POLICIES, TERMS & CONDITIONS
Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare
Effective from: 1st September 2026
At Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare, the safety, welfare and comfort of the animals in our care are our priority.
These Policies, Terms & Conditions set out the expectations and conditions that apply when using our grooming and dog daycare services. They are designed to provide clear and consistent expectations for our clients while allowing our team to operate safely, fairly and efficiently.
By booking, confirming or using our services, clients acknowledge that they have been provided with access to the terms applicable to their service and agree to comply with them.
GENERAL SERVICE POLICIES
1. Client Responsibilities
Clients are responsible for providing accurate and current information regarding their pet, including any known:
- medical conditions or health concerns;
- allergies or sensitivities;
- medications;
- injuries;
- behavioural concerns;
- history of aggression, biting or threatening behaviour;
- anxiety, fear or handling/grooming sensitivities; and
- any other information that may reasonably affect our ability to safely care for, handle or groom their pet.
Clients must notify Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare if any relevant information changes.
Current contact details must be provided. Clients, or their nominated emergency contact, should remain reasonably contactable while their pet is in our care.
Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare may reasonably refuse, modify, suspend or discontinue a service where necessary because of animal welfare, health or safety concerns, behavioural concerns, inability to safely provide the requested service, repeated breaches of our policies or inappropriate client conduct.
GROOMING SERVICE POLICIES
2. Grooming Bookings & Appointment Confirmations
Grooming appointments reserve dedicated time within our daily grooming schedule.
Approximately six days prior to a scheduled grooming appointment, a confirmation request is sent at approximately 8:00am to the mobile number recorded on the client’s account.
Clients must respond to the confirmation request by 6:00pm on the same day to retain their appointment.
Confirmed Appointments
Once an appointment has been confirmed, that appointment remains reserved within our grooming schedule.
A further appointment reminder will generally be sent approximately one day prior to the scheduled appointment.
Unconfirmed Appointments
If confirmation is not received by 6:00pm on the day the confirmation request is sent, the appointment will be considered unconfirmed and will be cancelled and released from our grooming schedule.
Once an unconfirmed appointment has been released, the original appointment date and time cannot be guaranteed.
Clients wishing to proceed after an appointment has been released will need to contact us to arrange another booking, subject to availability.
Client Responsibility
Clients are responsible for ensuring that the contact details held by Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare are current and accurate.
If you believe you should have received a confirmation request but have not received one, please contact us as soon as possible.
Confirmation and reminder messages form part of our booking process; however, clients remain responsible for appointments they have made and subsequently confirmed.
3. Grooming Cancellations & Rescheduling
We understand that plans can change.
If you need to cancel or reschedule a grooming appointment, more than 24 hours’ notice is required.
More Than 24 Hours’ Notice
No cancellation fee applies where more than 24 hours’ notice is provided.
Within 24 Hours
An appointment cancelled or rescheduled within 24 hours of its scheduled time may incur a cancellation fee equal to 50% of the booked service price.
Short-notice cancellations can leave insufficient time to offer the appointment to another client and may result in lost grooming capacity and allocated staff time.
Genuine Emergencies & Exceptional Circumstances
We understand that genuine emergencies and exceptional circumstances can occur.
Where appropriate, waiver or reduction of a cancellation fee may be considered on a reasonable case-by-case basis.
4. Grooming No-Shows
A no-show occurs when a client fails to attend a confirmed grooming appointment without contacting us to cancel or reschedule before the appointment.
A no-show may incur a fee of up to 100% of the booked service price, reflecting the appointment time, staffing and grooming capacity reserved for the booking and the loss reasonably incurred where that appointment cannot be filled.
Where Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare is reasonably able to fill the missed appointment with another comparable booking, this may be taken into account when determining the applicable fee.
Any outstanding cancellation or no-show fee must be paid before another grooming appointment can be booked or attended.
