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 and current clients must thoroughly review these policies and acknowledge them by signing our Policy Agreement located within Time To Pet. 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 require 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 Time To Pet, you acknowledge you will communicate with us in good faith to the best of your ability.
Communication can be in the forms of emails, pet sitting apps, in-person, phone calls, and text messages. For more information on how we use your information, specifically related to text messages in accordance with A2P 10DLC compliance requirements, please see our separate Privacy Policy.
By default, Burnell Pets provides 1–2 daily updates for house sittings. Clients may request a preferred update frequency, and we will do our best to accommodate specific requests.
Cancellation Policy
Drop-in and Dog Walk cancellations made with 24 hours notice or less are charged at 100%. House Sitting cancellations made with less than 72 hours notice are charged 100%. House Sitting cancellations made with 7 days notice are charged at 50%. We try to be flexible when possible and reserve the right, in very rare circumstances, to waive or adjust the fee. Cancellation fees are not punitive. They exist to account for time reserved, scheduling limitations, and opportunities turned away once a booking is confirmed.
Dog Walking Policy
Burnell Pets reserves the right to unilaterally adjust, modify, delay, substitute, or cancel any dog walking service when weather, environmental, or ground conditions present a safety concern for pets, staff, or the public. This determination is made at Burnell Pet’s sole discretion and may include, but is not limited to, extreme temperatures; storms or atmospheric events such as lightning, high winds, windstorms, tornadoes, or hurricanes; precipitation or ground hazards including heavy rain, snowstorms, blizzards, ice, freezing rain, flooding, or unsafe footing; and other natural or environmental events such as wildfires, smoke, poor air quality, earthquakes, landslides, mudslides, or similar conditions. In such situations, services may be modified by substituting indoor enrichment activities, providing a shortened or quick potty break, delaying service, or canceling the walk entirely. Outdoor walks are not guaranteed during unsafe conditions. Clients acknowledge and agree that Burnell Pet Care and Education shall not be held liable for decisions made in good faith to prioritize safety during these events.
First Aid and Medical Emergency Policy
Burnell Pet staff 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. Clients may be required to complete a veterinary treatment authorization form prior to services being requested, accepted, and conducted. 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.
For the purposes of this agreement, a “secured and controlled environment” is defined as a fully enclosed area (such as a fenced yard) that is structurally sound and of sufficient height and design to safely contain your specific pet(s) based on their size, agility, and temperament.
We reserve the right to determine if a fenced area is insufficient to contain your dog (e.g., if a fence is low enough for the dog to leap over or has gaps). If an environment is deemed insufficient, it will be treated as an “unsecured environment”, and your dog(s) will remain leashed. We reserve the right to use a leash at any time, even within a secured and controlled environment, if we deem it necessary for the safety and wellbeing of your pet(s), our providers, and others.
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.
Liability
Unless caused by our negligence or willful misconduct, you release us from all liability related to: Any breach of security by a third party that results in loss of or damage to your property and/or pet(s); Any damages beyond the control of Burnell Pets, such as damage caused by the elements, severe weather, or natural disaster; Medical expenses and damages resulting from an injury to your pet sitter, other pets, other people, and property which were cause by your pet. Burnell Pet Care and Education LLC is not liable for any damages reported 24 hours or more after a reservation has ended. The maximum liability we shall have in any claim will not exceed the sum of the total fees paid to us.
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.
Payments and Fees
Burnell Pets requires a valid credit card to be kept on file through Time To Pet. While we accept multiple forms of payment—including cash and check outside of Time To Pet—a credit card on file allows us to automatically process payments for invoices that remain unpaid more than 7 days after the due date, which is 1 day prior to the first date of service. If a credit card is declined, we are happy to work with clients to resolve the issue; however, failure to communicate in accordance with our Communication Policy may result in additional late fees assessed at a rate of $5 per day. Burnell Pets also reserves the right to suspend or terminate services and remove a client from our active service list if payment issues remain unresolved.
