this with us right away. This may include anxiety, mobility issues, heart issues, seizures, lumps/moles, arthritic areas, urinary incontinence, bowel syndromes, aggression, allergies, etc.
We will work with you to decide how best to accommodate these limitations but knowing about these issues ahead of time will allow us to set aside the appropriate amount of time, plan for safety measures, and ensure a smoother experience for all involved as well as being fair to the next appointment booking.
For those with aggression issues, please refer to our ‘Zero Tolerance Aggression Policy’.
We are dedicated to providing structured, tranquil, and relaxing services, which is why we schedule only one appointment at a time. Each service is allotted sufficient time for completion, plus additional time for cleanup before the next client's arrival. As we book only one client per session, our daily client intake is limited. Consequently, we require a non-refundable deposit when booking spa sessions. This deposit secures the company's and our staff's revenue in case of a no-show or last-minute cancellation. Late cancellations and no-shows are detrimental to us all, resulting in significant downtime and lost opportunities for other clients who could have attended. Clients who attend their scheduled services will receive a credit equivalent to 90% of their deposit, which will be applied to the final cost of their pet's session.
The amount of the deposit varies If you find that you need to reschedule and do so within 24 hours of your pets' service start time, you will still receive the 90% of your deposit credited to your pets' final service cost, unless you have rescheduled 3 consecutive times in a row.
Your time and our future clients' time are valuable. We kindly request that you arrive punctually for your pets' sessions. For new customers, please arrive at least 8 minutes prior to your pet's initial session time.
To accommodate our incoming clients, we ask that you arrive to pick up your pet within an hour of receiving our call. There's no need to rush, but please be considerate of others arriving. If this is not a feasible amount of time requested, we ask that you communicate this upon our phone call so that we may plan to shelter your pet safely and comfortably while still being able to accommodate our next booking in a timely manner.
We understand that unforeseen circumstances can occur, so if you're delayed in picking up your pet, we simply ask for your communication via a quick phone call. Rest assured; we won't send your pet out unaccompanied; we will look after them until you can arrive. Be mindful that as other pets arrive and we begin new sessions, your pet may need to wait in a crate for your arrival. This is to ensure the safety of all pets in our care.
We aim to ensure that we can service every one of our customers and their fur babies the best that we can, therefore we have implemented a fee scale to ensure everyone who visits our facility is respectful to one another's scheduled times.
No Call, No Show: A fee of 100% of your booking charge will be applied. Half of the 100% booking charge must be paid prior to rescheduling your pet's appointment and the remaining amount must be paid prior to your rescheduled appointment time.
Late Arrival: Fees are instituted if a client is 15 minutes late or more. The charge is $1 for every minute after 15 minutes late, per dog and will stop at 30 min. Depending upon the circumstances. If you are more than 15 minutes late, we may need to reschedule your service. This is dependent upon rather we have other customers scheduled to arrive after your pet’s appointment as well as other factors. If we find that we do need to reschedule your service due to tardiness, you will be charged the ‘Last Minute Rescheduling Fee’ on top of the amount that has accrued for the $1 for every minute past 15 min late charge.
* Friendly Tip: If you find that you will be running behind, the cheapest way for you to manage your situation is to call us and we can then let you know as to whether or not we can still fit your pet in or if their appointment is in need of last-minute rescheduling. This way you are not being charged the $1 for every min exceeding 15 minutes on top of the last-minute rescheduling fee.
* Please note that if we find that your pet is still in fact eligible for their scheduled booking, it is dependent upon the next booking time as well as your pets' service type booked as to whether we can complete the full service or not. We can more than likely inform you of this upon speaking with you when you call or upon your arrival.
Last Minute Rescheduling or Cancellation: Fees are initiated if a client cancels their pets' appointment without rescheduling within 24 hours of their appointment. The charge will be 50% of their booked service. 25% must be paid upon rebooking and the remaining 25% must be paid prior to rescheduled booking date.
Late Pick Up: A late pick-up fee of $25 will be applied if your dog has not been picked up within the hour of our first phone call or text message. If your dog is done before the estimated time of completion, we will allow some extra time for you to arrive without charge.
Some of these fees may be waived under certain circumstances but are not guaranteed!
For in person payments, we accept only cash at this time (over time we will include major credit/debit cards).
We do not always have the exact amount of change on hand, especially if we have dealt with a healthy amount of clientele throughout the day, therefore we ask that you please try to have the exact amount on hand when paying for your pets' services, we will give you your final amount due (taxes included) upon calling you to let you know that your pet is ready to be picked up. If a tip is included with your payment, please specify at the time that you are offering payment so that we are not scrambling to try and find your exact change.
For payments online we accept Pay Pal, Venmo, and Cash App.
Your happiness is of utmost importance to us, this is why we stand by our services 100%. If you have a problem, we will do everything within our power to find a solution. Just reach out to a team member. We are here for you and your furry companion.
By signing this form, I confirm that I have received and reviewed the Policies, Procedures, and Expectations of Heavenly Pawsome Puppy Spa. I agree to adhere to all the information presented and understand that failing to comply with these policies may result in my pet being unable to receive future services.