Terms & Conditions
By making a booking with Lapford Lodge Boarding Kennels & Cattery, the Owner confirms that they have read, understood and agreed to the following Terms & Conditions.
1. Vaccinations
Dogs
Dogs can only be accepted for boarding or day stays on the condition that they have been fully vaccinated against:
Canine distemper
Infectious canine hepatitis
Leptospirosis
Parvovirus
Any other vaccinations required under our current vaccination policy
Vaccinations must have been administered within the last 12 months and the primary vaccination course or relevant vaccination must have been completed at least 14 days before arrival.
To help protect your dog and our other guests, we also require a valid Kennel Cough vaccination. This must have been administered at least 14 days before arrival.
We will not accept dogs displaying symptoms of Kennel Cough or any other infectious or contagious condition.
Cats
Cats must be fully vaccinated and up to date with their annual booster vaccinations to protect against:
Cat flu (feline herpesvirus and feline calicivirus)
Feline enteritis (feline panleukopenia virus)
Feline leukaemia virus
Primary vaccination courses must have been completed at least 14 days before boarding.
We require a valid vaccination card or certificate as proof of vaccination status. You are welcome to email a copy to us before arrival, and we will retain it on our records so that you do not need to provide it for every subsequent stay, provided vaccinations remain current.
Any pet that does not meet our vaccination requirements may be refused admission. Where admission is refused because the pet does not meet our vaccination requirements, any deposit already paid may be forfeited.
We do not accept pets whose vaccination status relies solely on homeopathic or alternative vaccination products.
All animals should have been treated with an appropriate flea/tick treatment and worming treatment before boarding or attending a day stay.
Owners must inform us if a female dog is in season or is due to come into season during the boarding or day-stay period. This allows us to make appropriate arrangements for her care and the safety of other guests.
2. Booking, Prices, Deposits & Fees
All bookings are subject to these Terms & Conditions.
A deposit may be required to secure a booking. Payment of a deposit confirms acceptance of these Terms & Conditions.
Prices
Our prices are subject to change.
Where a booking is made significantly in advance, the price quoted at the time of booking may be subject to review before the date of the stay. This is particularly relevant to bookings made many months in advance, including Christmas, New Year, school holidays and other peak periods.
Lapford Lodge reserves the right to amend prices where necessary, including where our standard rates have increased since the original booking was made.
Where a price needs to be amended, we will notify the Owner as soon as reasonably practicable and provide the updated price before the stay.
Where possible, we may offer customers who booked in advance a reduced or preferential rate compared with our current standard rate. Any such reduced rate is offered at the discretion of Lapford Lodge and does not prevent us from reviewing prices where circumstances or our standard rates change.
During school holidays and peak periods, including Easter, Christmas and New Year, higher nightly rates may apply. The applicable rate will be confirmed at the time of booking.
The price payable is the price confirmed by Lapford Lodge for the relevant stay, subject to any applicable amendments notified to the Owner.
Length of Stay
The boarding fee is calculated according to the number of nights your animal stays with us.
There is no charge for the day of collection provided the animal is collected before 13:00.
Collections after 13:00 will be charged at the full daily rate.
If you choose to collect your pet before the end of the originally booked stay, we reserve the right to charge the full original booking fee, as the accommodation has been reserved for the entire booked period.
3. Doggy Day Stays
Lapford Lodge may offer day stays for dogs where owners require their dog to have somewhere safe and caring to stay during the day while they are at work, out for the day or unable to leave their dog at home for longer periods.
Our day-stay service is not a traditional doggy daycare or doggy crèche. Day stays are offered within our normal boarding environment and are dependent upon kennel availability.
Availability
Overnight boarding is our primary service and boarding guests take priority over day-stay bookings.
Day stays are therefore subject to availability and cannot always be accommodated, particularly during school holidays, Christmas, Easter and other busy or peak boarding periods.
Owners must contact us to check availability before making arrangements for a day stay.
Trial Session
For new boarders and day-stay dogs, we prefer to arrange a trial session before accepting a booking.
The trial allows your dog to meet us, experience the environment and allows us to assess whether they are comfortable and suitable for a stay. This is usually for a two hour session which is free of charge, subject to availability.