Repeated no-shows, late cancellations or other booking-policy breaches may result in prepayment being required for future appointments or future booking requests being declined.
5. Pre-Booked & Annual Grooming Schedules
Where availability permits, clients may request a recurring grooming schedule, allowing multiple appointments to be reserved in advance for the remainder of, or throughout, a calendar year.
A recurring grooming schedule provides priority access to future appointment capacity. Clients holding a schedule are therefore expected to demonstrate reasonably consistent attendance and responsible management of their reserved appointments.
Maintaining a Grooming Schedule
Each appointment within a recurring schedule remains subject to our standard confirmation, cancellation and no-show policies.
We understand that plans change and that occasional cancellations or rescheduling are unavoidable. An isolated change will not ordinarily affect a client’s recurring schedule.
However, an ongoing pattern of unreliable attendance may result in some or all remaining appointments within the schedule being cancelled.
This may include a pattern of:
- responding NO to appointment confirmation requests;
- failing to respond to confirmation requests by the required deadline;
- frequently cancelling or rescheduling pre-booked appointments;
- cancelling appointments at short notice;
- failing to attend confirmed appointments;
- repeatedly requesting changes to reserved dates or times; or
- otherwise demonstrating that the pre-booked schedule is not being consistently maintained.
Responding NO to a confirmation request within the required timeframe does not itself attract a cancellation fee where sufficient notice has been provided. However, repeated cancellation of pre-booked appointments may indicate that a recurring schedule is no longer appropriate.
Where a recurring schedule is withdrawn, this does not necessarily prevent the client from continuing to use our grooming service. Future appointments may instead need to be booked individually and subject to availability.
Following Year’s Grooming Schedule
Recurring grooming schedules apply only to the calendar year for which they have been arranged and do not automatically roll over or renew for the following year.
Clients wishing to establish a recurring schedule for the following calendar year must request a new schedule each year.
We generally begin accepting requests for the following year’s grooming schedules from October onwards.
Previous participation in a recurring schedule does not automatically reserve or guarantee appointments for the following year. Appointment dates, times and preferred grooming intervals remain subject to availability when the new schedule is requested.
Clients wishing to maintain a regular grooming routine for the following year are encouraged to submit their request once annual schedule bookings open.
Recurring grooming schedules are offered at the discretion of Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare and do not create an ongoing entitlement to particular dates, times, appointment frequency or future calendar-year schedules.
6. Late Arrival for Grooming Appointments
Clients should arrive within their agreed drop-off window or at the scheduled time communicated for their appointment.
Our grooming schedule is carefully planned around the animals booked each day. Significant late arrival can affect our ability to safely complete the booked service and can disrupt appointments later in the day.
Where a client arrives sufficiently late that the booked service can no longer reasonably be completed, Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare may:
- modify or shorten the service where appropriate;
- reschedule the appointment; or
- cancel the appointment where insufficient time remains to safely perform the service.
Where an appointment cannot proceed because of the client’s late arrival, the applicable late cancellation policy may apply.
7. Grooming Prices & Additional Work
Grooming prices may vary according to factors including:
- breed and size;
- coat type, length and condition;
- matting or impacted undercoat;
- behaviour and handling requirements;
- the service requested;
- time required to safely complete the groom; and
- additional work reasonably required.
Where a price is provided before physically assessing the pet and its coat, the price may be an estimate based on the information available at the time.
Where reasonably practicable, we will contact the client before undertaking significant additional work that would materially increase the anticipated price.
Additional charges may apply where coat condition, matting, impacted undercoat, behaviour or other circumstances substantially increase the time or work required.
8. Matted & Impacted Coats
Animal welfare takes priority over cosmetic appearance.
Matting can cause discomfort, restrict airflow to the skin and conceal irritation, wounds, parasites and other underlying conditions.
Severe matting may make extensive brushing or de-matting painful, stressful or unsafe.
