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Information / Terms & Conditions
WELCOME!
Our biggest priority at Little Sizzlers Hotel is the welfare and happiness of our dogs and all our guest Sausages. We make every effort to keep a safe and fun environment for all the dogs staying in our home, and we do our utmost to ensure all the dogs in our care are kept happy and healthy while you are away. Please read through these Terms and Conditions and if you have any questions or concerns which are not covered here, please feel free to ask. Whenever you make a booking with Little Sizzlers Hotel you are agreeing to the latest Terms & Conditions prevailing at the time of each booking.
STEP 1. NEW CLIENTS - MEET & GREET
If your dog has not visited us before, the first thing we need do is arrange a Meet & Greet appointment with you. This is where you bring your Sausage to our home for a short visit so we can meet you and your dog. This gives us the opportunity to gain a brief insight into the behaviour of your dog in our home environment while we show you around. You can see what facilities we provide, we can chat about your requirements and answer any questions you may have. It's a short visit, about 1 hour, and there is no charge for this.
Due to the high demand from our regular boarders who book dates throughout the year, if you have holiday dates already in mind, you have the option to pay a one-off non-refundable deposit of £70 to hold your preferred holiday dates until the overnight Trial process is completed (Step 3 below). If your Sausage doesn't settle or isn't suitable for our environment, there is no refund for the deposit paid - all payments are made at your own risk. If your Sausage passes the overnight Trial stay, the £70 deposit will be deducted from your total balance payable for the cost of the holiday booking.
Please make sure your holiday insurance or pet insurance covers any loss of boarding fees due to holiday cancellations for any reason.
STEP 2. REGISTRATION FORM
After booking your Meet & Greet appointment, we will email you a Registration form for your completion. We will need this returned to us together with a copy of your dog's vaccination record and/or Titer test results no later than 3 days in advance of your Meet & Greet appointment. Your completed Registration form will be kept on file for repeat services, therefore please advise us of any relevant changes to your circumstances in writing. By completing the Registration form you will be expressly confirming that you have read and agree to the Terms and Conditions prevailing at the time of any future booking, and that we may rely on the information provided in your registration form which may be subsequently updated by you if appropriate.
STEP 3. OVERNIGHT TRIAL STAY
After the Meet & Greet visit has been completed, if you would like your Sausage to stay here for longer than 3 nights, then we will need to arrange a one-off overnight Trial stay first. This runs ideally from dropoff at earliest 11am to collection the following day at latest 6pm (subject to diary availability). We can be flexible between those times but ideally we would like to maximise on the time your dog is here if possible. Not all dogs are used to staying away from their owners and can act very differently without their owner being present. So the purpose of the overnight Trial stay is to enable us to get to know your Sausage better and establish if they would be happy here for a longer stay. Once your dog has passed their Trial stay, it's then easy for you to book any future breaks/holidays by simply contacting us to check availability.
4. SHORT NOTICE BOOKINGS
Existing clients - we will always do our best to accommodate your Sausage, subject to availability of spaces.
New clients - please be aware that, due to the requirement to undertake Steps 1-3 prior to accepting any first booking, we will do our best to fit it all in, but it will be subject to our diary availability and may not always be possible to achieve within a short timescale.
5. HEALTH
a) Vaccinations - you will need to provide us with an up-to-date veterinary vaccination record to show that your dog has current vaccinations against the core diseases of DHP (Distemper, Hepatitis and Parvovirus) and Leptospirosis. If any of the vaccination dates expire before commencement of a booking then evidence of a booster will be required prior to accepting your dog for daycare/boarding.
For puppies who have had their first (primary) vaccinations, or if you are starting your dogs vaccinations again due to missing them which require a double-dose to be given two weeks apart, then those vaccinations must be completed at least 2 weeks before we can accept your dog for daycare/boarding.
For dogs who have had a DHP or Lepto booster vaccination, we can accept for daycare/boarding immediately from the date given.
b) Titer Test - As an alternative to a DHP vaccination, a vet certificate of a recent protective Titre test will be accepted. The certificate must state that it is valid for the current period.
c) Kennel Cough (Bordatella) vaccination - This is a separate vaccine to the core vaccines described above and is not a compulsory requirement for daycare/boarding at Little Sizzlers Hotel. If your dog has already received a Kennel Cough vaccine prior to any daycare/boarding with us, please note both the nasal and oral vaccines contain a modified live virus which can shed to other dogs for a period ranging from 6-11 weeks depending on the brand of vaccine used. We wouldn’t want to expose any of our dogs or guest dogs (medical/elderly) to the chances of catching Kennel Cough within the stated shedding periods.