As with overnight boarders, proof of up-to-date vaccinations and relevant health information must be provided.
Dogs that are aggressive, excessively anxious, unpredictable or otherwise unsuitable for the environment may be refused a day-stay place.
Once we are satisfied that your dog is suitable and settled, future day stays may be booked subject to availability.
Regular day-stay bookings may be arranged in advance where availability allows, although overnight boarding bookings will take priority.
Day-Stay Times
Day-stay dogs may be dropped off from 08:30 and must be collected by 16:30, unless an alternative arrangement has been specifically agreed with Lapford Lodge in advance.
Owners must provide their expected arrival and collection times when making a day-stay booking.
Our daily working schedule is organised around the arrival and collection times provided by customers. If you arrive significantly earlier or later than the agreed time without prior notice, we may not be available to accept or release your dog.
Alternative arrival or collection times are not guaranteed and are entirely subject to our availability.
4. Feeding
We provide our guests with good-quality food twice daily as part of their normal boarding care.
If your pet requires feeding more frequently than twice daily or requires a particular food or brand, please inform us at the time of booking.
Where additional feeding times or specific foods are required, we may ask the Owner to provide the food required. Alternatively, where we provide additional food or where additional feeding arrangements require extra time, preparation or care, Lapford Lodge reserves the right to make an additional charge.
Any special dietary requirements, allergies or feeding instructions must be clearly communicated to us at the time of booking.
Owners are welcome to provide their pet’s usual food if they prefer. Food supplied by the Owner should be clearly labelled and accompanied by clear feeding instructions.
5. Cleaning, Damage & Additional Charges
We carry out daily, thorough cleaning of our kennels, cattery and facilities.
We reserve the right to charge for excessive or additional cleaning required as a result of an animal’s behaviour, illness, accidents or other circumstances beyond normal day-to-day cleaning.
Additional cleaning will be charged at £10 per additional clean, where applicable.
We also reserve the right to charge for damage caused by your pet to our facilities, equipment or property.
While we understand that reasonable wear and tear occurs, any excessive damage will be charged at the cost of repair or replacement.
The Owner will be responsible for any such additional charges.
6. Payment
Payment can be made in advance or at the time of departure, but all outstanding fees must be paid in full before the animal leaves the premises.
Payment may be made by:
Credit or debit card
Bank transfer
Cash
We do not accept cheques.
Any veterinary fees, medication costs, additional services, cleaning charges, damage charges or other costs incurred during the stay may be added to the final boarding balance.
7. Opening Hours, Arrival & Collection
Our normal business hours are:
09:00–13:00 and 14:00–17:00
Animals can only be admitted or collected during business hours unless an alternative arrangement has been specifically agreed with us in advance. Alternative arrangements are not guaranteed and may incur an additional charge.
For doggy day stays, the standard times are:
Drop-off: from 08:30
Collection: by 16:30
When making a booking, Owners must provide their expected arrival and departure/collection times.
This is important because we organise our daily working schedule and the care of our animals around the arrival and collection times provided.
Owners should therefore arrive as close as reasonably possible to the agreed time. If you need to change your arrival or collection time, please contact us as soon as possible.
If you arrive at a substantially different time without prior agreement, we may not be available to accept your pet or release your pet for collection.
These arrangements are particularly important because we care for overnight boarding animals and need to ensure that their routine, welfare and quiet periods are not unnecessarily disrupted.
In an emergency or where reasonable notice has been given, we will do our best to accommodate an alternative collection or admission time, but this cannot always be guaranteed.
If you are unable to collect your pet by the agreed collection time, you must contact us as soon as possible.
If we are unable to reach you, the Owner or an authorised representative must contact us on the following day.
8. Exercise, Socialisation & Enrichment
Dogs may be exercised individually or in carefully selected groups where appropriate.
Group exercise and socialisation are strictly limited to compatible dogs and are determined at the sole discretion of Lapford Lodge Boarding Kennels & Cattery, taking into account temperament, size, behaviour, age, health and welfare considerations.
All interactions will be carefully managed and supervised by our staff.
Dogs will not be exercised or socialised with other dogs where the Owner has specifically requested that their dog does not mix with others.
