614-636-6644
Dog Walking Service 1

FAQs

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How do I get started working with you?

When you’ve decided you’re ready to work with us, click Get Started! Then, select a day and time on the calendar that works for you to have your FREE meet n greet with us (see Meet N Greets to learn more). Click Confirm. Then, fill out the form and click Schedule Event at the bottom of the page. After that, you’ll receive a text confirmation along with a welcome email that details what to expect of the event.

What are your hours?

Pretty much 24/7! We offer daytime services (drop ins, walks, etc) usually between the hours of 7am and 10pm. We also offer overnight stays (we spend the night in YOUR home with YOUR pets) from around 10pm-7am (8-10 hr stay). We are even open on Federal holidays. Remember, this all depends on staff availability. If no one is available on schedule for a specific day, we are technically considered “closed” or “unavailable”, though, that is very unlikely to happen!

Our office hours for client support (via phone and email) are Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm.

Are you insured and bonded?

Yes! We are a company who prides itself in being fully professional and accountable for the pets and pet parents we serve. We are covered by Pet Care Affiliates, one of the largest providers of insurance in the pet care industry.

Do you run background checks on your team?

Yes! We encourage everyone to complete background checks before they get started working with our clients. You can see proof of who has completed their individual background check by visiting our About page and locating the green shield checkmark icon Screen Shot 2022 08 22 at 6.21.46 PM in the team member profiles.

Do you have an app?

We sure do! Our company app is called Precise Petcare. This is where clients can access their accounts all at the touch of their fingertips! If you are a client of Hands N Paws and have not downloaded our app yet, please click the appropriate button below to do so!

Download on iPhone
Download on Android

If you ever need any assistance with our app, please visit App Support!

What services do you offer?

We offer four types of services: Dog Walking, Pet Sitting, Cat Sitting, and Overnight Stays. Please navigate to each page to learn more! 

Do you provide kennel/boarding services?

No. We are an in-home pet care company, meaning that we come to your home to care for your pet(s). We do not offer kennel or boarding services because we honestly believe that pets are happier and more comfortable being cared for in their own homes anyways.

Why do you only offer services in 2-hr time blocks?

We have lots of clients to take care of, and with that, will need ample time to get to your place to care for your pets! We work in 2-hour time frames, and that allows us time to take on multiple clients in similar/overlapping time frames as well as account for driving in between services. 

Please note that the time blocks that we offer are for ARRIVAL TIMES. So, let’s say you schedule a service for 3-5pm, the earliest the assigned pet care technician can arrive is 3pm and the latest he/she can arrive is 5pm.

How do I know when a team member has arrived to care for my pets?

You can see that the assigned team member has arrived by going to the My Schedule page and locating the service box. If the service box appears in blue, that means the team member is present. You can even see the time the team member arrived to the service along with a GPS map of his/her whereabouts in real-time! 

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How do I communicate with team members about my pets?

There are multiple ways in which you can communicate with our team!

If you have something that you wish to communicate regarding a single service (or set of services) on schedule, please use the service box notes feature in our app.

If you wish to communicate something that’s pet related or related to your personal information that will apply to ALL future services, please kindly make updates to either your personal information or pet information in your client account!

Our team members are very adamant about checking for service box notes, as well as any and all updates a client makes to their personal and/or pet profiles (even for team members who have worked with you multiple times previously!).

Lastly, you can communicate with team members by leaving comments on journal reports they’ve submitted to you after completing services with your pets!

NOTE: We do not support the exchanging of phone numbers between clients and team members. Team members have work hours and we don’t want work-related things getting intermingled with their personal lives. Precise Petcare is well-equipped to support any and all communications between team members and clients. If there is anything that’s highly urgent that you wish to communicate, please call/text our office number at (614) 636-6644 and someone will assist you as quickly as possible (usually M-F 9am-5pm, but ASAP for more serious matters).

What are your additional fees for working together?

All new clients are required to purchase a lockbox before they begin working with us. To learn more about why we require lockboxes, please click here.

