Policies, Requirements & General Information

In this section you will notice that we have grouped our policies, requirements and general information into individual sections to make it easier to find what you are looking for. If you have questions relating to your pet(s) that you do not see here, please feel free to contact us.

HOURS OF OPERATION MEET & GREETS DOG DAY CARE DOG BOARDING CAT BOARDING FOOD MEDICATION TRANSPORT VACCINATION DESEXING PARASITE PREVENTION RATE CALCULATIONS & CANCELLATION POLICY PAYMENT PET SITTING CONSULTATIONS UPDATES, PHOTOS & SOCIAL MEDIA VETERINARY CARE PRIVACY POLICY

1. HOURS OF OPERATION

Monday to Sunday: 6:30am to 6:30pm

1.1 Early drop off’s or late pick-up’s may be arranged in special circumstances

1.2 We do need to know the exact time that you are coming so that arrangements can be made to minimize the disruption for the animals.

2. MEET & GREETS

Before we book any services, we like to get to know you (and your pets) and let you get to know us. For cats we can do this over the phone (unless you want to come out), but it is mandatory that we meet all dogs before they are booked in for boarding.

2.1 Our Meet & Greet times are strictly BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. People coming and going causes disruption, and disruption causes stress. Imagine how excited your dog is when you come home from work. Now imagine you have 10 dogs at home, and you come home every hour all day. That’s a lot of excited dogs. We want dogs to relax while staying with us and not be distracted by people coming and going when not expected. Please call and arrange an appointment with us beforehand so we can ensure a stress-free introduction.

2.2 You do not need to bring your cat to a Meet & Greet.

2.3 We usually organize Meet & Greets on weekend afternoons when Day Care dogs are not around. We prefer this to not be during school holidays when we are fully booked.

2.4 Please bring your dog with you for Meet & Greets so that we can assess their suitability for the environment and they can get an initial introduction to the property. During this period, we will first make sure that they are good with us, good with the other dogs and do not stress to the point that we would be concerned about their health and safety. If we find that they stress excessively or are overly nervous, we may ask that they come for a trial day of day care before boarding. If we find that they stress to the point that they are not happy and could pose a risk to their own health or safety, we will contact you and ask you to come pick them up.

If your dog(s) is in any way nervous and not well socialized on coming for their first day, we will start your dog(s) off slowly. We will introduce your dog(s) to one of our own first who is very well socialized and gets along with all dogs. If your dog(s) shows signs of being very nervous, we will keep him/her with a smaller group until we feel they are ready to be integrated into a larger group of dogs. We will never just take your dog(s) and just let them in with 10 dogs and hope they do well.

*If your dog(s) are 6 months or under, they are not required to have a meet and greet (although we do recommend it).

2.5 Trial Daycare is charged at the normal daycare rate (see Prices).

2.6 All dogs must come with a collar tight enough so they cannot slip out of it. Collar must have a pinch type breakaway release for safety, not a buckle. You are welcome to have them on a harness but they must also have a collar. We do have appropriate collars here for purchase for $5.

2.7 If your dog(s) show any signs of agression towards any member of staff or any other dog, we will ask you to come and pick your dog up and they will be dismissed until proper training has been given and proof that the issue has been resolved. This will be in the form of a certificate or letter from a professional trainer.

2.8 It will be at the discretion of Fur-Mum Pet Care whether any dog that has been previously dismissed will be allowed back.

2.9 All dog(s) coming for their initial Meet & Greet must have provided proof of up-to-date vaccination records (see Vaccinations for a list of what is required).

3. DOG DAY CARE

We offer full-service (including transport) Day Care Monday to Friday, Saturday and Sunday we will provide care, but transport is only offered by special arrangement. It is a great way for you to socialize your dog(s) and burn off that energy. During Day Care, dogs learn social skills and dog language. At Fur-Mum Pet Care we specialize in smaller dogs, nervous dogs and low energy dogs. There are many different dog play styles, and large boisterous dogs are best left to play with other large boisterous dogs. Luckily for them, every other day care in Townsville takes those dogs. We provide a safe place for the rest of the dogs to find their groove.

3.1 All dogs must come for a Meet & Greet or have a Trial Daycare Day before they are granted an ongoing position in the pack.

3.2 All dogs must come with a collar tight enough that it will not slip it off and it must have a pinch release, not a buckle. We can provide these for $5 if you do not have one.