Where we reasonably determine that de-matting would cause unnecessary pain or distress, Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare may recommend or perform a shorter clip rather than attempting to preserve coat length.
Removal of severe matting may reveal previously concealed skin conditions and can result in temporary redness, sensitivity or irritation.
Where reasonably practicable, significant changes to the intended groom will be discussed with the owner. However, we will not perform a grooming procedure that we reasonably believe would unnecessarily compromise an animal’s welfare solely to achieve a requested appearance.
Additional charges may apply where matting, impacted coat or coat condition requires substantially additional grooming time.
9. Grooming Behaviour & Safety
Grooming involves close physical handling and the use of professional grooming equipment.
Although reasonable care is taken, animals may move unexpectedly and some may experience fear, stress or sensitivity during grooming.
Clients must disclose known behavioural concerns, previous biting or aggression, grooming sensitivities and relevant medical conditions before the service.
If an animal becomes excessively distressed, aggressive or otherwise unsafe to groom, we may modify or discontinue the service in the interests of the animal and our staff.
Where a groom cannot be completed, the client may be charged a reasonable amount for services already performed and time reasonably spent.
Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare may decline future grooming appointments where an animal cannot reasonably be groomed safely within our facility.
10. Health & Pre-Existing Conditions
Clients must disclose known medical conditions, injuries, allergies, sensitivities or other health concerns that may affect grooming.
Grooming may reveal previously unnoticed conditions including skin irritation, lumps, wounds, parasites, ear problems or coat-related conditions.
Where we notice a potential health concern, we may bring it to the client’s attention. Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare does not provide veterinary diagnosis or treatment, and clients should seek veterinary advice where appropriate.
11. Grooming Concerns & Adjustments
We want clients to be happy with their pet’s groom and encourage concerns to be raised promptly.
If you believe the style, length or finish of a groom requires adjustment, please contact us preferably within 24 hours of collection.
This allows us to assess the groom while it remains substantially in the condition in which it left our salon and, where appropriate, arrange a reasonable adjustment.
Concerns raised after a significant period of time may make it difficult to establish the condition of the groom at collection or whether subsequent coat growth, home maintenance or other factors have contributed.
The 24-hour timeframe relates to requests for complimentary styling adjustments. It does not exclude or limit any rights or remedies available under the Australian Consumer Law.
DOG DAYCARE SERVICE POLICIES
12. Daycare Eligibility & Assessment
Dog daycare is a group social environment and is not suitable for every dog.
All dogs must be assessed and accepted by Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare before participating in daycare.
Acceptance following an initial assessment or trial does not guarantee ongoing acceptance.
A dog’s behaviour, health, confidence, age, social interactions and suitability for group care may change over time. We continually assess dogs attending our service.
Dogs must be able to be safely handled and managed by staff and demonstrate behaviour reasonably suitable for our group daycare environment.
Aggressive, threatening, excessively disruptive or otherwise unsafe behaviour toward dogs or staff may result in suspension or discontinuation of daycare attendance.
13. Returning Daycare Dogs
Dogs that have not attended our daycare service for three months or longer may be required to complete a new trial or reassessment before returning.
Previous acceptance into daycare does not guarantee reacceptance following an extended absence.
Acceptance back into daycare will depend on the outcome of the assessment, the dog’s current suitability for group care and available daycare capacity.
Where a dog previously held a regular daycare place, that position is not guaranteed to remain available following an extended period of non-attendance.
14. Daycare Vaccination & Desexing Requirements
All dogs attending daycare must meet our current vaccination requirements.
A current veterinary vaccination certificate demonstrating the required vaccination status must be supplied before attendance.
Puppies may commence daycare once they have completed the vaccination requirements applicable to our service.
Dogs must be desexed by 10 months of age to continue attending daycare unless an alternative arrangement has been expressly approved by Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare.
Clients are responsible for ensuring vaccination information supplied to us remains current.