Therefore, in order to reduce the risk as much as possible, we adhere to the guidelines within the vaccine datasheets held on the NOAH Compendium website and defra.gov.uk, which means we will not accept your dog into our home for the duration of the shedding periods as shown below:-
Kennel Cough given by the NOSE: - most brands are 6 weeks. Versican Plus BbPI is 11 weeks.
Kennel Cough given ORALLY: - Versican Plus Bb Oral is 10 weeks (70 days).
Kennel Cough INJECTION: - No waiting period - we can accept immediately from the date given.
d) Flea & Worming - All dogs must be up to date with treatment for fleas and worming.
e) Infectious Health Problem - If your dog develops or shows any signs of an infectious health problem (ie: fleas, worms, kennel cough, sickness, diarrhoea):-
* Before your dog is due to come and stay - We would appreciate your honesty in telling us the situation. In order to preserve the health and wellbeing of our own/guest dogs, we reserve the right to refuse to accept your dog into our home. This means the booking you have paid for will have to be cancelled. If this happens, please see our Cancellation Policy below.
* During your dog's stay with us - We reserve the right to discontinue your dog's stay for the remaining duration of the booking. This means we may ask you or your Emergency Accommodation person to come and collect your dog immediately and the remainder of your booking will be cancelled. If this happens, please see our Cancellation Policy below.
f) IVDD - Our own Sausage, Nellie, had Level 3/4 IVDD a few years ago with 4 discs fenestrated, so we are familiar with the recovery process. Whilst every possible care is taken to ensure your Sausage is well looked after, it is entirely possible that they could have a first-time IVDD episode or a relapse of an existing IVDD situation whilst they are here, or when they return to you. Through no fault of anyone's, sadly the rupturing process can happen over a period of weeks or in the space of a moment, and this can be undetectable initially. A dog that appears healthy and happy one minute can suddenly present unusual symptoms and signs of pain. This means you agree to take the risk of leaving your Sausage in our home environment with potentially 8 other Sausages of different sizes and energy levels, that you understand the risks associated with IVDD and that we cannot be held responsible for IVDD situations which may occur unless deemed wholly negligent.
Unfortunately, we do not have the facilities to take Grade 5 Sausages in wheels, pushchairs or who need bladder expression. If this is the case, we can recommend an alternative Sausage home-boarder who may be able to offer this service.
6. BOARDING PUPPIES/YOUNG DOGS UNDER 1 YEAR OLD
We accept puppies over 12 weeks old but no earlier than 14 days after they have completed their primary course of vaccinations. The needs of your young dog will be discussed in depth and agreed with you before boarding. We will establish any specific or extra requirements your young dog needs, such as feeding, exercise levels, rest-time etc. A young dog requires a lot more care and attention to interactions, so we will keep a close eye on your baby chipolata to make sure it's happy and not showing signs of distress, separation anxiety or adverse behaviour. If it does display any of these signs, we will of course keep you informed and updated.
7. INTACT MALES
Unfortunately we no longer accept intact males of any age due to the recent addition of our baby chipolata girl, Cookie, to our family pack of Sausages.
8. ENTIRE FEMALES - 'IN SEASON' POLICY
We DO accept both spayed and entire females. Our decision to accept entire girls could be subject to change, or withdrawn, without prior notification. We cannot accept girls who are due in season, or in season, under any circumstances. If you are not sure if your girl might be coming into season, we would recommend you carry out a white-tissue test to check if there is any pale pink or red spotting for a few days prior to bringing her for daycare or boarding. We request that owners inform us immediately if they suspect their female may be coming into season before any booking commences.
If your intact female comes into season:-
* Before the commencement of her stay, then we will be unable to accept her for at least 30 days from Day 1 of her season. This means your booking will have to be cancelled. If this happens, please see our Cancellation Policy.