3.3 During days of regular weather and temperatures, most dogs and staff will stay outside for the morning. We have a midday rest on the downstairs couches under fans and misters, then when it cools a bit we are back outside for the afternoon. If it is very hot, the length of time that they spend outside is greatly reduced, they will play downstairs under misters and rest indoors in the air conditioning. During wet weather we will play under shelter downstairs, or outside if we have time to get everyone clean and dry afterwards.

3.4 Dogs have access to water 24hrs a day. Your dog may drink a lot when they get home from day care. This is not because we didn’t give them water, but because the excitement has passed and they are finally paying attention to their body’s needs.

3.5 We are strongly against over booking and have a set limit that we will accept. Reservations are on a first come first serve basis.

3.6 We do not supply food for day care. If your dog needs a snack during the day, please send it along and we will feed them.

4. DOG BOARDING

All dogs at Fur-Mum Pet Care are boarded in our home, which has been optimized to handle up to 10 canine guests. Dogs spend the day outside with the day care pack, and nights in the bedroom with Fur-Mum. They can sleep in the bed or in the many dog beds in the bedroom.

4.1 It is mandatory that all dogs over the age of 6 months must complete one initial Meet & Greet before we will board them overnight. This is for the temperament assessment of your dog and to be sure that they will be good with us, the other dogs and so we can see that they will not stress while they are here.

4.2 When dropping your dog off to board, please make sure your dog(s) are here before 2pm. This way we can make sure they get enough time to settle, exercise and eat before their quiet time. For their first night boarding we recommend they come as early as possible.

4.3 During days of regular weather and temperatures, most dogs and staff will stay outside for the morning. We have a midday rest on the downstairs couches under fans and misters, then when it cools a bit we are back outside for the afternoon. If it is very hot, the length of time that they spend outside is greatly reduced, they will play downstairs under misters and rest indoors in the air conditioning. During wet weather we will play under shelter downstairs, or outside if we have time to get everyone clean and dry afterwards.

4.4 Dogs have access to water 24hrs a day.

4.5 We do provide food. However, if you are providing your own pets food please always bring extra, because if your dog(s) are staying for any period of time we generally feed them a little more than normal as they burn more calories during their days of play. Also there may be times that you get delayed for whatever reason and switching your dog(s) to a food that they are not used to may upset their tummies.

4.6 Please do not bring bowls (unless they eat from a slow feeder) as we have lots of bowls and they may get mixed up with ours.

4.7 We do supply blankets and bedding to keep your dog(s) warm and cosy at night. Everything here smells the same so dogs do not feel the need to mark it. When there is a strange smell in the room, or something new, they do feel the need to mark it. Which means extra cleaning and laundry for us. If you are worried your dog may fret, you can provide a t-shirt or towel that smells like you in a plastic bag that we will offer them as needed to settle.

4.8 We may need to leave the dogs without in-person supervision from time to time. During this period, dogs will be kept in comfortable human rooms in family groups or in small (2-3) groups of trusted dogs. This period will never be more than 4 hours total per day, or 2 hours for dogs under 6 months.

4.9 During days of thunder, we play music and keep dogs indoors to minimize stress.

4.10 We are strongly against over booking and have a set limit that we will accept. Reservations are on a first come first serve basis.

5. CAT BOARDING

All cats at Fur-Mum Pet Care are boarded in our home, which has been optimized to handle up to 5 feline guests from 2 families. Cats get a bedroom which has been catified with plenty of towers and hidey holes. They may spend time outdoors in the cat enclosure during the day.

5.1 Cats may share a room with family members only.

5.2 Cats are provided with litter that is scooped at least once per day and fully cleaned and disinfected every 3 days.

5.3 Cats are provided with bowls of still water and fountains of running water.

5.4 Cats do not have full-time companionship, but are checked on several times a day and get plenty of one-on-one dedicated play and cuddle time.

5.5 Cats are often especially picky eaters, so we recommend that you supply their preferred food.

6. FOOD

We do provide food, however, pets switching to a food that they may not be used to may give them an upset stomach. If your pet has a sensitive tummy or any food sensitivity issues please supply your own food. Likewise if your pet is especially picky, please supply their favourites.

6.1 Please do not bring food in plastic grocery bags. Sealed Ziploc bags, plastic containers or anything that is sealed is fine.