15. Illness, Infectious Disease & Parasites
Dogs must not attend daycare while displaying symptoms reasonably suggestive of an infectious or contagious illness.
Symptoms may include:
- persistent coughing;
- vomiting;
- diarrhoea;
- unusual nasal or eye discharge;
- fever or significant lethargy;
- unexplained infectious skin conditions; or
- other symptoms that may present a health risk to animals in our care.
Dogs with active fleas or other transmissible parasites may also be refused entry or require collection.
Vaccination significantly reduces health risks but cannot completely eliminate the possibility of infectious illness spreading between dogs.
If a dog becomes unwell while attending daycare, we may separate the dog from the group and contact the owner or emergency contact to arrange prompt collection.
Where reasonably necessary to protect other animals in our care, veterinary clearance may be required before the dog returns.
16. Regular Daycare Places & Attendance
Our daycare operates on structured attendance and routine and is not a drop-in daycare service.
Spaces are limited and priority is generally given to dogs attending on a regular weekly or fortnightly schedule.
A regular daycare place reserves capacity for that dog on its usual attendance day.
Clients should provide as much notice as reasonably possible if their dog will not be attending.
We understand that occasional absences occur. However, repeated unexplained absences, frequent cancellations or an ongoing pattern of inconsistent attendance may result in the dog’s regular daycare place being released and offered to another client.
A regular daycare place should not be considered permanently reserved during extended periods of non-attendance.
Dogs without a regular weekly or fortnightly place may attend subject to available capacity but cannot be guaranteed a place on any particular day.
17. Daycare Bulk Visit Packs
Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare offers 5-visit and 10-visit daycare bulk packs.
Daycare bulk visit packs are valid for six (6) months from the date of purchase.
Any unused visits remaining after the applicable expiry date will expire, subject to any rights available under the Australian Consumer Law.
Unless otherwise stated:
- bulk visit packs apply to full-day daycare visits;
- bulk-pack visits cannot be used toward half-day daycare attendance;
- half-day daycare is charged at the applicable standard half-day rate;
- packs are intended for use by the dog for whom they were purchased and are not transferable between clients or pets unless expressly approved by Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare; and
- purchasing a bulk visit pack does not guarantee a regular daycare place, ongoing daycare suitability or availability on any particular day.
A period of non-attendance does not extend the six-month validity period.
Where a dog has not attended daycare for three months or longer, our standard reassessment requirements apply before any remaining valid visits can be used.
Possession of unused visits does not override our daycare eligibility, reassessment or capacity requirements. Remaining valid visits may only be used where the dog continues to meet our daycare requirements and a place is available.
The applicable validity period and conditions will also be disclosed when bulk visit packs are offered for purchase.
18. Daycare Behaviour & Ongoing Suitability
Group daycare involves interaction between dogs with different personalities, play styles and energy levels.
Normal supervised play may include running, wrestling and physical interaction. Minor scratches or similar incidental injuries can occasionally occur despite reasonable supervision and management.
Our staff monitor group interactions and may separate dogs, provide rest periods, modify groups or otherwise manage the environment according to the needs of the dogs in our care.
Clients are expected to reasonably consider and cooperate with feedback provided by staff regarding their dog’s behaviour, welfare or suitability for daycare.
Where behavioural concerns cannot reasonably and safely be managed within our daycare environment, attendance may be suspended or discontinued.
HEALTH, SAFETY & COLLECTION
19. Injury, Illness & Veterinary Emergencies
If an animal becomes injured or unwell while in our care, we will take reasonable steps appropriate to the circumstances and attempt to contact the owner or nominated emergency contact.
Where we reasonably believe veterinary attention is urgently required and the owner or emergency contact cannot be reached within an appropriate timeframe, Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare may arrange veterinary assessment or treatment in the interests of the animal’s welfare.
Responsibility for veterinary costs will depend upon the circumstances giving rise to the treatment and applicable legal rights and responsibilities.
Nothing in these terms excludes responsibility that Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare cannot lawfully exclude.