* During her stay, then for her own safety we will have to request that you or your Emergency Accommodation person come and collect your girl the same day that we notify you. This means the remainder of your booking will have to be cancelled. If this happens, please see our Cancellation Policy.
If your dog's season dates are uncertain, we strongly recommend that you have a back-up contingency boarding plan in place.
PLEASE NOTE - By making payment to secure a booking, you are confirming you are happy to take the risk that your intact female may come into season at the time of your booking which means your booking cannot proceed, and you do so on the understanding that your payment/s will not be refunded or transferred to another booking. Please see our Cancellation Policy.
9. UNSOCIABLE/UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOURS
Unsociable/unacceptable behaviours are those which have a negative impact on other dogs/humans where it may be necessary to isolate your dog from the group in order to preserve the safety, happiness and well-being of the other dogs staying within our home and prevent potentially more serious issues arising.
We want all our guest dogs (and the resident ones too of course as this is their home) to enjoy their time here in a safe, relaxed and harmoniously happy environment. No owner can be 100% certain how their dog is going to behave in a different environment, in the company of other unfamiliar guest dogs and without the owner present. There is always a risk that an issue may arise where your dog may act in an unexpected or unpredictable manner not familiar to you. So, if your dog poses a threat to the enjoyment of others, we reserve the right to cancel the remainder of your booking and request that you or your Emergency Accommodation person collect your dog immediately. If this happens, please see our Cancellation Policy.
Examples (but not limited to):-
* Any history of, or current, guarding aggression or possession (over toys, food, or a bonded second dog from the same household).
* Excessive obsession with other dogs.
* Excessive humping.
* Scent-marking in the home.
* Dominance - challenging and dominating any other dog in play, sleeping-places, food, toys.
* Excessive barking (we are still a home with nearby neighbours!)
* If your dog will not allow itself to be approached, touched, handled or picked up when needed.
* Aggression shown to humans or other dogs (growling at a human is a complete ban)
* Refusal to comply with human requests without bribery (recall, moving off furniture, coming indoors etc, and therefore cannot be controlled if necessary to do so in an emergency.)
* Has no basic manners or respect for other dogs/humans in a home environment (untrained, 'wired', hyper/non-stop).
* Not house-trained (young dogs under 1 year old excluded from this).
10. FEEDING
Owners must provide their dog's own food with complete feeding instructions. Please ensure we know how often your animal needs feeding, as well as if they are fussy eaters, graze or sometimes don’t eat. A puppy requires extra feeding throughout the day. The owner’s routine will be adhered to where possible.
At feeding-time, all dogs will be separated to avoid aggression or competition. We have suitable facilities including fridges and freezers to store your pet’s food. We also provide feeding and water bowls.
Our own dogs eat a raw food diet. If you would like us to feed your dog our own dog's raw food please advise us prior to your dog's stay. This will incur an additional charge. Raw food is digested in the dog's gut far more quickly than kibble so, once your dog goes home, changing from raw food back to your own food can sometimes result in a tummy upset for a day or two, so please be aware of this possibility.
11. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
Please let us know if your dog has any special requirements such as dietary or medical.
Medication - If your dog is currently on medication for any reason, please let us know so we can continue your dog's medication while you are away.
12. EXERCISE
Please be aware that Sausages who are new to day care/boarding may experience higher levels of physical and mental activity than perhaps they are used to at home. Therefore it is to be expected that your dog may go home more tired than usual. Your dog will be exercised off lead within the secure boundaries of Little Sizzlers Hotel for a minimum of twice a day for at least 20 minutes each time. Your dog will not be taken outside of the property for the duration of your dog's stay unless it is an emergency. If you have any special requirements regarding your dog's exercise levels, please advise us prior to your dog's stay.
13. ENRICHMENT
All our guest Sausages can wander off-lead freely around our home and garden, wherever and whenever they want to go. Our gardens are fully enclosed, safe and secure.
Outdoors - We have a large wraparound garden with plenty of grass for the sprinters or the sunbathers, apple trees for those Sausages who like to nibble on a faller, Woodland Corner for shade where diggers can dig, a shallow dipping-pool in the summer for the water-lovers, and plenty of balls to be thrown for the Sausage retrievers to race after. We also have a kitchen-garden with various summer herbs and roses full of fragrant smells for small noses to sniff.