6.2 All food must come with feeding instructions either in or on the container.

6.3 It is easy to think that because your dog(s) is away from you for a period of time that you should buy lots of different treats. This is fine, however if your dog(s) is not used to regularly eating this type of treat, it may cause an upset stomach.

6.4 We feed dogs Premium Eukanuba kibble with a sauce of homemade bone broth to make it extra healthy and palatable.

6.5 We feed cats premium Royal Canin kibble with an additional option of wet food. Please consider that cats are often picky eaters and may prefer their own food.

6.6 If your pet is not eating appropriately, we will be in touch to work on a solution. If we need to make a trip to purchase your pet’s brand of food because you did not supply it, there will be a fee. If we can’t get a hold of you, we will try all our best tricks to get your pet eating well before a vet visit is required.

6.7 Our approximate feeding times are as follows:

Breakfast: 6:30am – 7:00am

Lunch: 12:00 – 1:00pm
Supper: 5:30pm – 6:30pm

6.8 We do not feed any time after 7:00pm as tummies are full and the dogs are settled and relaxed after a good play day.

7. TRANSPORT

At Fur-Mum Pet Care we like to make life easy for you, so we offer transport.

Tuesday to Thursday we do a fair bit of driving and if we are already going out, we are happy to help you out by swinging by and saving you a trip. Friday to Monday however, we try to stick close to home, so transport will be charged at a very reasonable rate (see prices).

7.1 Transport is safely managed in our van that has been fitted with crates.

7.2 If we need to make a special trip, or rearrange our day to provide transport we will charge a transport fee.

8. MEDICATIONS

If your pet(s) are coming in, whether it is for Daycare or Boarding and they have any medical issues that must be discussed or shown, please give us adequate notice so that we can dedicate our time to you. If your pet has an issue that you must show us how to treat, please make sure that you allow extra time at drop off or make sure we know ahead of time exactly what is involved.

8.1 At Fur-Mum Pet Care we are used to giving all types of medications to dogs and cats. We have a fridge for medications that may need to be refrigerated.

8.2 All medication needs to be in the original container, clearly marked, and accompanied by the following information:

Pets first and last name
Name of medication and strength
Dosage per day and whether it has been administered the morning or afternoon of drop off.

9. VACCINATIONS

All visitors must have current vaccination records on file with us and must show proof of vaccinations before coming to Fur-Mum Pet Care Property for the first time.

9.1 Requirements for Dogs:

A C5 vaccination protects against parvovirus, distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza and Bordetella bronchiseptica and is the minimum requirement for admission.
A vaccination certificate signed by a veterinary practitioner must be sighted, copied and maintained for each animal admitted.
The date of admission is more than 14 calendar days after completion of an initial course of vaccinations.
The date of admission is more than 7 days and less than 12 months after completion of a booster vaccination against the diseases above.

9.2 Requirements for Cats:

An F3 vaccination protects against feline Pan leukopenia, feline herpes virus, feline calicivirus and feline aids and is the minimum requirement for admission.
A vaccination certificate signed by a veterinary practitioner must be sighted, copied and maintained for each animal admitted.
The date of admission is more than 7 calendar days after completion of an initial course of vaccinations.
The date of admission is more than 7 days and less than 12 months after completion of a booster vaccination.

9.3 Titre testing will be accepted within a reasonable time frame, and pending a discussion with your vet.

9.4 Animals must adhere to the recommended vaccination requirements. Holistic, naturopathic or homeopathic vaccinations do NOT fulfill these vaccination requirements.

Please note that a vaccination does not ensure that your pet will not get sick. Just like children in a day care, animals occasionally share minor illnesses.

10. DESEXING

10.1 If you have a female dog and she goes into season, we will temporally dismiss her until her heat has passed. This is for the safety and comfort of yours and other dogs. If you have an entire female and require boarding, we will need to know the dates of her last season an emergency contact where she can be boarded if she goes into season while you are away.

10.2 If your male dog is over the age of 9 months he must be neutered. We respect that some dogs should not be neutered until they have finished growing completely at 2 years. However, due to our cage-free policy we cannot accommodate those animals.

10.3 All cats over 6 months must be desexed.

11. PARASITE PREVENTION

At Fur-Mum Pet Care we do our best to make sure our home is free from parasites. However, flea and worm eggs can live for months to years and fences don’t stop ticks. Therefore we ask for your help to prevent bringing any pests on to the property and to ensure that your pet is not a viable host should they come into contact with one of those long dormant eggs.

