Dog Welfare
How We Care For Your Cherished Pooch
Here at Shaggy Dogz, we do everything we can to make sure that your furry friends are relaxed, comfortable and, most importantly, safe.
Please browse the headings below to read more about the measures we have put in place to ensure a top-quality service in the salon and how you can continue caring for your dog at home!
The Animal Welfare Act
All people responsible for the welfare of animals, including owners and us in our capacity as dog groomers, are bound by the Animal Welfare Act, and we have to observe the following 5 needs of animals in our care:
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A suitable environment (a place to live)
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A suitable diet
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The ability to exhibit normal behaviour patterns
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The need to be house with, or apart from, other animals (if applicable)
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The need to be protected from pain, injury, suffering and disease
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Terms and ConditionsTerms and Conditions for Shaggy Dogz grooming services Behaviour Issues On the form you will be asked to write down any behaviour issues that your pet might have and you are aware of. We endeavour to provide service to any pet regardless of the behaviour, however the owner must notify Shaggy Dogz staff of any behaviour that their pet may have prior to commencement of a grooming service. Shaggy Dogz staff may use a soft muzzle to guarantee the safety of the groomer and/or well-being of the pet. Shaggy Dogz reserves the right to refuse service if the staff has been misinformed or put at risk, or if the pet is simply too stressed out to safely continue with the groom. Vaccinations and Health You may be asked to see evidence of your pet's vaccinations, and for our records we must always have up to date information of your pets vaccinations in order to make sure that pets in our care are not at risk of encountering any diseases. We also ask that you use regular flea and worming treatments on your pet. If your pet has any health issues, Shaggy Dogz staff must be made aware of these during the registration period. If your dog develops any illnesses since the registration with us, please notify us before your next appointment. We also ask for you to refrain bringing a bitch that is in season, because they can be very sensitive during this time. Matted coats If the coat is badly matted, it may be necessary to clip it off in order to prevent any further stress or discomfort for the pet. If this is the case, the owner will be notified by one of the staff members prior to grooming, at which stage you will be given a choice of cancelling the grooming session if you are not happy with our decision. Dematting will only be done on pets that have just a few matts on their body and are not distressed by the process of brushing them out. This may incur extra charge. In case of serious or severe matting, dematting will not be offered. If the owner agrees to a clip off, Shaggy Dogz will not be held liable for any after-grooming effects of matt clipping procedure or problems which were uncovered on a badly matted and neglected coat. These could include but are not limited to: itchiness, skin redness or self inflicted irritations/abrasions from excessive external rubbing. Please pick up one of our information sheets on matting after your dog has been clipped off. In case of emergency In an event of a medical emergency occurring whilst your pet is in our care Shaggy Dogz staff will contact the owner immediately. If we are not able to get a hold of you straight away, we will contact the vet your pet is registered with and follow their instructions. If the vet your pet is registered with is not available, we will contact the vet practice Shaggy Dogz is registered with () and follow their instructions. Grooming appointments cancelation policy As most of you are aware, our salon gets booked up very quickly and we operate a cancelation list for people who require an appointment sooner than we are able to provide. Therefore if you need to cancel your appointment, please give us at least 24 hour notice so that we would be able to give your appointment to someone else. . If you No-Show and miss an appointment completely with no notice, Cancel reshedule your appointment with less than 24 hours notice the price of your resheduled or next groom will increase by £1, this will happen every time it happens. e.g. if you pay £30 for your groom and then No-Show and reshedule 5 times you will then be paying £35 per groom. Extra charges Extra charges may occur if your pet takes us longer to groom than we expect, due to behaviour problems or knotted/neglected coat. There will be an extra charge for insect repellent shampoo which we use if we find that you pet has fleas. We may also charge extra if we had to look after your pet for a longer period of time than agreed. We are able to give you an estimate of how long the groom will take and we will always call you as soon as they are ready for collection. We are able to look after your pet for 15 minutes free of charge. Thereafter we charge £5 per every extra 15 minutes of pet sitting. We would like to keep the atmosphere as calm as possible in our salon and it becomes increasingly difficult the more pets we have waiting to be collected. Our shop is simply too small to provide day care service alongside our grooming service. If you know you will not be able to collect your pet within the 30 minute window, please discuss this with us prior to leaving your dog with us. Lateness Please be on time for your appointment, i will call after 10 minutes if you have not arrived. if you are 30 minutes late dropping off or picking up there will be an extra charge of £5. if you are later than 30 minutes your dogs appointment will have to resheduled and the above Grooming appointment policy will be given. Advice given by Shaggy Dogz staff We may on occasion offer advice on grooming practices or suggest pet products or pet food that we think may be suitable for your pet. This advice is given in good faith, but Shaggy Dogz. or its staff will not be held liable for the implementation of this advice. If you have concerns about your pet's health or nutrition, please speak to a qualified vet.
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ExperienceI spent many years as a Hospitality and Retail Manager for several large companies around the UK. I have learnt a lot of valuable skills along the way, primarily relating to customer care and satisfaction. One of my proudest moments was when I retrained, and got a Distinction in the City And Guilds Level 3 in Dog Grooming. Attaining this qualification has allowed me to pursue a career that I am passionate about, and which I find incredibly rewarding. I have most recently been based at Stripy Dog Salon in Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol. The small team there were fantastic, and I was sorry to move on. I'm now really excited to be starting the next chapter in my life, starting my own company SHAGGY DOGZ, and returning to Devon (Torquay the sunny English Riviera) - the county in which I was born, and where my family still live. I have experience of grooming over fifty different breeds of dog, and have kept detailed records of owner's preferences on every single dog I groom. I complete a thorough one-on-one with each owner to discuss any health issues, vaccinations, behavioural issues and have a portfolio of photographs to assist in deciding on cut and style of groom. I am also Canine First Aid trained, and always take the vet details of any new client.
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ValuesAnimal welfare is very important to me. I never rush a groom. There is always plenty of time in an appointment for rest breaks, cuddles, the groom itself, more cuddles, and some treats along the way. This approach is in stark contrast to the 'conveyor belt' method used by some of the larger 'chain' operators, featuring crates and cages. I will always put the dog's health and happiness first, and dogs are free to stretch out or have a quick nap in a safe and secure environment. Some dogs are nervous and timid, so at Shaggy Dogz it is a stress-free, quiet environment, to help minimise your dog's anxiety. We also use Happy Hoodies on dogs who are nervous around the noise of driers, to dull the noise, and make the dog more comfortable. If your dog is uneasy around other dogs, it can be arranged for your dog to have a one-on-one session, with no other dogs in the salon. Puppies can start to be groomed as soon as they have had all of their vaccination injections. I would suggest starting off with a Puppy Groom, which is a short taster session just to get the puppy used to bathing and drying. This normally takes around an hour, and is a 'bite-sized', manageable chunk of time, that still leaves them happy and full of play.
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Your Dogs NeedsIf your dog has special requirements, is nervous or has seperation anxiety it may benefit them if the Owner or someone they know were to stay with them though the duration of the groom. if your dog has severe matts then you will asked to stay for the duration of the groom to give you dog moral support, as removing matts is not a nice experience for any dog to go through. At Shaggy Dogz we do what ever is in the best interest of the dog, to make them as happy and comfortable as possible.