The Owner must inform Lapford Lodge at the time of booking if their dog is not suitable to mix with other dogs for any reason, including behaviour, temperament, health or previous incidents.
By making a booking, the Owner gives permission for their dog(s) to be exercised on walks with other suitable dogs and/or to spend time in the play yard with other dogs where Lapford Lodge staff consider this appropriate.
All exercise, socialisation and enrichment activities will be undertaken with the welfare and safety of the animals as our priority.
Cats remain within their individual pens/accommodation and are not exercised or socialised with other cats unless specifically agreed as appropriate.
9. Health, Temperament & Welfare
All animals must be in a suitable condition for boarding or day stays and, where receiving medication or treatment, their condition must be reasonably well controlled.
We do not accept aggressive dogs.
If an animal becomes excessively aggressive towards staff or other animals, or becomes destructive to our facilities, we will continue to do our best to provide for its basic welfare and safety.
However, such animals may need to have their exercise or socialisation restricted and may, in some circumstances, need to remain within their accommodation.
In extreme circumstances, the Owner or emergency contact may be contacted to arrange collection of the animal.
Additional charges may apply where additional care, cleaning, staffing or other arrangements are required.
We will not accept prohibited or banned dog breeds for boarding or day stays, including dogs subject to breed restrictions where boarding or day care would not be lawful. This exclusion also extends to dogs with an exemption certificate where applicable.
Pets with infectious or contagious conditions may be refused admission.
It is the Owner’s responsibility to provide accurate information about their pet’s health, behaviour, temperament, medical history and care requirements.
Any special needs, behavioural concerns, medical conditions or other relevant information must be disclosed to Lapford Lodge at the time of booking.
10. Veterinary Treatment & Medical Emergencies
Every reasonable care will be taken of your pet while they are boarding or attending a day stay with us. However, animals are boarded and cared for at the Owner’s own risk.
If we believe veterinary attention is required, we will seek veterinary assistance.
The Owner authorises Lapford Lodge to arrange veterinary examination, treatment and care where we consider this necessary for the animal’s health or welfare.
Where possible, we will attempt to contact the Owner or their nominated Local Proxy/emergency contact before veterinary treatment is undertaken. However, in an emergency, treatment may be authorised without prior contact where we believe this is necessary to protect the animal’s health or welfare.
Where clinically appropriate, treatment may include:
Veterinary consultations
Blood tests
X-rays or other diagnostic investigations
Medication
Anaesthesia
Other treatment recommended by the veterinary surgeon
Where possible, treatment will be provided by the animal’s usual veterinary practice. Where this is not possible, treatment may be provided by Lapford Lodge’s nominated veterinary practice.
The Owner agrees that Lapford Lodge may administer prescribed medication or treatment where instructed by a veterinary surgeon.
All veterinary costs are the responsibility of the Owner, including consultation fees, treatment, medication, diagnostic tests, hospitalisation, emergency treatment, transportation and veterinary call-out charges.
First Aid and CPR
In the event of a serious injury or medical emergency, the Owner gives consent for a suitably qualified Canine First Aider at Lapford Lodge to administer appropriate first aid while veterinary assistance is being arranged.
In the event that a dog or cat stops breathing or suffers cardiac arrest, the Owner gives consent for a suitably qualified member of staff to administer appropriate life-saving first aid and CPR while veterinary assistance is being sought.
Euthanasia
In circumstances where a veterinary surgeon considers euthanasia necessary on humane grounds, the Owner gives consent for euthanasia to be carried out where reasonably necessary to prevent suffering.
Every reasonable effort will be made to contact the Owner, family members, Local Proxy or emergency contact before such a decision is made.
However, where immediate action is considered necessary by the attending veterinary surgeon to prevent unnecessary suffering and the Owner cannot be contacted, the veterinary surgeon’s professional judgement may be relied upon.
The costs associated with veterinary treatment and euthanasia will be the responsibility of the Owner.
11. Fleas, Ticks & Worms
All pets should be appropriately treated for fleas, ticks and worms before boarding or attending a day stay.
If a pet is found to have fleas, ticks or worms during their stay, Lapford Lodge may arrange appropriate treatment.