11.1 All animals must be treated for internal and external parasites before admittance.

11.1 Worming is recommended at least every 3 months for dogs over 6 months of age, and more frequently before that. Most intestinal worms can be treated by the over-the-counter pet store varieties of allwormer (Drontal, milbemax etc), however, if your pet chases/bites/eats local lizards they could be exposed to a parasite that is immune to the common wormers. Zipperworm, or Spirometra sp. needs to be treated with a specific wormer that you can only get from your vet.

11.2 All animals admitted must have up-to-date preventative flea and tick treatment.

12. RATE CALCULATIONS & CANCELLATION POLICY

12.1 Overnight rates are based on a check-out time of 10am. If your pet stays past the check-out time, they will be charged an additional day.

12.2 All Boarding and Day care is by reservation only. Please make bookings as far in advance as possible. Holidays can book up months in advance. Please call early for available dates.

12.3 We require 48 hour notice for cancellations. Christmas, Easter and New Years require 7 days notice for cancellation.

13. PAYMENTS

13.1 All payments are due on the day you pick your dog up unless it falls under these special circumstances:

Your Dog(s) is here for daycare regularly in which case you can pay at the end of the month.
Your pet(s) is boarding for a few weeks/months in which case you can pay when you pick your pet(s) up, or you can pay weekly so you don’t have a huge bill on pick-up.
You have bought a special offer in advance.

13.2 We accept Cash or Bank Transfer and are happy to provide you with a tax invoice on request.

14. PET SITTING CONSULTATIONS

We will organize to stop by your place a few days before your trip to meet your pets and get an overview of the services you need and what we can do for you.

14.1 We try to organize these on weekday afternoons after daycare drop-offs around 5:30pm.

14.2 We appreciate it if you give us written instructions at the meeting so that we can focus on you and your pets during the consultation rather than taking notes.

15. UPDATES, PHOTOS AND SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY

We take a ton of photos everyday and love sharing them with you and our social media friends. We are also happy to talk to you any time while you are away to let you know how your Fur-baby is doing.

15.1 We will automatically send you any adorable moments we capture, and we will definitely contact you if something isn’t right. Otherwise we will touch base with you every once in a while with an update on how your fur-baby is enjoying their stay. If you would like daily updates, just let us know before you go, or if you are curious at any time please feel free to contact us.

15.2 We ask for your permission to display these pictures and/or video on social media sites. These sites could include, but are not limited to, Facebook, Instagram, You Tube, Twitter, Yelp, Google+.

15.3 Mobile Pet Sitting Clients will get daily updates.

16. VETERINARY CARE

We take every care to make sure your pet has a safe and healthy stay, but occasionally your pet may need veterinary care during their stay with us. We will do our best to contact you first, but in the case of an emergency, pet care comes first.

16.1 In the event of an emergency we will take your pet to the nearest available veterinarian. We will contact you as soon as possible.

16.2 We are trained in pet First Aid/CPR and the treatment of many common ailments and will do our best not to make an unnecessary vet visit, however, if we feel a vet visit is warranted we ask that you respect our judgement.

16.3 In the event of non-emergent care, we will contact you first before arranging an appointment with your preferred veterinarian.

16.4 Generally, the bill for vet care will be passed along to you and may be accompanied by a fee for the time and transport required by us.

17. PRIVACY POLICY

Your privacy is very important to us at Fur-Mum Pet Care. Accordingly, we have developed this Policy in order for you to understand how we collect, use, communicate, disclose and make use of personal information. The following outlines our privacy policy.

• Before or at the time of collecting personal information, we will identify the purposes for which information is being collected.

We will collect and use your personal information solely with the objective of fulfilling those purposes specified by us and for other compatible purposes, unless we obtain the consent of the individual concerned or as required by law.
We will only retain personal information as long as necessary for the fulfillment of those purposes.
We will collect personal information by lawful and fair means and, where appropriate, with the knowledge or consent of the individual concerned.
Personal data should be relevant to the purposes for which it is to be used, and, to the extent necessary for those purposes, should be accurate, complete, and up-to-date.
We will protect personal information by reasonable security safeguards against loss or theft, as well as unauthorised access, disclosure, copying, use or modification.
We will make readily available to customers information about our policies and practices relating to the management of personal information.

We are committed to conducting our business in accordance with these principles in order to ensure that the confidentiality of personal information is protected and maintained.