Policies

*Policies in this list are summarized. Please reach out with any questions or to request a detailed list. Policies will be discussed in detail at Meet & Greet, but meeting tends to proceed more quickly if client has already looked through this list.*

All new clients are required to schedule a Meet & Greet appointment through the Precise Petcare app, where the sitter will talk details with the client, get to know their pets, and go over Primary Pet Charlotte's Pet Sitting Service Contract. Phone and email consultation prior to the appointment are free. Please see Home Access section for important details regarding keys.

The appointment takes ~60 minutes and a non-refundable $10 payment is due upon confirmation of the appointment. *See Billing and Payment section for details about making the payment.

Clients may request a walk be added to the end of the appointment at standard rates, and those with skittish pets are encouraged to request "trial" visits before an official booking without the clients present.

Billing & Payment - Clients receive weekly invoices every Friday evening by email, and payment is due no later than 48 hours after bill has been sent (Sunday 8pm). Services following the 48-hour period will be suspended until payment has been received. Following two late payments, clients will be required to pre-pay for services upon confirmation.

Preferred payment method is Zelle, and cash/check payments (must be approved in advance) are only accepted for repeat clients. Clients whose banks are not partnered with Zelle may reach out to discuss another option.

A handling fee of $35 will be charged on all returned checks. In the event it is necessary to initiate collections proceedings on the account, clients will be responsible for all attorney's fees and costs of collection.

Pre-payment required for Meet & Greet and first-time bookings. Trip Fee may apply for cash/check clients. Pre-payment is non-refundable. In the event of cancellation, leftover funds after cancellation fees are applied will be credited to the client's account.

Cancellation - Fees include any pre-applied surcharges. Fees listed apply to first 48 hours of cancelled services. Overnight Sitting fees include midday visits. Fees may be waived at the discretion of Primary Pet Charlotte LLC. Cancellation windows are based on how far in advance of the start of the cancelled service the notice is given.

Visits/Visits with Walks:

50% if notice given within 24 hours / 48 hours for services including holiday surcharges.
75% if notice given day of both for regular and holiday visits.

Overnight Sitting:

50% if notice given within 5 days / 7 days for services including holiday surcharges.
75% if notice given within 48 hours / 3 days for services including holiday surcharges.

Rescheduling accepted only when adjusting visit time within the same day or adjusting start/end dates or times in such a way that the booking price is not lessened.

Holiday Rates - Holiday surcharges for all services are applied to the day before, day of, and day after the following holidays:

New Years Eve, New Years Day, MLK Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, July 4th, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, & Christmas Day.

Trip Fee - Trip Fee is $5 + 50c/mile from sitter's home and may apply to any trips made by sitter to pick up cash/checks, pick up & return keys, pet supply runs, etc.

May be waived if client is able to meet sitter at a location & time designated by the sitter that fits into their schedule.

Emergency Contacts - Clients must provide at least one emergency contact and ideally have a trusted neighbor that lives within walking distance and can access the home in the event inclement weather prevents sitter from driving. Clients will not be billed for visits missed due to sitter/weather emergencies.

Clients will be referred to another professional sitter/company as a backup option if the PPCLT sitter has a personal emergency and the client does not have a trusted backup sitter. Primary Pet Charlotte LLC is not responsible or liable for any pet sitting/payment agreement between the client and the referred sitter, nor any damages or losses to the client's home or pet as a result of said agreements.

Home Acess & Security - Please note that visit clock-in is at arrival and includes time spent on parking & access.

Clients must provide two standard keys (unless using fob, pinpad code, or concierge/leasing key release for each visit). Keys should be prepared to hand off to sitter at Meet & Greet appointment. One copy is kept on sitters' person during work hours and the other is kept locked securely at PPCLT owner's home for backup. $5 Key Copy Fee (per key) may apply if only one key is provided, especially for multi-visit bookings, and Trip Fee may apply for clients who do not allow PPCLT to keep their keys between bookings (not recommended as PPCLT would not have immediate access/a backup copy should last minute services be needed - permanent lockbox is a good alternative).

Lockboxes are the only accepted form of key storage at client's home. At least two keys still required & Key Copy Fee applies for multi-visit bookings if only one key is left in lockbox.

If key release is required, clients are strongly encouraged to request concierge/leasing allow the sitter to keep keys throughout the entire booking to ensure ease of access.

Direct access codes are preferred for gate/building entry. Callbox entry requiring client to manually buzz the sitter in is not accepted for multi-visit bookings (initial visit only, keys/fob to be left in lockbox on unit door or inside home).

Clients must provide info of any other person/company that may access the premises during a booking (and notify them of sitter's presence) to avoid dangerous encounters & unnecessary calls to authorities. PPCLT will not accept any liability for damages/losses to the client's home or pet in the event another person accesses the home during a booking.

Clients shall be responsible for any fees incurred for employing a locksmith (and compensating sitter for visit & extra time spent) in the event a sitter is unable to access the home due to malfunction of/theft of keys from lockbox, failure of client to provide backup key copy, or failure of client to provide correct door pin code. Clients are also responsible for compensating sitter fully for (1) visits missed due to inability to access the home, (2) visits where delayed access minimizes time spent with pets, and (3) any extra time or visits required to complete minimum pet care duties due to delayed/prevented access.

