Terms of Business & Service Agreement
Terms of Business
These Terms of Business are the standard terms which apply to all branches of In Pawsuit of Happiness. Please read them carefully and ensure that you understand and agree to them. If you have any questions, please contact us.
Any reference to ‘us’, ‘we’ or ‘our’ means In Pawsuit of Happines
Any reference to ‘Form’ means the ‘Service, Information and Agreement’ Form, used to book a Service from us.
Any reference to ‘Service’ means a pet service detailed at www.inpawsuitofhappiness.com/services which you have booked in the Form.
Contract & Order
a. These ‘Terms of Business’, the Form and the ‘Service Agreement’ forms our Contact and Agreement with you.
b. When (but not before) you have returned the signed Form a legally binding Contract between you and us is created for us to provide a Services detailed on the Form and for you to pay for the Service.
c. Each time you wish to order a new Service you must complete a new Form, either by emailing us or by complete our online booking.
d. No Service will be confirmed until we have conducted a visit to your property and met with your pet.
Price
a. The price of the Service will be the price detailed on our branch website at the time of booking the Service.
b. All prices are
2.b.1 In Pound Sterling (£), and
2.b.2 are inclusive of VAT unless otherwise stated.
c. We take all reasonable care to ensure that the price of the Service stated on our website are correct and UpToDate.
d. We will notify you in writing with notice of 14 days of any price increase. You may cancel the service within 7 days of this notice if you are unhappy with the price increase.
Payment
a. We will invoice you for the Service provided.
b. You must pay each invoice within 7 days of receiving it.
c. We accept the following methods of payment:
3.c.1 BACS; and
3.c.2 cheque.
d. If payment is made by cheque, the cheque must clear within 14 days of the invoice date.
e. We reserve the right to pass on the bank’s administrative fees for processing the cheque, in addition to the cost of the service.
f. If you do not pay an invoice by the due date we may:
3.f.1 charge you interest on the overdue sum at the rate of 8% above the base rate of the Bank of England from time to time until payment is made in full. Interest will accrue on a daily basis from the due date until the actual date of payment, whether before or after judgment; and
3.f.2 send you remind letters charged at £12 per letter until the debt is paid off.
g. If you have promptly contacted Us to dispute an invoice in good faith, we will not charge interest while such a dispute is ongoing.
Our services
a. We will provide the Service in accordance with the specification set out in the Form (as may be amended by agreement between you and us from time to time) and in the Service Agreement.
b. We will begin to provide the Service on the agreed start date and will continue to provide the Services until the Contract is terminated by you or us in accordance with these Terms of Business.
Problems with our services
We always use reasonable efforts to ensure that our provision of the Services is trouble-free. If, however, there is a problem with the Services we request that you inform us as soon as is reasonably possible. We will use reasonable efforts to remedy problems with the Services as quickly as is reasonably possible and practical.
Complaints and Feedback
We always welcome feedback from our customers and, while we always use all reasonable endeavours to ensure that your experience as a customer of ours is a positive one, we nevertheless want to hear from you if you have any cause for complaint.
If you wish to complain about any aspect of you dealings with us, please contact us by email or telephone.
Your right to cancel
a. Dog walks and pop-in visits must be cancelled with at least 48 hours’ notice.
b. Cancellations need to be made by email to the branch responsible for your booking.
c. If you cancel outside the notice period detailed in this Clause 7, we have the right to charge you in full for the service.
d. You agree to provide a 50% non-refundable deposit, at the time of booking, for any pet sitting or house sitting.
e. If you cancel pet sitting or house sitting within one calendar month of the booking start date, you will be charged the full amount.
Events outside of our control
We will not be liable for any failure or delay in performing our obligations under the Contract where the failure or delay results from any cause that is beyond our reasonable control. Such causes include, but are not limited to: power failure, internet service provider failure, strikes, lock-outs or other industrial action by third parties, riots and other civil unrest, fire, explosion, flood, storms, earthquakes, subsidence, acts of terrorism (threatened or actual), acts of war (declared, undeclared, threatened, actual or preparations for war), epidemic or other natural disaster, or any other event that is beyond our reasonable control.
