Terms and Conditions (September 2023)
1. Stress-Less Grooming place the welfare of your pet as the priority and we pride ourselves in kind and gentle, reward-based handling techniques. Dogs showing signs of anxiety and stress in the grooming environment will be required to undertake desensitization appointments tailored specifically to help them overcome this and prevent fears of grooming developing.
2. Elderly dogs and dogs with existing health conditions are groomed at the owner’s own risk.
3. All health conditions and behavioural issues, for example allergies or incidences of aggression must be disclosed prior to your grooming appointment.
4. Stress-Less Grooming have a strict ‘no de-matting’ policy, to protect the wellbeing of your dog. If your dog is matted, clippers will be used to safely remove matting and the length of coat left is determined by the density of the mats. De-matting with brushing is a painful procedure for dogs and goes against the ethos of our business.
5. Owners should be aware that removing dense matting may uncover skin irritations or expose infected skin, sores or other skin or ear conditions previously hidden by matting or thick hair. In this situation you must seek veterinary advice and Stress-Less Grooming will not be held liable for this. 6. Dense matting can cause restricted blood flow to the skin, particularly around the tail, legs and ears. Removal of this matting can cause skin irritation, rash or redness, as well as bruising or haematoma, requiring veterinary attention. This may not be evident during or immediately after the groom and may occur in the days afterwards. Please prevent your dog from excessive licking or scratching after removal of matting. Stress-Less Grooming is not responsible for any health issues occurring as a result of removing matting.
7. Stress-Less Grooming do not groom female dogs who are in season, except in circumstances of welfare issues arising. If your dog comes into season please contact us as soon as possible to rearrange your appointment.
8. Please be advised removal of your dog’s inner ear hair (‘ear plucking’) is no longer carried out by Stress-Less Grooming, as a result of advice from the British Veterinary Association. It is advised that this procedure, if required, should be carried out by your vet due to the risk of microscopic skin tears being exposed to bacteria, causing ear infections.
9. Stress-Less Grooming will not be held liable for any pre-existing conditions noticed by the groomer, or noticed by the owner after a groom is completed.
10.You must inform Stress-Less Grooming of any health concerns or incidences of aggression occurring out with the grooming environment, in order to keep your dog’s stress levels at a minimum.
11.Stress-Less Grooming reserve the right to stop grooming your dog if they become anxious or aggressive at any time, or if we suspect your dog is in pain. We may ask you to seek veterinary advice before commencing with any grooming.
12.Stress-Less Grooming will only use a muzzle if a dog has been properly desensitized to wearing one. If wearing a muzzle it may not be possible to complete the groom around your dog’s face for safety reasons.
13.Stress-Less Grooming take the safety of your pet as the highest priority, however owners should be aware that working with living animals always carries a risk and accidents can happen. 14.While every effort will be made to meet your expectations with your requests for specific grooms, no guarantee can be made in this regard. You will be contacted first if any changes are required for the benefit of your dog.
15.While you are free to change to any other groomer at any time, please be aware that changing groomers frequently is not in the best interests of your dog and we may not be able to continue working with your dog on an ad-hoc basis.
16.All prices quoted upon initial enquiry are subject to change upon assessment to determine the dog’s coat condition and their behaviour during each visit. Conditions such as excessive overgrowth, impacted undercoat, dense matting, stress and behaviour which requires extra care, can drastically increase the time it takes to groom your dog and therefore, the price would reflect this.
17.Prices are subject to change for dogs who do not attend grooming appointments on the regular schedule advised.
18.Stress-Less Grooming does not offer day care services. Due to the one to one service provided, dogs must be dropped off and collected at agreed times. If you are late for your appointment we may need to reschedule and a cancelation fee of the full groom amount will apply. A fee of £5 per 15 minutes will be charged for dogs left longer than the agreed.
19.Please give minimum 24 hours notice to cancel or change your appointments. A cancellation fee of 50% of the groom price is payable for appointments cancelled within the 24 hour notice period. For appointments cancelled on the day or not attended, the full groom amount will be payable before rebooking.
20.All prices are non-negotiable and specific to each individual dog’s needs.
21.If you and your dog attend Supported Grooming sessions and you are unwell, please contact to discuss if rescheduling is appropriate. As a lone worker my health is important to me and becoming unwell can have a big impact on a small business. Packages and pre-paid appointments 22.Packages are valid for 1 year from the date of payment but it recommended that sessions are spaced a maximum of four weeks apart. Any sessions not used within this time will be forfeited. 23.For packages and prepaid appointments there is no cancellation policy but please try to give 24 hours notice to reschedule wherever possible.
24.Stress-Less Grooming reserve the right to terminate your package at any time, if it is in the best interests of either party. A refund based on the remaining sessions will be given.
25.Due to working alone, subject to adverse circumstances (ill health or family crisis etc) Stress-Less-Grooming may need to reschedule if cover cannot be arranged.
26.If you are dissatisfied with your dog’s groom, we offer a free ‘touch up’ session if you contact us within 1 working day of the original appointment. This does not apply to Supported Grooming sessions or where a groom was not completed due to handling or behaviour issues.
27.When contacting Stress-Less Grooming please be aware we do not answer calls or messages for booking while working with dogs, in order to give the dog in front of us our full attention. We aim to return messages and calls within 48 Hours.
28.Stress-Less Grooming operate with an ethos of kindness and compassion for all humans and animals. Any abuse, verbal or physical, directed at either staff or a dog, will not be tolerated. 29.Any complaints or concerns should be directed to Louise Thompson via email louise@stress-lessgrooming.co.uk.
Thank you for your understanding.
Louise Thompson
Stress-Less Grooming.