Shared Bookings - Shared pet care responsibilities are not recommended. If required, clients must provide contact info for the outside sitter and PPCLT must receive check-ins immediately after each visit before, between, and after any PPCLT visits. If a check in is not received and contact isn't established in a timely manner, PPCLT shall assume a visit/visits are necessary and client is responsible for compensating the sitter for any arrival/visit time, regardless of whether the pet has already been cared for.

Household - Clients are to note any home maintenance concerns & preferred service providers. PPCLT will make reasonable arrangements as needed based on the severity of any home emergencies, and clients are responsible for reimbursing any out-of-pocket expenses paid by PPCLT on behalf of the client.

A $5(small) or $8(large) Accident Cleanup Fee will be applied to any/all visits during which the sitter must clean extensively due to a pet accident/mess.

Open Door Policy: Clients are encouraged to prop doors open securely for pet safety, and the sitter shall assume any closed doors are to remain closed and that those rooms are off-limits unless otherwise noted by the client.

Visit Frequency - PPCLT is committed to providing the best possible care for your pets and ensuring their well-being at all times! This involves giving them adequate potty breaks and welfare check-ins throughout bookings. Minimum visits listed apply to each ~24 hours the client is away.

2 visits for dogs with access to water and potty at all times (door flap, potty pads, etc.).

3 visits for dogs without access to water or potty.

At least 2x30 min or 4x15 min visits for dogs who are crated while home alone (3 visit minimum still applies).

1/day for cats. No every other day visits. Clients may alternate full visits with Wellness Check-ins for lower-maintenance cats.

Weather - Any outdoor time scheduled during periods of weather unsafe for pets/sitter may be limited to a potty break or max. 10 consecutive minutes, and rest of visit spent indoors. Includes extreme heat/cold (~80°F, ~25°F), heavy rain, blizzards/hail, etc.

If forecasted weather is likely to prevent driving, visit lengths may be limited to essential pet care duties to ensure all pets in the care of PPCLT are accounted for to the best of the sitter's ability. Billing will be adjusted accordingly. No cancellation fees for visits that can't be completed due to weather preventing sitter from driving. Clients and their Emergency Backup Sitter/Trusted Neighbor will be notified to arrange for their pet(s) care.

Outdoor Time/Leash Walking - No off-leash activity will be permitted outside of a secure perimeter. PPCLT may decide whether a fenced yard/dog park or tether at client's home is secure enough for off-leash activity. Electric fencing is not considered a secure perimeter. Pets will never be left unsupervised in their yard (fenced or tethered), nor dog parks, with the exclusion of pets who have access to door flaps. PPCLT is not liable for the escape or loss of a pet from a client-approved fenced yard/dog park, including those with a dog/cat door, nor in the event a pet escapes from its tether or the tether becomes unsecured from its in-ground stake or hardware-mounted hook.

Retractable leashes will not be used by the sitter under any circumstances due to safety risks. If a client is unable/unwilling to provide a secure leash option, or if the client's leash is missing upon arrival, the sitter will use their on-hand backup leash, and the client will be responsible for any damage to the sitter's leash due to the pet.

PPCLT does not allow any direct interaction with any people or pets that do not belong to the client while walking/at dog park, unless client submits an "Okay to Play" form provided by PPCLT. The sitter may decide whether to allow the client-approved interaction. PPCLT is not liable for any injury or illness sustained by the clients pet, the other owner, or their pet, due to client-approved interactions.

Vaccination, Pet Illness/Injury, & Veterinary Trips - Proof of current rabies vaccination is required as mandated by North Carolina law. If a client's veterinarian has advised against a vaccine/booster, the client must provide PPCLT a written recommendation (or email) directly from the veterinarian and PPCLT may decide whether to provide services for said pet. PPCLT may suspend/refuse services for pets who are late for their core vaccines/boosters.

If a pet becomes ill or is injured while in the care of PPCLT, the sitter is authorized to decide, within reason and/or with veterinary guidance, to transport the pet to the client's primary or 24-hour emergency veterinarian. Every attempt will be made to contact the client and their emergency contact, however, the pet's safety is the primary concern and the sitter will proceed with transport to the veterinarian if unable to establish contact with the client/emergency contact in a timely manner.

PPCLT may refuse/suspend service indefinitely, at any time, following a pet's diagnosis/treatment for major infectious pet diseases/viruses. If a pet is diagnosed with an infectious disease/virus while in the care of PPCLT, every attempt will be made to notify the client, and the sitter will turn the pet over to be boarded with their approved veterinarian until the client is able to retrieve their pet.

Clients are responsible for any expenses incurred and reimbursement of any out-of-pocket expenses paid by the sitter/PPCLT on behalf of the client for the treatment of the pet, as well as Trip Fees and extended visit length.

Privacy - Clients note in the Pet Sitting Service Contract whether they permit photos/videos of their pets taken by the sitter to be shared to PPCLT website and social media pages. Photos/videos taken within client's homes will be shared with utmost respect to their home security and shall not show any items of value or obvious clues to the location of the home.

PPCLT will not share, sell, or otherwise distribute collected information about any client that may risk the privacy or security of their home without written permission. Sensitive information regarding client location, home access, etc. is only to be accessible to third parties via (a) Data stored in Precise Petcare app; (b) Communications across PPCLT business email and Wix business phone line/website contact forms; (c) Google Analytics tools used for PPCLT website; (d) Client and PPCLT banking institutions used for payment; (e) Client Emergency Contacts, veterinarian, and boarding kennel if/when applicable; and (f) PPCLT’s trusted representative and backup sitter as needed in the event of a sitter emergency.