Where veterinary treatment is required, the animal may be taken to a veterinary surgeon for appropriate treatment.
All veterinary, treatment, medication, transportation and associated costs will be charged to the Owner.
Additional cleaning charges may also apply where necessary.
12. Boarding Multiple Animals Together
Where a customer boards more than one dog or cat, we may keep the animals together where appropriate and where requested or authorised by the Owner.
If the Owner does not wish their animals to be kept together, this must be made clear to us at the time of booking.
Lapford Lodge reserves the right to separate animals at any time where we believe this is necessary for their health, safety or welfare.
13. Unneutered Male Cats
We do not board unneutered male cats over six months of age.
14. Belongings
Beds and toys are not required as these can be supplied by Lapford Lodge.
Owners are welcome to provide their own beds, blankets, toys or other belongings.
However, personal belongings are brought onto the premises entirely at the Owner’s risk.
Lapford Lodge accepts no responsibility for loss of or damage to customer belongings, including beds, blankets, toys, leads, collars or other personal items.
15. Cancellation & Early Collection
Deposits are used to secure and reserve accommodation for your pet.
If you cancel your booking, any deposit or payment may be subject to our cancellation policy and may be non-refundable where the cancellation results in the loss of a booking period that cannot reasonably be re-let.
If an animal is collected before the end of its booked stay, the full original booking fee may remain payable.
Where a booking has been made for a peak period, including Christmas, New Year, Easter or school holidays, different cancellation terms may apply.
Any cancellation terms applicable to your booking will be confirmed at the time of booking.
Day-stay bookings are also subject to our availability requirements and may not always be available during busy boarding periods.
16. Abandoned Animals
If an animal has not been collected within 14 days of the agreed departure date, and no communication has been received from the Owner or their authorised representative, and reasonable attempts to contact the Owner have been unsuccessful, Lapford Lodge reserves the right to treat the animal as abandoned.
The Owner remains responsible for all boarding and care fees and any additional expenses incurred, including food, care, veterinary treatment, transportation and other reasonable costs.
Where an animal is considered abandoned, Lapford Lodge may take any appropriate steps permitted by law to arrange the animal’s ongoing care and welfare.
17. Photography & Filming
Unless the Owner explicitly instructs us otherwise, Lapford Lodge may photograph and/or film pets while they are boarding or attending a day stay with us.
Photographs and videos may be used for Lapford Lodge’s marketing purposes, including online, social media, advertising and other promotional material.
We will not use the Owner’s name in connection with such material unless separately agreed.
Images and video taken by Lapford Lodge remain the property of Lapford Lodge.
Owners are welcome to request a copy of photographs or videos of their pet where available.
If you do not wish your pet to be photographed or filmed for marketing purposes, you must inform us at the time of booking or before your pet’s stay.
18. Owner’s Responsibilities & Special Requirements
The Owner is responsible for providing accurate and complete information about their pet.
All special requests, dietary requirements, medication, medical conditions, behavioural concerns, exercise restrictions or other special needs must be disclosed to Lapford Lodge at the time of booking.
Failure to disclose relevant information may affect our ability to safely care for your pet and may result in additional charges or, where necessary, refusal of boarding or day-stay services.
The Owner must ensure that all contact details, emergency contact details and Local Proxy details provided to Lapford Lodge are accurate and kept up to date.
The Owner is also responsible for providing accurate arrival and collection times when making a booking and for notifying Lapford Lodge as soon as possible if these times need to change.
19. Consent
By making a booking and/or boarding an animal or bringing an animal for a day stay with Lapford Lodge Boarding Kennels & Cattery, the Owner confirms that they have read, understood and agreed to these Terms & Conditions.
The Owner consents to Lapford Lodge providing reasonable care for their animal and meeting their welfare needs, including feeding, cleaning, walking, exercise, socialisation and enrichment where appropriate.
The Owner acknowledges that boarding and caring for animals involves inherent risks and agrees that Lapford Lodge will take reasonable steps to safeguard the health, welfare and safety of all animals in our care.
These Terms & Conditions form part of the agreement between Lapford Lodge Boarding Kennels & Cattery and the Owner.