Other important terms
a. We may from time to time change these Terms of Business without giving you notice.
b. We endeavour to provide you with consistency and use the same employee for the services you order, however we may freely assign, sub-contract or otherwise transfer in whole or in part the Contract to another In Pawsuit of Happiness employee or workers.
c. In the event that your elected In Pawsuit of Happiness employee or branch owner terminates their employment or association with the branch this Contact between us and you will remain in place on the same terms.
d. If any provision of the Service Agreement or these Terms of Business is held by any Court to be invalid or unenforceable in whole or in part the validity of the other provisions of the Contract and the remainder of the provision in question will not be affected.
e. When using our website, please refer to our website user conditions. We may provide links to other, third party websites on our website. These links are for your information only and do not constitute any endorsement of any third-party products, services or information and you acknowledge and accept that any reliance upon such information shall be at your own risk.
f. All intellectual property belonging to In Pawsuit of Happiness (including, without limitation, any information, documentation and/or materials produced in connection with the Services) are and shall remain fully vested in us. Nothing in these Terms shall grant to you any rights to, or in, patents, copyrights, database rights, trade secrets, trade names, trademarks (whether registered or unregistered), or any other rights or licences in respect of the Services. g. We shall hold and process your data in accordance with The General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679. See our Privacy Policy.
h. The views and/or opinions expressed by any of our employees (including, without limitation, any training personnel) during the provision of the Services (or otherwise) may not represent our views and/or opinions and we shall have no liability to you or any third party (whether in contract, tort, negligence or otherwise and howsoever arising) for any loss, damage, suffering, costs and/or expenses incurred resulting from the expression of such views and/or opinions by our employees.
Law and Jurisdiction
These Terms of Business, the Agreement, and the relationship between you and us (whether contractual or otherwise) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of England & Wales.
Service Agreement
This Service Agreement contains the terms which are applicable to In Pawsuit of Happiness. Please read them carefully and ensure that you understand and agree to them. If you have any questions, please contact us.
The agreement
Any reference to ‘us’, ‘we’ or ‘our’ means In Pawsuit of Happiness
Any reference to ‘you’ is its natural meaning: you the customer.
Any reference to ‘Service’ means a pet service detailed at http://www.inpawsuitofhappiness.com/services which you have booked.
(1) We provide pet care services to customers pets and we have the reasonable skill, knowledge and experience in this field.
(2) You wish to engage our services as set out in this Agreement, the Terms of Business and the ‘Service Information Order Form’ (“Form”), subject to the terms.
(3) We agree to provide the Service to you on the following terms. This Agreement, the Terms of Business and the ‘Service Information Order Form’ (“Form”) constitute a Contract between us and you.
What we will do for you
1. We agree to provide our services in a reliable, caring and trustworthy manner.
2. Provide you with our full details in the Form, including; address, branch name, contacts details and Vat number (if applicable).
What you agree to do
3. You agree to pay the rates that are in effect at the time your pet is in our care.
4. You agree to provide at least 48 hours’ notice of cancellation, to avoid being charged in full.
5. You agree to provide us with all information necessary for the satisfactory performance of our services, including any dietary, nutritional or exercise requirements of the pet and any other instructions for the wellbeing of the animal.
6. You are responsible for supplying the necessary, safe equipment, medication, food and supplies needed for the care of your animals.
7. You agree to provide keys, or arrange for keys to be available, for the appointment. If the provided key does not work, or an incorrect key is supplied, you authorise us to obtain keys or access from emergency contacts, landlords or using a locksmith.
8. You agree to provide us with an emergency contact person who will be available, and can make decisions about your home, pet and property, in your absence.
9. You authorise us to obtain any emergency veterinary care that may be necessary during the time spent with your pet. We will make every effort to contact you prior to obtaining emergency care. You also authorise us to utilise an alternative veterinarian in the event your regular veterinarian is unavailable, doesn’t operate an out of hours service or cannot be reached. If you cannot be reached in the case of an emergency, you authorise the sitter to act on your behalf to authorise any treatment (excluding euthanasia) and assume full responsibility upon your return for payment and/or reimbursement for all veterinary services rendered.
