Policies & Procedures

Payment & Pricing

Payment is due for grooming service at the time services are rendered. An “estimate” can be given before the grooming is performed. A final price will be given at the time of completion.  Your pet’s price may differ from time to time, based on several factors such as coat condition fees, handling fees, kennel fees, flea & tick removal, any add on services requested, and any discounts applied, ect.  The initial prices vary based on breed, size, type of style & trim your pet receives. 

Riley Rue Pet Spaw (RRPS) accepts cash, check or credit. There will be a $35 NSF on all returned checks. There is a $3 service fee on all credit card purchases above $20.

Cancellations, No-Shows, Pick up & Drop Off Times

Last minute cancellations/No shows:

RRPS requires a minimum of 24 hour business day notice prior to appointment for any cancellations. After a no show, or last minute cancellation, RRPS requires a fee of 50% of your pet’s groom cost to book their next appointment. After a second no show a fee of 100% of your pet’s groom cost will be required to book their next appointment.  If a last minute cancellation or no show happens a third time we ask that you go to a higher volume shop who can absorb the loss of income better than we can. 

Pick up/Drop off times:

To prevent unnecessary stress for the pets and the stylist we ask that customers do not arrive more then 5 minutes prior to their appointment time. We require that pets are picked up within a half hour of us calling when their groom is complete. A $5 boarding fee per every 15 minutes after the half hour time slot will be applied to the total cost of the groom.

Late arrival:

We typically allow for a 15 minute grace period on late arrivals. If you know you will be a few minutes late, please call or contact RRPS. If you are later than 15 minutes after your scheduled appointment time, we will have to reschedule your pet and charge the appropriate cancellation/no show fee.

Potty Protocol:

In order to keep a sanitary work environment, and for the comfort of your pet, we ask that you ask that you walk your dog so that they can relieve themselves prior to their appointment. A clean up fee may applied if there is a repetitive problem of your pet relieving themselves during their grooming appointment. We do ask that if your pet has an issue with this that your do not feed or water them prior to their groom.

Vaccinations:

At RRPS we believe vaccinations are between you and your vet. We do know the city of Duluth requires your pet to be current on the rabies vaccine, so we do require that your pet has had at least one rabies vaccine in their lifetime. We do not let pets interact with other animals in our facility. 

Matting:

Allowing a pet’s coat to get matted is not only very uncomfortable but can be very dangerous to your pet’s health. Matted coats can cause a variety of skin and health problems. Matted fur does not allow for air circulation to the skin which can cause hot spots, bacterial and fungal infections. Fleas, ticks, maggots and other parasites can lurk under the coat which causes further skin infections. Matted fur also pulls and binds, which causes undo pain to your pet when they move or lay on the matts. The skin underneath is usually raw and inflamed. 

At RRPS we understand you want your pet to look and feel its best and so do we. Our number one priority is the health and safety of the pets. We will do some de-matting on a case-by-case basis. Some mats, particularly on the ears and tail, we can brush, thin or scissor out. However, if your pet is severely matted it will be shaved, no exceptions. We will not cause undo pain and stress to your pet for the sake of vanity.

If your pet does have to be shaved down due to matting there is more risk of injury. This can cause skin irritations, sore spots, possible nicks, swelling and in some cases bleeding. When the skin is pulled taut for too long and the pressure is released by shaving off a matt (such as on an ear) all of the blood can rush to that area and the area can literally bleed thru the skin.

RRPS will not be held liable for any injury or skin issue due to matting or removal of matting. The customer will also be charged an appropriate coat condition fee. Removing matting makes the groom riskier and takes a higher skill level to complete, it is harder on the equipment and increases the time of the groom.

Aggressive and Extremely Nervous Pets:

We are willing to try to groom almost any dog or cat. We have successfully groomed many pets who have been turned away from other salons. We do however reserve the right to refuse to groom any animal that we feel is dangerous to itself or our staff. If you know you have an aggressive animal or its had issues in the past please tell us! This is not something we want as a surprise. The more information we have up front the safer we can be.

When it comes to the pets and our staff safety is always our first priority. We use muzzles, happy hoodies, groomers helpers, and other safety tools if necessary to assist with the groom. Whether we can or cannot complete a groom because of an animal’s behavior the customer will still be charged the full price of the groom. There may also be handling fees applied to the groom based on the pet’s behavior.

Puppies and Seniors:

We at RRPS want your puppy’s first visits to be as pleasant as possible, as to establish a good grooming foundation and build trust. We encourage you to have the puppy’s first 1-2 visits be for bath and trim ups only. We want to ease the puppy into the grooming process, and get them used to the sounds and sensations of the groom to reduce stress. We also highly recommend you begin brushing your puppy daily at home. Play with their feet and face, bath and blow dry it (make sure to thoroughly brush it out after) and make sure it is socialized and trained properly. All of these things will help your puppy’s grooming. We want your puppy to like us and enjoy their time at Riley Rue!

With senior dogs we use extra care and patience. We understand they may not be able to stand for long periods of time and that the physical stress of grooming may be too much for them. We will work as quickly and efficiently as possible to ensure everything gets completed. We reserve the right to modify or terminate your pets groom if we feel it is too stressful for them to handle. We will always do our best to make sure your pet leaves as pretty as possible.

Safety and Satisfaction:

Safety:

At RRPS it is our number one priority to ensure the safety of your pets while they are in our care. Although accidents are rare, there is risk when you work with sharp equipment and a moving animal. All known incidents will be reported to the owner and if emergency treatment is necessary, we will transport your pet to the nearest veterinarian. Pet owners agree to pay for all costs for medical treatment provided, unless injury is a direct result of negligence of a RRPS staff member. 

RRPS will not be held responsible for any sickness or injury occurred in grooming, including but not limited to, clipper irritation, minor nicks resulting from matting, neglected coats, difficult dogs, or for irritation caused by removing matted coat or any mild to severe skin sensitivity and allergies. RRPS will not be held responsible for stressful effects grooming may have a on geriatric or unhealthy animal.

If you feel your pet is sick, please call us, we will be happy to reschedule your appointment until after you have taken your pet to the vet. 

If we feel your pet is too sick to be groomed, we will call you immediately to pick up your pet and take it to get care.

Satisfaction:

At RRPS your satisfaction is very important to us! If for any reason you are not pleased with our services, please tell us within 1-2 business days and we will do our best to correct it. Please do not hesitate to tell us if you would like something changed for the next groom. Example: the face was too long or you wanted the coat shorter/longer etc. We take notes on all of our grooms. The more information we can get on how you want your dog to look the closer we can get to perfecting your pets look. Sometimes it may take a time or two to get your pets style just how you like it but our goal is always your satisfaction. We take great pride in our work and we want you to as well.

Photos:

All photos taken are property of RRPS and can be used as we see fit. We may choose to use photos of your pet on our facebook, website, Instagram or other advertising. If for some reason you have an aversion to us using your pets photo used please tell us and we will be happy to take it down.