Policies
Bonded, insured, business license and pet sitter certified
We are bonded and insured through Business Insurers of the Carolinas. We have a business license for Mecklenburg County. We are accredited by the Better Business Bureau. We are certified in Professional Pet Sitting through both the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS) and Pet Sitters International (PSI).
Scheduling & Visit times
Scheduling is on a first come first serve basis and we will do our best to accommodate your needs. Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC will visit at the requested times as closely as possible. However, if an unforeseen situation arises, the time may be adjusted.
Confirmation Email (Prior to out-of-town Departure)
Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC will send a confirmation email no less than two days prior to each departure in order to verify all information (dates, contact numbers, etc.) are still correct. Please make sure you receive this email to ensure your pet’s needs are carried out as intended.
Early Returns
Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC carefully schedules our time to service you and our other clients. Therefore, credits for early returns or last minute changes to pet care will be offered with a 24 hours notice. If you cancel less than 24 hours, you will still be charged for your first visit and the remainder will be credited to your Little Friends Pet Sitting account.
Cancellations
We try to maximize our pet sitter's/dog walker's time frames to the fullest. With your services added to their schedules, other clients may have been turned down. Any clients canceling their visits with less than 48 hours notice will be charged their normal visit rate for all visits canceled within the next 48 hours. We will credit the payment for the remainder of the canceled visits scheduled outside of the 48 hour range to their Little Friends Pet Sitting Account as a credit. This credit will automatically be applied to your next scheduled service. If you return home early, please notify the office. We will only credit your LFPS account for any visits canceled with more than 48 hours notice.
Cancellations can be made to visits that have been scheduled by logging onto your account. If a visit has already been started, it cannot be cancelled. Cancellations MUST be handled by the client and the office. The client must contact the office staff via email, phone, or edit their appointment in Time To Pet. Changes made through their pet sitter will not be accepted.
Clients who need to add, cancel, or change the time of any visits must provide Little Friends with 48 hour or more notice via Time to Pet message or by calling 704-340-8102. This allows us enough time to notify the walker so they may adjust their schedule as well.Holiday Cancellations
Pet sitting services and kennels receive more requests for reservations than they can handle during the holiday time periods and we may have turned away other clients because we have reserved time for you during this busy season.
For Holiday Canceling: If you cancel 7 days or less prior to a holiday date (listed below), you will receive 50% of the payment applied to visits scheduled on those holiday dates as a credit for future use on your Time to Pet account. NO credits will be given for visits that have been started or completed.
2022 Holiday Dates: New Year’s 12/31-1/1, Easter 4/3-4/5, Memorial Day 5/29-5/31, Independence Day 7/2-7/4, Labor Day 9/3-9/5, Thanksgiving 11/24-11/26, Christmas 12/23-12/26.
Clients who need to add, cancel, or change the time of any visits must provide Little Friends with 48 hour or more notice via Time to Pet message or by calling 704-340-8102. This allows us enough time to notify the walker so they may adjust their schedule as well.Inclement Weather
Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC will use our best judgment while caring for your pet and home at the time of inclement weather (primarily severe storms, hurricanes, etc.). We will try to carry out your instructions to the best of our ability. The care we provide your pet and it’s safety is our first concern. The inclement weather plan will be as follows:
Every effort will be made to drive to your home
The service schedule may be changed, interrupted, or altered due to circumstances
If it is not possible to drive safely to your home, your emergency contact will be notified
You will be notified that the above-mentioned contingency plan has been activated.Emergency Contact
Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC has requested the name and phone number of a person living nearby who has access to your home. This should be a person close enough to walk to your home if roads are impassable. If we are physically unable to drive to your home this information is needed so that we can contact this person to request their assistance to check on your pet. Garage door openers are not operational in the event of power outages. In the event that the customer does not provide a nearby emergency contact with access to your home for Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC, Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC will provide service, but not until conditions allow us to reach your home safely.
Medications / Vaccinations
Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC will attempt to administer medications as directed but cannot be held responsible for complications that arise as a result. Excessively shy cats with medical problems can be a serious risk. If you have such an animal, this must be thoroughly discussed. Under no circumstances will Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC service any pet that has any form of contagious illness. This is for the safety of our other customers. Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC requires that all pets have the necessary vaccinations and immunizations before service begins. If a Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC pet care provider is bitten or exposed to any disease or aliment received from a clients pet, which has not been properly or currently vaccinated, the client will be responsible for all costs and damages that may incur.