10. You authorise us to obtain veterinary care to treat an existing or new medical condition or health issue. We will make every effort to contact you prior to obtaining care. You accept responsibility for any charges related to this care. You agree to reimburse us for any additional fees for providing emergency care, as well as any expenses incurred for unexpected visits, transportation, housing, equipment, food, access or supplies.
11. You will be responsible for any medical expenses and damages resulting from an injury to persons or animals by the pet.
12. You agree to indemnify us in the event of a claim by any other person injured by the pet.
13. Upon termination of your contract with us, for a period of 6 months you agree not to contact any member of our staff (past or present) requesting them to provide pet care services.
Your pet
14. We require that your pet should be up to date with all vaccinations, worm and flea treatments. If your pet has a parasitic infection your pet will be treated, in consultation with your vet, and you will be responsible for reimbursing the cost. For dogs being boarded, any flea and worming treatment must be administered more than 24 hours prior to the dog being dropped off.
15. Rabbits must be vaccinated against Myxomatosis and Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (VHD) and a certificate presented as proof. Every precaution must be taken against flystrike for rabbits and guinea pigs before care starts.
16. Dogs being boarded must be vaccinated and an original certificate must be presented as proof. We may require a copy of this. We accept a Titer test for Distemper, Hepatitis and Parvovirus (DHP) but boarded dogs will still need to be vaccinated against Kennel Cough and Leptospirosis. The initial test must be carried out within 3 years of a previous vaccine being administered. A Titer test must then be carried out at 12 monthly intervals to show immunity levels and dogs revaccinated where advised.
17. Pets must have pet insurance that covers for illness, accident or loss while you are away, or a third party is caring for your pet.
18. We reserve the right to terminate this contract at any time if we or the employee, in his/her sole discretion determines that owner’s animal poses a danger to the health or safety of itself, other pets, other people, or the employee. If concerns prevent the employee from caring for the pet, the owner authorises the animal to be placed in care of another, with all charges (including but not limited to transportation, housing, tranquilising, treating, accessing, and liability) to be the responsibility of the owner.
Our liability
19. We do not accept responsibility for security of your premises, or loss, during the term of this agreement. During all assignments our employees will only undertake pet care, unless prearranged with you.
20. If you have given permission for your dog to be walked off lead you will not hold us, or any of our staff, liable for damage, loss or injury if your dog runs away.
21. We are not responsible for damage caused by a pet escaping because of a faulty lead, collar or harness, or equipment that is not properly fitting.
22. We cannot be held responsible for any loss of pets if they have access to an open cat flap/window/door within their own home.
23. We shall not be held responsible for any damage to your property, or that of others, caused by your pets during the period in which they are in our care.
24. You understand that there is always a risk of injury to a dog, especially when other dogs are present. You agree not to hold In Pawsuit of Happiness, or their staff, liable for any illness, injury or incident whilst in the care of In Pawsuit of Happiness
25. You understand that there is always a risk of illness, injury or incident to a pet when left at home. You agree not to hold In Pawsuit of Happiness, or their staff, liable for any illness, injury or incident whilst in the care of In Pawsuit of Happiness, and in between visits.
26. We shall not be held responsible for injury or illness to your pet if you fail to remove hazards or dangers from your home.
27. All animal boarders will hold an animal boarding licence. Animal boarders may leave the pet unattended in the home for a reasonable amount of time. We follow local authority licence conditions and DEFRA’s Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs, and pets will not be left for more than four hours at a time.
28. You agree to notify us of any concerns within 24 hours after any appointment.
We are fully insured through PetPlan Sanctuary.
By agreeding to these terms, you agree that we can take photos and videos of your animal/s and post these on our website and social media pages. We agree that we will not disclose the location of your pet, and information on all identification tags will be removed prior to posting.