Indoors - Guests have the free run of the house for those who like circuit training, a playroom where teddies, balls and toys abound for all the Sausages to enjoy and lamb-horns to chew in the evening if not curled up on the settees with us. We have healthy treats for those who like snacks and many soft cosy beds, cuddly throws and blankets to snuggle under,
14. SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS
To enable your Sausage to feel at home here, we offer a choice of where they can sleep. We have a dog-bedroom specifically for our Sausage guests with lots of freshly-washed soft beds and blankets where they can cosy up together, or stretch out on their own bed. If that's not to their liking, then they can choose to sleep on one of the sofa's in the lounge, or in our bed/bedroom with the resident Sausages. If you have a specific requirement for your dog to be kept in a closed crate overnight, our licence stipulates that dogs cannot be closed-crated for more than 3 hours, therefore we can provide an open-door crate within a pen to allow your Sausage space to move about. We can provide whatever makes them happy.
15. BEDS, BLANKETS, TOYS
We have lots of our own soft beds, blankets, throws, teddies, balls and chew toys here for your Sausage's enjoyment. Although you may want your Sausage to bring their own little suitcase of favourite bedding and toys, we recommend leaving those things at home to see another day. You're more than welcome of course but we have to warn you that if any damage or destruction of your property occurs due to everyday Sausage fun and antics, it will be considered accidental and not replaced or reimbursed by Little Sizzlers Hotel.
16. PHOTOS AND VIDEOS
We take lots of photos and videos of your dogs throughout their stay with us, and we like to keep you updated with the nicest/unblurred ones wherever possible! We also like to upload some of those photos and videos to social media. We ensure that any identifying details personal to you such as your dog's name tag information or individual human faces are blurred out. All photos and videos remain the copyright of Little Sizzlers Hotel and, as such, can be used on any public media platforms or publications.
17. UNDER 16 YEAR OLD HUMANS
Much as our own dogs love to meet people, we don't know how our guest Sausages will react to young humans. Some guest Sausages can be a little unnerved around children so, to prevent the risk of a young human possibly getting bitten in all the excitement, we respectfully request that no children under the age of 16 come to our home.
18. COLLARS AND IDENTITY TAGS
We want to maintain the safety of all dogs in our care as much as possible. To avoid the risk of dogs catching their teeth or other body parts within another dog's collar, no collars are worn within the boundaries of Little Sizzlers Hotel. However, if we have to take your dog to the vet, your dog will wear a collar with an identity tag displaying our name and our telephone number.
19. HUMAN COMPANY 24/7
Your dog will never be left without human company at any time, except in an emergency or an exceptional circumstance. If this happens, your dog will remain safely with the resident dogs and guest dogs, or separated from them, according to your instructions on the Registration Form.
20. ENSURING THE HEALTH & WELFARE OF ALL DOGS
All dogs are monitored constantly throughout their stay. They are regularly checked for injuries and, if there are any signs of abnormalities, sickness, rapid weight loss or gain sufficient for concern, the owner/emergency contact is informed and a decision for the best course of action is discussed where possible. It may be necessary to seek veterinary advice, and this will be followed and the owner kept updated.
21. VETERINARY INTERVENTION
We do our utmost to ensure a happy harmony exists within our home and we strive to provide a safe and secure environment for all our dogs as far as is reasonably possible. However, please be aware that by the very nature of the service we provide, there are certain risks involved when dogs interact in a group with other unfamiliar dogs.
Should a situation arise which results in an accident, injury or illness to your dog, we reserve the right to act in the best interests of your dog at all times. This includes seeking veterinary advice if it becomes necessary to do so.
If you or your Emergency Contact cannot be contacted within a reasonable time, you agree we are authorised to seek appropriate and swift veterinary attention and proceed with treatment regardless of the costs, which you agree to cover. We will do everything needed for your dog with regard to treatment, comfort and recovery. Any vet fees incurred during your dog's stay will be covered by you, the owner. You agree to accept responsibility for, and agree to bear, all financial veterinary costs if veterinary treatment is provided for your dog arising from emergency medical care judged to be medically necessary by the attending vet. Any costs we may agree to incur for the benefit of securing emergency treatment for your dog, you agree to indemnify us on demand and at the very latest, before collection of your dog.