We also charge additional fees on services in the following circumstances:

  • Last Minute Service Request (less than 24 hr notice): $10 fee per service
  • Last Minute Service Request (less than 12 hr notice): $20 fee per service
  • Last Minute Service Request (less than 6 hr notice): $30 fee per service
  • Holiday Service Request (see list below): $20 fee per service
  • Additional Pets: $7 fee per pet per service (after first two pets)
  • Out-of-Service-Area Service Request: $10 fee per service

Essentially, if you want to avoid the first three fees listed, just make sure to schedule services with more than a day’s notice. That way, we can make proper arrangements for coming to see your pets without having to scramble too much! 

The holiday’s in which we include a surcharge are:

  • New Year’s Day
  • Easter
  • Memorial Day
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Thanksgiving
  • Day After Thanksgiving
  • Christmas Eve
  • Christmas Day
  • New Year’s Eve

The only other time you would be charged additional fees (though unlikely) is if team members are instructed to (or see the need to, with your approval first!) purchase items for pets while under company care, including but not limited to: pet food or treats (if run out!), litter or cleaning supplies, transportation to the vet and/or emergency expenses for general care and wellness of pets, and more. We will retain and share receipts with you as proof of purchase! You will then be charged ASAP for these additional items.

Why hasn’t my usual team member been taking care of my pets lately?

Here at Hands N Paws, we work as a team to take care of our clients. This means that we don’t normally assign a primary person to work with pets. If you’ve noticed that a single person has been caring for your pets for awhile, and now all of sudden there are different team members providing care, it’s likely due to any or all of the following reasons:

  • Your “primary” care provider is taking time off from work, whether out sick, on vacation, or just because.
  • Your “primary” care provider is busy with other clients/pets.

We understand that it’s NOT possible to guarantee that one single team member is available to work with certain clients at ALL times those clients need services. This is why we operate as a unit. Our team members are encouraged to follow our best practices for completing services, so that way we can deliver consistent services to the pets in our care.

Everyone at Hands N Paws is passionate about working with our clients as a whole, so whether you’ve got a single person or multiple people caring for your pets, we can promise that you’ll be satisfied with the service quality. To learn more about our current team members (and the loving pet-people they are!), please visit our About page.

How do I give feedback on my experience with Hands N Paws?

We LOVE when we receive feedback from our clients, as it helps us to learn and grow! You can leave feedback in multiple ways, though the most impactful way is in the form of a Google review! To do that, please click here, select your rating (out of 5 stars), add any comments you may have, then click the blue Post button.

To leave a feedback on more specific aspects of your experience (our app, our client support, etc.), please click here.

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Dog Walking Service 1
(614) 636-6644

Please review this agreement carefully. Your electronic signature on this indicates that you have read, reviewed, and agreed to the following Company policies.
Your signature also indicates that you grant Hands N Paws the permission to add your email address to our mailing list. This is not a binding agreement, however; if you wish, you can click “Unsubscribe” at the bottom of any of our emails to opt out of receiving them altogether. To re-subscribe at any point, please visit our website at www.myhandsnpaws.com and scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page. Enter your email address in the mailing list field and submit.
The terms of this agreement are as follows: “Client” refers to you, “Company” refers to us (Hands N Paws), and “Team Member” refers to the person from our team completing services with your pets. 

 

LIABILITY RELEASE

In case any of the Client’s pets need emergency veterinary treatment, Hands N Paws will prioritize treating the pets and try to contact the Client or emergency contacts. However, the on-site Team Member can take appropriate actions, including getting veterinary care, if needed. The Client gives permission for Hands N Paws to transport the pet(s) to a veterinary clinic or request on-site treatment, and make treatment decisions except for euthanasia if they cannot be reached, or if it’s a life-threatening emergency. The Client is responsible for any veterinary fees incurred, and releases Hands N Paws from liability for any damage or harm to pets or property beyond the Team Member’s control. The Client is also liable for any injuries or damages caused by their pet’s undisclosed aggression to the Hands N Paws team.

 

VACCINATION, LICENSING & ID POLICY

To comply with local laws and ordinances, it is required that all pets have the appropriate vaccinations and licenses. For further information on these requirements, please visit the Ohio State Bar Association’s website at https://www.ohiobar.org/public-resources. You should also check with your veterinarian to determine which vaccinations/shots your pet requires. For safety reasons, we encourage all dogs and cats to wear an ID tag or collar with their name and a contact number while our team is working with them.