20. Collection of Animals
Clients must arrange collection of their pet in accordance with the collection arrangement applicable to their booking.
Collection arrangements may vary depending on the service being provided, the pet’s individual needs and any collection time agreed at drop-off.
Grooming — “Ring When Ready” Collection
Where a grooming appointment is arranged as “Ring When Ready”, no specific later collection time has been agreed.
The client will be contacted when their pet’s grooming service is complete and the pet is ready for collection.
By choosing a Ring When Ready arrangement, the client agrees to remain reasonably available and arrange collection promptly after being notified that their pet is ready.
Ring When Ready should not be treated as an all-day holding arrangement.
Grooming — Pre-Arranged Collection Times
We understand that some clients have work or other commitments and may need to arrange a specific collection time in advance.
Where a specific collection time has been agreed with Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare, the pet may remain in our care until the agreed collection time.
Clients may still receive our standard ready-for-collection notification when the grooming service is completed. Receiving this notification does not require earlier collection where a later collection time has already been expressly agreed, unless Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare subsequently requests earlier collection for welfare, behavioural, safety or operational reasons.
Any requested collection time must be agreed with Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare and remain within the applicable operating hours for that day.
Bath-Only Services
Bath-only appointments are designed as a shorter-duration service and are not an all-day care or holding service.
Dogs attending for a bath-only service must generally be available for collection within approximately 2–3 hours of drop-off and must be collected when requested within that timeframe.
Clients booking a bath-only service should ensure that they, or another nominated person, are available to collect their dog accordingly.
Bath-only dogs cannot ordinarily remain at the premises for extended periods after completion, as holding capacity is required for other animals and scheduled services.
Where a client requires their dog to remain for an extended period, this must be discussed and expressly agreed with Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare before the appointment.
Full Grooming Services
Full grooming appointments involve a longer service period and dogs may remain in our care for four hours or longer, depending on the service required, grooming schedule, coat condition, behaviour and any collection arrangement agreed with the client.
An estimated completion or collection time is not a guarantee that grooming will be completed at an exact time unless a specific arrangement has been expressly agreed.
Clients will be notified when their pet is ready for collection.
Prompt or Urgent Collection When Requested
Regardless of a previously discussed collection time, there may be circumstances where it is no longer appropriate for a pet to remain at our premises.
Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare may request earlier, prompt or urgent collection where a pet is:
- excessively barking or vocalising;
- displaying significant stress, anxiety or distress;
- unsettled or unable to rest appropriately;
- causing significant disruption to other animals or staff;
- displaying behaviour that makes continued holding unsuitable;
- unwell or showing signs of illness;
- unsuitable to remain in daycare or the grooming holding area; or
- otherwise requiring collection for reasonable welfare, safety or operational reasons.
Where we contact a client and request earlier collection, the client or nominated person must make reasonable arrangements to collect the pet as soon as practicable, even where a later collection time had previously been discussed or agreed.
Daycare Collection — Wednesdays & Fridays
Daycare currently operates on Wednesdays and Fridays.
We ask that daycare dogs are collected by 5:00pm where possible.
All daycare dogs must be collected no later than 5:15pm, unless an alternative arrangement has been expressly agreed beforehand.
Latest Grooming Collection Times
For grooming appointments on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, all dogs must be collected no later than 5:15pm.
For grooming appointments on Thursdays, we ask that dogs are collected by 3:30pm, with all dogs collected no later than 4:00pm.
These are the latest collection times and should not be interpreted as an entitlement for a pet to remain at the premises until closing where an earlier collection arrangement applies or earlier collection has been requested.
21. Late Collection
Clients are responsible for ensuring their pet is collected before the applicable closing time for that day.
Our current latest collection times are:
- Tuesdays: 5:15pm
- Wednesdays: 5:15pm
- Thursdays: 4:00pm
- Fridays: 5:15pm
Animals remaining in our care after the applicable closing time require staff to remain beyond normal operating hours.