Little Sizzlers Hotel will not be held liable for any accident, injury or illness during the period of daycare/boarding so long as immediate veterinary attention has been sought, If there is an accident, injury or illness caused by our own negligence we will of course cover any medical bills via our own insurance.
22. EMERGENCY CONTACT
In the case of an emergency medical situation we will always try to contact you, the owner/s first. If we cannot reach you, we will then call the Emergency Contact you have nominated to act as your spokesperson in your absence and on your behalf.
Please ensure the person you nominate is:-
a) not yourself or your partner if you are joint owners,
b) made fully aware of their responsibilities in that they may have to make health and welfare decisions about your dog on your behalf.
c) contactable while you are away.
23. EMERGENCY ACCOMMODATION PERSON
In the event of a situation where your dog needs to be removed from our home prior to the end of your dog's stay for it's own safety or for the safety of other dogs, we will need to contact your Emergency Accommodation Person to come and collect your dog. This can be the same person as your Emergency Contact if you wish.
Please ensure the person you nominate is:-
a) not away when you are
b) made fully aware of their responsibilities in that they may have to collect and accommodate your dog for the remainder of your holiday if they are called upon to do so.
c) within a reasonable travelling distance from Little Sizzlers Hotel
If this person refuses to collect or accommodate your dog in an emergency situation, we reserve the right to place your dog in the care of the Dog Warden who will source alternative foster care for your dog until your return - upon which you will then need to contact the Dog Warden yourself to retrieve your dog and pay whatever charges are incurred.
24. TRANSPORTING YOUR DOG TO THE VET
If we have to make a trip to the vets with your dog, we require that you provide a harness which fits your dog, as this will be used to attach the dog to a seatbelt restraint within the car. Any harnesses or collars which require the seatbelt restraint to be secured by the dog's neck is not acceptable. No dogs will be left in the car unattended at any time.
25. 'OPEN TO THE PUBLIC' HOURS
We are very happy to welcome you and your Sausage/s between 8am – 6pm. Outside of these hours is when we feed the dogs, feed ourselves, wake up in the morning or settle down for the evening. This is why we don't have arrivals or collections outside of these hours without an additional charge. Phone calls and messages may not be answered outside of these hours but we will do our best to always respond to you within 24 hours.
Boarding Times - Dropoff is between 11am - 6pm. Collection is between 8am - 10am.
Daycare Times - Dropoff from 8am. Collection by 6pm latest.
Any arrivals or collections outside of these hours are charged at an additional rate.
We operate on an appointment only system so please specify your actual times when booking if possible. If you delay providing your arrival/collection times, you may find you then have to fit around other owners who have already confirmed their times.
Please understand, the homeboarding & daycare we provide is not like a childcare service where owners can turn up when they like. This is our home. We only have space for one car outside our gates so this enables us to manage the footfall of owners coming to our home. We are very conscious of trying to keep the barking levels down as we endeavour to be considerate of our neighbours. As we all know, Sausages make excellent guard dogs and will bark at the slightest noise. So please, always message us when you arrive outside our gates. We will come out to you. Please don't come up to the front door and ring the doorbell otherwise the Sausages will tell the whole neighbourhood and surrounding villages that you've arrived.
26. PAYMENTS
We accept payment by electronic bank transfer.
27. BOOKINGS - HOMEBOARDING
We are limited to 6 guest spaces on any one day/night. Spaces are booked on a first come, first served basis.
25% Deposit - payable to secure your chosen dates. We cannot hold a space for dates wanted on the chance you might want to book later, as we could lose firm bookings for those same dates. Until such time as a deposit is paid, those dates will remain open and available to the public. Once a deposit has been paid, your dates are then secured for you and the payment is non-refundable and non-transferable.
75% Final Balance - payable 14 days prior to the first day of boarding. Once paid, this is non-refundable and non-transferable.
* We will send you a 14-day reminder for the remaining balance to be paid on that 14th day prior to your dog's stay. You will have had plenty of advance warning of this from the day your quotation was provided. If you do not consider it important enough to send your final payment when we have requested it, then we reserve the right to confirm your booking is cancelled with immediate effect, re-open your dates to the public and decline any further booking requests from you. It's much easier for us to do that, rather than wasting our time chasing you for payment.