Pet Abandonment
If you fail to resume care, custody, and control of your pet(s) on the agreed upon date and time, and extended care exceeds 10 days beyond the agreed upon date and time without payment or satisfactory communication, your pet(s) will be considered abandoned. In the event a pet is classified as “abandoned”, your Designated Guardian will be contacted to resume care for the pet(s). If a Designated Guardian refuses to take care, custody, and control of the pet(s), your additional backup contacts will be contacted. In the event no persons designated by you agree to take care, custody, and control of the pet(s), the pet(s) will be surrendered to a humane society or shelter for the chance to find a new loving home.
Pet and Household Supplies
You are responsible for providing adequate pet care and household cleaning supplies for the duration of each reservation. Supplies may include, but are not limited to, food, medication, medical supplies, a sturdy harness, collar, leash, appropriately sized crate, litter, litter bags, cleaning sprays, rags, paper towels, vacuum, broom, and mop. If supplies run out during the reservation, we will attempt to contact you. If unreachable, we will use reasonable judgement and may purchase missing supplies at your expense. See “Third-Party Expenses” for details.
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 through punitive measures. Burnell Pets policies align with positive reinforcement and force-free approaches.
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 Burnell Pets in a timely manner prior to a scheduled booking occurring. 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
By reserving the services of Burnell Pets, you give us authorization to enter your home as needed to perform the services outlined in each reservation and communication. We require two modes of access to your property, when possible. 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. You also agree to secure your property to the best of your ability prior to your leaving the premises. You agree that your home and property will have all required safety features such as, but not limited to, functioning smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors for the safety of your pets and the providers at Burnell Pets.
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 via your Time To Pet portal. If medical exemptions exist that prevent your pet(s) from receiving the rabies vaccination, please include proof of exemption from your primary veterinarian via your Time To Pet portal.
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 require you to please notify us upon your return. For the purposes of this agreement, “return” or “returned home” is defined as the client being physically present inside the home with their pet(s). Notification that you are nearby, en route, landing at an airport, or a certain number of minutes away does not constitute a return. Return is confirmed only once you are inside the residence with your pet(s). Responsibility for pet care remains with Burnell Pet Care and Education until the client is physically present in the home with their pet(s). 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 and you, the client, will be charged for the additional services. 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. In the event you or any of your backup contacts or designated guardian agree to resume care, pets may be classified as abandoned. Please see our “Pet Abandonment” policy above.
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. Please note that in the event you must cancel a booking, please refer to our Cancellation Policy above.
Third-Party Expenses
Burnell Pet Care and Education LLC requires clients to reimburse for third-party expenses such as veterinary care, pet supplies, or any other expense paid for on your behalf. We will make every attempt to contact you to confirm your choice of action in the event third-party expenses are expected or have been incurred. If you cannot be reached in a timely manner, we will charge your stored payment method for the expenses, plus 5% to cover the payment processing fees that are charged to us. It is recommended that you pay third-party vendors directly to avoid this fee.
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 Time To Pet. You warrant that your pet(s) have no known zoonotic diseases, and should you be made aware of a zoonotic disease, you will notify Burnell Pets promptly and/or cancel you scheduled services.
Visit Frequency & Booking Requirements
At Burnell Pet Care and Education, the health, safety, and well-being of pets is our top priority, and all bookings must meet our minimum visit frequency requirements. Cat care must be scheduled at least once every 48 hours, though daily (every 24 hours) visits are strongly recommended to allow for proper monitoring of health, behavior, and overall welfare. For dogs needing single-day care through drop-ins or dog walks, visits may not be scheduled more than 10 hours apart, with up to 12 hours allowed only in rare and pre-approved situations. Multi-day dog care, particularly for dogs that are crated at any time, must be booked as house sitting; we do not accept drop-in–only bookings for crated dogs due to safety and welfare concerns. In many cases, house sitting is also more cost-effective than multiple daily drop-ins, as one day of house sitting often costs less than two long or three short visits per day.
Prospective Clients
Please review these policies at your convenience. If we all decide to proceed with welcoming you into the Burnell Pet family, we will ask you to acknowledge that you have read, fully understand, and accept these terms and policies in your Time To Pet account. If you have any questions, concerns, or are unable to accept these terms we ask that you contact us through our Contact Us page, email at burnellpets@gmail.com, or by phone/text at 207-817-2124.