Pet Sitting Health and Safety

Pawsitive Pet Care Pet Sitting Health & Safety Policies

At Pawsitive Pet Care we take the health and safety of the pets, our clients, and our staff very seriously.  

As we resume services following the Covid-19 closures, we will be taking the following precautions for live-in pet sits, and many of the below precautions will also apply to drop-in pet sitting as well: 

• Our staff will perform the Self-Assessment Screening prior to travelling to any client's home. 
• Staff will not enter a home wherein a person has Covid-19 symptoms or has been diagnosed with Coronavirus.
• Our staff will wash hands before and after visiting any client's homes. 
• During their last pet-sitting visit, our staff will sanitize frequently-touched surfaces such as countertops, doorknobs, light switches, and handrails and will wash any dishes they have used.
• Staff will bring their own water-bottle and other personal-use items from home to avoid using client items as much as possible.  

We ask our clients to please provide the following: 

• We ask that clients cancel services if they have Covid-19 symptoms or are concerned that they may have Coronavirus.
• Please ensure there is plenty of soap at each sink in the household for hand-washing. 
• Please ensure there are cleaning supplies available for staff to use as needed.
• Please provide clean linen (bedding, towels, hand towels, etc.), or ask our staff to bring their own if you prefer.
• Please sanitize frequently-touched surfaces such as countertops, doorknobs, light switches, and handrails.  We will have our staff do the same prior to leaving your home.  

Non-Medical Masks

Please notify our staff well in advance if you wish us to wear a mask when entering your home so that we ensure we have adequate PPE supplies.

Because we normally work alone, we do not require our staff to wear masks, but will accommodate for those who request it, pending mask availability.  We will also meet with clients outdoors whenever possible.  

Please contact us with any questions or concerns about our health and safety policies, or any questions about our services.

Click here to learn more about our Live-in Pet Sitting Services.

Please contact Jillian with any questions or concerns.  

Thank you for doing your part to keep everyone safe as we resume services.  

Pawsitive Pet Care turns TEN YEARS OLD on June 18, 2020!

Visit our website to learn about our 10th Anniversary Specials

Our Boarding and Pet Sitting Cancellation Policy

Pawsitive Pet Care's Boarding & Pet Sitting Cancellation Policy 

We understand that sometimes plans change, and sometimes these changes are outside of our control.  With that said, we make every effort to keep our availability as accurate and up-to-date as possible.  We also wish to be considerate of our staff's personal time and respect the fact that they set aside their own time to be available for our clients for pet-sitting services.  As such, we ask that clients please give us as much notice as possible if you need to change or cancel any services.  This may also allow us to offer the services to clients on our waiting list.

As our services are in very high demand, and we book very far in advance, we have the following cancellation fee schedule in place.

Unfortunately, because we are often turning away clients due to being fully booked, we require a non-refundable deposit with no exceptions.  This policy will always be discussed at our meet-and-greet, prior to confirming bookings.  We thank you for your understanding.

A deposit of 50% of the total service cost is required to guarantee the pet-sitting or boarding dates.   Post-dated cheques must be dated at least two weeks prior to the start of services.  There is a minimum $50 administration fee on all cancellations with no exceptions.

Once the deposit is received the booking is confirmed and the following cancellation policy is in effect:

14 or more business days:  cancellation fee of $50
13 business days:                cancellation fee of $60
12 business days:                cancellation fee of $65
11 business days:  cancellation fee of $70
10 business days:  cancellation fee of $75
9 business days:                 cancellation fee of $80
8 business days:                cancellation fee of $85
7 business days                 cancellation fee of $90
6 business days:               cancellation fee of $95
5 business days:  cancellation fee of $100
4 business days:  cancellation fee of $125
3 business days:  cancellation fee of $150
2 business days:  cancellation fee of $175
one business day:  cancellation fee of 50% of service cost
**One business day or less:     Deposit  (50% of service cost) is forfeited

Please note that the cancellation fee will never be more than 50% of the service costs, unless service cost is $100 or less in which case the $50 deposit is retained. 

As our services are in very high demand, and we are often turning away clients due to being fully booked, we require a non-refundable deposit with no exceptions.  This policy will always be discussed at our meet-and-greet, prior to confirming bookings.  We thank you for your understanding.

This policy is also provided with all boarding and pet-sitting invoices and is also available on our website at PawsitiveCare.ca/cancellation-fees

Please contact Jillian if you have any questions or concerns.

Please always ask any questions you may have and always be aware of all policies prior to booking any services.  We also have cancellation policies for dog-walking services, and these can be found on our website at PawsitiveCare.ca/dog-walking

Thank you for your understanding, and thank you for your business.

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Visit our website at PawsitiveCare.ca

Pawsitive Pet Care has been providing pet care services in Manitoba since 2010.

The Pawsitive Pet Care DISEASE PREVENTION POLICY

Please note: This article was originally published on October 9, 2019. For specific Covid-19 related health and safety precautions please visit PawsitiveCare.ca/covid-19

Because we require the bordetella vaccine for dogs who board with us, and because we only do small numbers boarding, Pawsitive Pet Care has never had a case of kennel cough in either of our locations (previously in Winnipeg, currently in Cartier MB) in more than 10 years of business.