 

LOCKBOX POLICY

To ensure access to Clients’ homes during scheduled services, Hands N Paws requires that Clients purchase a lockbox and place spare house key(s) inside it for Team Members to use. Clients can purchase the lockbox on the Hands N Paws website by clicking Buy Your Lockbox. Once it arrives, the lockbox should be programmed with a four-digit code. The lockbox should then be placed on the main door handle or another secure location, and the lockbox code and location information must be entered in the client’s account on Precise Petcare. Alternatively, Clients may elect to provide a code for entry via a garage door or electronic keypad and must enter all necessary codes in Precise Petcare. Clients are strongly encouraged to purchase a lockbox to ensure that Team Members can access pets at all times during scheduled services, especially in situations where power goes out, batteries die, or keys are lost.

PHONE NUMBER EXCHANGE POLICY

It is strongly discouraged that Team Members and Clients exchange phone numbers with each other in working together. Phone numbers are personal and Team Members have specific work hours.
Clients should direct all communications with Team Members in our app, Precise Petcare. Both parties can communicate via submitted journal reports, which Team Members send after completion of all services with pets. More information on this can be found by visiting our client support page at www.myhandsnpaws.com/client-support.
For any pressing/non-emergency communications, Clients are advised to call our office number at (614) 636-6644. Office hours are Monday through Friday 9am-5pm. We are closed on Saturdays, Sunday, and Federal Holidays.
PLEASE NOTE: Office hours differ from fieldwork hours. Office hours are the times in which we provide client support via answering phones, emails, etc. Fieldwork hours are the times in which we offer services/are working in the field with pets. Our fieldwork hours are 7am-10pm (and overnights), 365 days a year.

 

CAT POLICIES

Clients are NOT allowed to request that Team Members “ignore the cat” when providing care for other animals in households that have multiple pets. Regardless of the cat’s disposition, personality, or levels of need, Hands N Paws Team Members must provide some kind of attention and care to the cat during scheduled services. Similarly, Client must create a pet profile for the cat(s) and provide care notes accordingly.

UPDATING PET & CLIENT PROFILES POLICY

Our Team Members can only perform services correctly if they are equipped with the correct (and most up to date) pet care information. You will only be allowed to request services on the basis that pet and personal profiles are updated every 6 months (at minimum). Any Client who attempts to request services at the 6 month mark will receive an error message letting them know that they cannot submit a request if they haven’t made updates to their profiles. If there is nothing to update at the 6 month mark, simply reword a current piece of information and click Save at the bottom of the page.

SPECIFIC VISIT TIME POLICY

Client acknowledges that arrival times for services occur within a two-hour period. It is NOT possible for Team Members to arrive at exact times. This is why time frames appear, rather than exact times, in the dropdown menu when selecting a time for the service(s).
Client agrees to requesting services in the two-hour time frames offered.

 

SERVICES & PRICING

For detailed descriptions on our services, please visit our website at www.myhandsnpaws.com.

Dog Walking
*Rates below apply for up to 2 dogs; add $7 per additional dog
QUICK WALK – 20 mins – $22
STANDARD WALK – 30 mins – $25
LONG WALK – 45 mins – $35

Pet Sitting
*Rates below apply for up to 2 pets; add $7 per additional pet
QUICK VISIT – 20 mins – $22
STANDARD VISIT – 30 mins – $25
LONG VISIT – 45 mins – $35

Cat Sitting
*Rates below apply for up to 2 cats; add $7 per additional cat
QUICK VISIT – 20 mins – $22
STANDARD VISIT – 30 mins – $25
LONG VISIT – 45 mins – $35
Overnight Stay (8-10 hrs) – $80

*Rate applies for up to 2 pets; add $10 per additional pet.

 

 

HOLIDAY PRICING

A $20 surcharge is added to each service that is scheduled on the following Federal Holidays: New Year’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve.

