Policies

At Burnell Pets, we design our policies to ensure the highest standard of care, safety, and communication for both pets and their people. These policies outline what you can expect from us, as well as what we need from you to provide consistent, quality service. All prospective clients must thoroughly review these policies and acknowledge them by signing our Policy Agreement located within the Client Profile Form before being accepted for pet sitting services. Familiarity with these policies helps create a smooth, stress-free experience for everyone involved, especially your pets.

Communication Policy

Communication is of the utmost importance to ensure the successful care of your pet(s). We strive to provide you with the level of professional communication necessary for efficient and proper care of your pet(s) and property. We kindly ask for that communication to be reciprocated. Please note that if your absence during a booking will result in your being without reliable communication (e.g., camping without cell reception), we are informed prior to a booking as are your backup contacts so we may plan to use them as references, if needed. By signing the Policy Agreement in the Client Profile Form, you acknowledge you will communicate with us in good faith to the best of your ability.

First Aid and Medical Emergency Policy

We, the providers, will provide all necessary medical care for your pet(s) in the event that we deem it necessary. Best efforts will be made to contact you or your backup contact(s) in the event of a major medical emergency. We reserve the right to determine the best care for your pet while in our care. The client will pay all medical expenses at the time of care. Any medical care that we provide is not a substitute for veterinary care. Our care is to stabilize the situation in order to properly transport your pet(s) to a veterinary hospital.

Inclement Weather Policy

In the event of inclement weather, the provider requests the name and phone number of a person living nearby. If the provider is physically unable to reach your home due to impassable roads or generally unsafe conditions, please provide us with this information so that we can contact your backup(s) to request assistance. The health of your pet(s) is our utmost concern and we will contact you as soon as possible to keep you informed of these events. Our inclement weather plan will be as follows:

1) We will make every effort to drive to your home.

2) These circumstances may cause us to change, interrupt, or alter the service schedule.

3) If it is not possible to drive safely to your home, you and/or your emergency backup contact will be notified.

4) We will notify you when we activate the above-mentioned contingency plan.

Leash Policy

We will keep you dog(s) on-leash at all times when outside in an unsecured and uncontrolled environment including, but not limited to, public spaces such as sidewalks and public parks. This is for the safety of your pet, the providers, the general public, as well as other pets and animals that we may come in contact with. Collars are for tags only; therefore, we do highly suggest that a harness be provided for your dog for their safety and wellbeing. If you don’t provide a harness and have no objections, our providers may use one to ensure your pet’s safety.

Neighbors

We understand that neighbors look out for each other in many instances and upon seeing an unfamiliar vehicle or person on your property while away can elicit a response resulting in unnecessary use of our public safety officials. Please notify any and all neighbors that you are comfortable with that we, the providers, will be accessing your home with your permission during the scheduled booking period.

Pet Treatment Policy

We will treat pets in accordance with the Fear Free Code of Ethics by avoiding shock collars, electric fences, prong collars, or any methods intended to cause fear or stress.

Property Access by Others

If you allow or expect other people to access your home and property during a booking period, you agree to notify the providers. Communicating when other’s have permitted access to your property prevents unnecessary conflict and confusion. We ask that you also notify other parties of our permitted access so they are aware and understanding of our presence.

Property Entry Policy

We require two modes of access to your property. If you use electronic entry, you must also provide a physical key as a backup, since electronic systems can malfunction or lose power. Multiple modes of entry will allow us to properly and safely provide the requested services.

Rabies Vaccination Policy

We require confirmation of the rabies vaccination status of your pet(s) prior to accepting a request. You must provide us with a copy of your pet’s rabies certificate before booking. If medical exemptions exist that prevent your pet(s) from receiving the rabies vaccination, please include proof of exemption from your primary veterinarian via the file upload link on your pet’s Pet Profile Jotform.

Return Home Policy/Transfer of Care

Though we anticipate your safe arrival back home at the predetermined time, we understand that there are circumstances beyond any of our control that may prevent you from returning home as well as leaving you unable to notify us of the situation. Therefore, we ask that you please notify us upon your return. If we don’t hear from you, we’ll assume you’ve been delayed and will continue caring for your pets at the regular rate. If we can’t reach you after your scheduled return time—and especially if our schedule doesn’t allow us to extend care—we may contact your designated temporary guardian to ensure your pets remain cared for.

Schedule Change Policy

Please communicate any booking changes to us as soon as possible. We’re fairly flexible, but if your schedule changes and results in a longer-than-anticipated stay, we’ll need to update the booking to accurately reflect the new details and associated costs. If it’s not possible to modify the current booking on Rover, we’ll create a new one—retroactively if needed—to ensure everything is properly documented and billed.

Vaccination Policy

We require all pets to be up-to-date on their vaccinations for their safety, the provider’s safety, as well as the safety of the many other pets that we come into contact with each day. Once we leave your pet and travel to another home for pet care, we want to limit the risk that we carry and transfer any potential illnesses. If medical exemptions exist that prevent your pet(s) from receiving any vaccinations, please include proof of exemption from your primary veterinarian via the file upload link on your pet’s Pet Profile Jotform.

Prospective Clients

Please review these policies at your convenience. If you decide to move forward with our screening process, we will ask you to acknowledge that you have read, fully understand, and accept these terms and policies. If you have any questions, concerns, or are unable to accept these terms we ask that you contact us via R over or our Contact Us page to communicate any issues.