Access to your Home by Others
If customer allows any other person access to their home during Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC’s contract period, Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC cannot be held liable for any damages to property or pets as a result. Please notify Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC if someone will be in your home. Please also notify the person in your home that Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC is coming so that your visitor is not surprised by our entrance.
Fences
Fenced in yards are wonderful play spaces for pets, however, no fence system is totally secure for your pet’s safety. Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC does not accept responsibility or liability for any customer’s pets that escape, are injured or become lost, fatal or otherwise, when pets are left out or given access to a fenced in area. This includes electronic, wood, metal, or any other fence type.
Pet and House/Yard Clean-up
Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC will properly dispose of pet waste in your outside waste receptacle, and will do our best to clean up any accidents your pet may have. Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC is not responsible for carpet/flooring stains created by your pet(s). We do request that you provide plastic bags, towels, cleaning products, paper towels, trash bags and indicate where you would like the waste disposed.
Collars and Leashes
All dogs will be required to be on leash during outdoor walks.
Privacy Policy
Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC highly respects our clients entrusting us with the care of their home and their pets. We do recommend you inform a trusted neighbor that while you are away, Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC will be caring for your pets and your home.
Thermostats
To ensure the health and comfort of your pet, please leave your thermostat setting within a normal comfortable range (68-78F). If we enter a home and the thermostat is set below 60 degrees, we will raise the temperature in your home and notify you.
Animal Behavior
Animal behavior can be unpredictable. Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC does not accept responsibility for liability for animal behavior, normal or otherwise, which results in injury to the client’s animal. Further, if a Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC pet care provider is harmed or injured by the client’s animal, the client/owner accepts full responsibility for the cost of any necessary medical attention required by either the Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC pet care provider or by the animal.
Changes Regarding Pets Care
Please provide us with any changes regarding your pet care and/or other pertinent information.
Payment
Payment is due two days prior to service; checks are not accepted. Customer will be quoted the rate of the total payment when the appointment confirmation is sent, via email, and Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC will email an electronic receipt once your card has been signed.
Home security/keys/access into your home:
We take home security very seriously because we know how important your pet’s well-being and home security are important to you! We can accommodate your standard home security protocol, including alarm systems and/or security cards/Fobs. Home entry is aligned to your preferred method whether you opt to (1) hide a key outside of your home via a Hide-A-Key or other hiding spot/apparatus, (2) use your own lockbox (if you’d like to purchase one you can find one on Amazon by clicking here, (3) use keyless entry via keypad or code *still need to hide a key in case electronic entry does not work*, (4) access through a leasing office or concierge desk. It is YOUR responsibility that our sitters and walkers can enter into your home for your scheduled visits. You acknowledge you will provide us access to your home upon arriving for your scheduled service and that the option you select to use works. Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC is not responsible for ANY client keys. If we arrive for a scheduled service and we cannot gain entry into your home via the method you provided to us, you will still be held accountable and charged for that service. You will be notified through the portal that access/entry into your home was not possible.
Unacceptable Pets
Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC has the right to refuse animals who appear to be aggressive, ill, etc. or could cause harm to Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC or others. We do not have to provide reasoning for refusing to work with you or your pet.
Abandon Policy
If you abandon your pet in our care. We have the right to report your actions to the appropriate authority, give your pet up for adoption, etc. All expenses incurred during this time period the client will be held 100% liable for reimbursing Little Friends Pet Sitting, LLC.
Hiring Our Sitters
We have an extensive interview and background check process. All of our sitters must LOVE animals and have experience in owning them, pet sitting for others, volunteer work with animal rescue groups or have a vocation in pet care such as a vet technician. After a face to face interview, we obtain feedback from their references and/or previous employers as well as obtain a background check to ensure no criminal activity is in their past. Our sitters are professional, trustworthy, reliable and again, LOVE pets!
Sitter Assignment
Each client is assigned a primary pet sitter who will perform the initial free consultation. A back up sitter is also assigned in the event the primary sitter is unavailable. The client can choose to meet the back up or rely on Little Friends to ensure an appropriate back up sitter is assigned.
Flea Issues
North Carolina is a mecca for fleas! Especially in the warmer months. We suggest you use preventative methods which are agreed upon by your vet. If we see fleas as a problem, we have the right to cancel service until the flea/tick situation is controlled; even if in the middle of your service schedule. There will be no refunds. We will contact you so you may find alternate care for your pets until you arrive home. All our clients depend on us to provide a safe and healthy service for their pets and homes. Fleas and their eggs can be tracked into their homes and onto their pets through our clothing, shoes and bodies.