A late collection fee of $1 per minute may be charged for every minute an animal remains uncollected after the applicable closing time, unless an alternative arrangement was expressly agreed beforehand or exceptional circumstances reasonably justify otherwise.
The late collection fee is payable in addition to the cost of services provided.
Repeated late collection may result in future grooming bookings or daycare attendance being declined.
Payment of a late fee does not constitute an agreement to provide an after-hours collection service.
22. Failure to Collect an Animal
If an animal is not collected as arranged and we are unable to contact the owner, Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare will take reasonable steps to ensure the animal’s immediate welfare.
The owner may be responsible for reasonable additional costs necessarily incurred in caring for the animal because of the delayed collection, subject to applicable law.
Where an animal remains uncollected for an extended period, we may contact the nominated emergency contact and, where reasonably necessary, appropriate authorities or animal welfare services.
OTHER SERVICE TERMS
23. Photography, Video & Social Media
Photographs and videos may be taken during grooming or daycare for client updates, internal records or promotional purposes.
Where photographs or videos are to be used publicly for social media, our website, advertising or other promotional purposes, client consent will be obtained.
Clients may withdraw consent for future promotional use by contacting Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare.
Withdrawal of consent applies to future use and may not require removal of material already lawfully published, subject to applicable law.
24. Client Conduct
Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare is committed to providing a respectful and safe environment for our clients and staff.
Abusive, threatening, intimidating, discriminatory, harassing or otherwise inappropriate behaviour toward our staff will not be accepted.
Where client behaviour creates a safety concern, involves serious misconduct or makes the ongoing client relationship no longer reasonably workable, Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare may decline or discontinue future services.
25. Right to Refuse, Suspend or Discontinue Services
Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare may reasonably refuse, modify, suspend or discontinue services because of circumstances including:
- animal health or welfare concerns;
- aggression or unsafe behaviour;
- inability to safely handle or groom an animal;
- incompatibility with group daycare;
- repeated late cancellations or no-shows;
- repeated missed grooming confirmations;
- persistent unreliability with a recurring grooming schedule;
- repeated late collection;
- failure to meet vaccination or daycare eligibility requirements;
- material or repeated breaches of these policies;
- outstanding amounts relating to services already provided or applicable booking fees; or
- serious or repeated inappropriate conduct toward staff.
Where reasonably practicable, we will communicate the reason for discontinuing ongoing services.
Nothing in this section affects any rights or remedies available under applicable law.
26. Payment
Payment for services and applicable charges is due in accordance with the payment arrangements communicated by Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare.
Outstanding amounts may be required to be paid before further bookings or services are accepted.
Clients will be informed of applicable service prices and material additional charges in accordance with these policies.
27. Changes to Our Policies
Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare may update these policies from time to time to reflect changes to our services, operating procedures or legal requirements.
The current version will be published on our website and will display its effective or last-updated date.
Where a change materially affects an existing client’s obligations or charges, we will take reasonable steps to notify affected clients before the change applies to future services or bookings.
28. Australian Consumer Law
Our services come with rights and consumer guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law that cannot be excluded by these terms.
Nothing in these policies is intended to exclude, restrict or modify any guarantee, right, remedy or liability that cannot lawfully be excluded, restricted or modified.
Where these terms are inconsistent with a right that applies under Australian law, the applicable law prevails.
29. Acceptance of These Terms
Clients should read these policies before booking or using our services.
By making or confirming a booking, maintaining a recurring grooming schedule or regular daycare place, purchasing a daycare bulk visit pack, signing an applicable service agreement, or otherwise proceeding with a service after being provided with access to these terms, the client acknowledges the policies applicable to that service.
Specific services may also require completion of a separate service agreement or consent form.
If you have any questions about these policies or how they apply to your pet or booking, please contact Dirty Dogz Dayspa & Daycare before the service.