As always, we highly recommend all dogs receive the bordetella vaccine. Although it is not 100% effective (similar to the human flu shot in that there can be various strains of the virus), it can reduce the risk of contracting the illness and reduce the severity of the illness if caught.

We strongly recommend all pet owners have regular check-ups and visits to their veterinarian to discuss preventative and proactive health care.

The Pawsitive Pet Care DISEASE PREVENTION POLICY

The health and safety of the pets in our care is our number one priority. As such, we take every precaution not to spread illness from one animal to another or from one household to another.

We always wash our hands in between each home visit and each dog walk, and this is the best way to prevent the spread of contagious viruses.

2020 update: This article was originally written in October 2019. *For specifics on how we're managing our Covid-19 risk while offering dog walking services, please visit PawsitiveCare.ca/dog-walking-safety

Our staff are also all trained in Emergency Pet First Aid and are trained to handle acute emergencies in order to keep pets safe and get them veterinary care as quickly as possible.

If our staff also work with animals at an animal shelter, veterinary clinic, grooming salon, boarding facility, or anywhere the risk of contagious illnesses is increased, we ensure they change out of their scrubs or work clothes prior to visiting the pets under our care.

We also require that our staff keep a spare set of clothes in their vehicle as a back-up in the event they encounter an unwell animal at any time during their work day.

If our own personal animals, or any of our clients’ animals, show signs of illness, we take every precaution prior to proceeding to the next client home. This includes changing our clothes and washing our hands, as well as immediately letting the client know of any concerns with their pet’s health.

If you have any reason to suspect your pet may be unwell or potentially contagious to any other animals, please alert us immediately and we will take every reasonable precaution. We recommend contacting your vet immediately to determine the appropriate next steps. Thank you for helping us put the health and safety of our clients and their pets first

As always, contact your pet's veterinarian if you have any pet health questions!

Don't have a vet?

Click here to find fear free veterinarians in your area.




Sincerely,

The Pawsitive Pet Care Team

For more information please contact your veterinarian or visit https://www.mvma.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Kennel-Cough2.pdf

About The Author

Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.  

To learn more, please visit our website, or visit us on Facebook.

www.Facebook.com/PawsPetMB

Pawsitive Pet Care Inclement Weather Policy

Pawsitive Pet Care Inclement Weather Policy

Dog walking is an all-weather, all-seasons job and as dog walkers we must be prepared to walk in all types of weather and must dress appropriately.  

Our walking services will not be cancelled unless the driving conditions are so extreme that it is unsafe for either the dog walker or the dog.  

As pet care providers we are expected to use common sense and good judgement when considering the safety and comfort of ourselves and the pets in our care.  

Pawsitive Pet Care and its employees will use creativity and resourcefulness in providing stimulation and exercise for pets if it is too hot or cold for an outside walk.  If the walk is shortened the service will continue for the agreed upon length of time, and the dog walker will provide a potty break, socialization, company and stimulation for the dog indoors.  This can include playing with toys, cuddling, or doing positive reinforcement training, depending on the dogs' needs and preferences. 

The policy of Pawsitive Pet Care is to shorten dog walks to 20 minutes or less if the weather reaches colder than -35◦C with the wind chill, or higher than +35◦C with the humidity index, and/or dog walkers can use their judgement when environment Canada issues an extreme weather alert.  For one-hour walks, this can include two twenty-minute walks with a 20-minute break indoors.  

2019 addendum: We are sorry to have to include this in our policy!  If the weather reaches colder than -40◦C with the wind chill, all one-hour walks will be reduced to 30-minute visits and walks will be done in 5-10 minute increments, with frequent returns inside to warm up.  We will ensure dogs have an opportunity to relieve themselves and will make safety the number one priority.  

With this said, owners can provide their own guidelines for their dogs who may be particularly sensitive to the cold or heat, and our staff will make adjustments based on the individual needs of each pet in our care.  

Please provide anything you feel will make your pet's experience more enjoyable, such as booties, coats, water bottles, cooling vests, and anything that will help your pet feel more comfortable.  Our staff will follow the instructions of each pet owner and will monitor the pets for comfort and enjoyment of their time with us.  Their safety is always our first priority.

If you have any questions, concerns, or specific requests for your pet, please contact us.  Thank you for helping us give your pet a fun and enjoyable experience!

Sincerely,

The Pawsitive Pet Care Team

For more information, please visit us on Facebook

Facebook.com/PawsPetMB

And our website 

 www.PawsitiveCare.ca

Pawsitive Pet Care has been providing dog walking, dog training, dog boarding, and pet sitting services to Headingley and West Winnipeg since 2010.  We also serve the R.M. of Cartier including Headingley, Elie, St. François Xavier, and Springfield.  To learn more about us please visit https://www.pawsitivecare.ca

Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.  

For additional tips for keeping your pet safe during cold weather, please visit the Winnipeg Humane Society pet blog at https://www.winnipeghumanesociety.ca/cold-weather-safety-for-pets/

When it's too cold for much of a walk with your dog, you may want to check out our blog posts:

Boredom Busters

 Stuffing Kongs