* If you cancel your booking before the remaining 75% balance is due, we reserve the right to keep your deposit but you will not be charged the 75% payment.
* If you cancel your booking after you have paid the remaining 75% balance due, then your payment is non-refundable and non-transferable. Please see our Cancellation Policy.
* If your booking is made with less than 14 days to your chosen dates - payment in full is required.
Bank Holidays, Xmas and New Year
These are special times of the year - demand for Xmas bookings is particularly high and often made a year or two ahead. Therefore, we will not accept tentative bookings for any of the holiday dates shown on our Service/Prices page. We will only accept Xmas/New Year bookings if they have been secured with a 25% non-refundable deposit and the 75% remaining non-refundable balance paid 4 weeks (28 days) prior to your holiday. If you then subsequently cancel, please see our Cancellation Policy.
28. BOOKINGS - DAYCARE
Full payment is required 14 days prior to each booking.
29. CANCELLATION POLICY
Little Sizzlers Hotel should not be expected to suffer the financial loss of cancelled bookings for circumstances which occur outside of our control. Therefore, we respectfully request that, in the event of a cancellation whether made by you or by us as described below, you please don't ask for a refund or a transfer to another booking as we don't want to have to repeat the same answer you have just read above. If it is possible for us to refill your cancelled booking spaces, then we would be happy to refund your payment for the cancelled days we have been able to refill. We will of course let you know if we are able to achieve this.
For clarity...
Any payments you have made to secure a booking are non-refundable and non-transferable to another booking in the following instances:-
* You cancel your booking.
* We have to cancel your booking (either prior to or during your dog's stay) if:-
a) your dog exhibits unsociable/unacceptable behaviours.
b) your dog is due in season, or comes into season.
c) your dog has an Infectious Health Problem.
d) your final balance payment is not paid on the due date prior to your dog's stay and we cannot extract a satisfactory response from you.
If we are unable to fulfil your booking prior to the commencement of your booking (due to an emergency situation our end) we will endeavour to ensure you are contacted as soon possible in order that you may be able to make alternative boarding or daycare arrangements. The booking will be cancelled and you will be refunded in full.
If we are unable to continue boarding your dog (due to an emergency situation our end) whilst your dog is staying with us, your Emergency Accommodation person will be contacted to come and collect your dog for the remainder of your booking. The booking will be cancelled and you will be refunded for the remaining days we could no longer board your dog.
30. RESERVATION OF RIGHTS
We may refuse to provide services in respect of any dog and reserve the right to withdraw services from any customer or dog at any time without prior warning. Although we are not legally required to provide Terms & Conditions, we have provided our Terms & Conditions for clarity. Provision of any services implies you have understood and agreed to these Terms and Conditions. These Terms and Conditions may be subject to change at any time without prior notification.
31. DISCLAIMER
From time to time, we may (upon request or otherwise) make recommendations or introductions to you in respect of third parties who provide complementary or other services which may be of interest to you, such as alternative Homeboarding services, Homesitter services, Training or Behavioural services. It is your responsibility to ensure that the services provided by any such party are suitable to you and your dog and we accept no liability in relation to any such services or any Loss arising from or in connection with them.
32. PERSONAL DATA
The Registration Form will be kept for a minimum of 3 years from first contact with you, or longer if we continue to provide you with a service. We will not share your personal details with other organisations however we may provide information about your dog to your vet out of professional courtesy. Please advise us if you prefer us not to do so.
33. INSURANCE
We are fully insured with Protectivity Insurance.
34. LIABILITY
Under no circumstances will Little Sizzlers Hotel be liable for consequential damages or damages beyond the replacement value of your dog.
35. GENERAL
A person who is not a party to the Contract shall not have any rights under or in connection with it. Little Sizzlers Hotel may assign, transfer, charge, mortgage, subcontract or deal in any manner with all or any of its rights or obligations under these terms and conditions.
36. GOVERNING LAW
These terms and conditions (and the Registration Form referred to above), and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them or their subject matter (including non-contractual disputes or claims arising in connection with our agreement to provide services to you), shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the law of England and Wales and the English courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction in relation to any such dispute or claim.