 

SERVICE REQUESTS

Upon submitting service request(s), Client will be informed as to whether Hands N Paws can take on the requested work via a confirmation or declination email/notification. Client understands that there is NO guarantee that any/all service requests can be approved; it simply just depends on Team Member availability. Clients are encouraged to submit all service requests as far in advance as possible!

 

SAME-DAY SERVICE REQUEST POLICY

Client understands and accepts the Company same day service request policy as outlined below:
– A $10 convenience fee is added to each service if requested (and approved) with 24 hours or less notice before service(s) is scheduled to occur.
– A $20 convenience fee is added to each service if requested (and approved) with 12 hours or less notice before service(s) is scheduled to occur.
– A $30 convenience fee is added to each service if requested (and approved) with 6 hours or less notice before service(s) is scheduled to occur.

 

OUT-OF-SERVICE-AREA REQUEST POLICY

Client understands and accepts the Company out-of-service-area request policy as outlined below:
– A $10 (minimum) convenience fee is added to each service if requested outside of our current service area.
Please note, this amount is subject to increase depending on how far a client lives outside of our current service area.

 

 

MEET N GREETS

All meet n greets are FREE (and required as part of proper client onboarding) for first-time Clients. To the extent that Clients wish to schedule additional meet n greets, after their first free one, they will be charged $50 per meet n greet.

To schedule a first-time meet n greet (for new clients), please go to www.myhandsnpaws.com and click Get Started.

To schedule additional meet n greets (for current clients), please log in to your client account, go to My Schedule > Request Service and select Meet N Greet in the service dropdown.

 

BILLING

All services are to be paid for via credit/debit card. We accept all major cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover). Card information can be added securely to each client account.

For services scheduled as ongoing, you will be auto-charged every Friday evening for the previous 7 days worth of work on schedule, including completed, canceled, and in-progress services.

For services NOT scheduled as ongoing, the day your services are accepted and confirmed is the day you will be charged 50% of your invoice total (as downpayment). Your invoice will be sent to you immediately. You have from then until the date of the last confirmed service to pay your invoice manually. If you choose to not pay manually, your remaining total will be auto-paid (via card on file) on the evening of the last service day.

If any auto-charges are declined, you will be notified immediately. In the first declined attempt, we give you a 24-hour grace period to correct the issue. In the second declined attempt, a late fee of 10% of the invoice total ($10 minimum) will be added. Please look out for emails regarding overdue notices.

Credit cards are required to be added to and remain on file in order for Clients to request any services with Hands N Paws.

Hands N Paws will be paid the amount discussed with no exceptions other than if our Cancellation Policy (outlined below) applies and Client receives a refund in either the form of Account Credit(s), or in emergency circumstances as transferable credit(s) back to their card.

Client may be charged additional fees if Team Members are instructed to, or sees the need to, purchase items for the pet while under Company care, including but not limited to: pet food or treats, litter or cleaning supplies, transportation to the vet and/or emergency expenses for general care of pet(s). Hands N Paws will retain and share receipts as proof of purchase.

 

 

SERVICE CANCELLATION/REFUND POLICY

When Client schedules services with Hands N Paws, the Company has likely turned down other work so as to devote our time to the work requested from said Client.

Client understands and accepts the Company cancellation/refund policy as outlined below:

– 100% refund is issued as Account Credit if cancellation is made at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled service(s).

– 50% refund is issued as Account Credit if cancellation is made at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled service(s).

– NO refund is issued for same-day cancellations/less than 24 hour notice.

PLEASE NOTE: Refunds are NOT transferable. Should you be eligible to receive an Account Credit (based on terms above), that will be auto-added to your account and applied to your very next invoice with us.

 

SERVICES TERMS

Hands N Paws agrees to provide the services stated in this contract in a reliable, caring, and trustworthy manner. In consideration of these services and as an express condition thereof, Client expressly waives and relinquishes any and all claims against Hands N Paws arising out of or relating to the provision of services hereunder, except those arising from gross negligence or willful misconduct on part of Hands N Paws.

Client understands and acknowledges that the environment in which they are requesting Hands N Paws to complete services is reasonably sanitary and safe. We assess home conditions during initial meet n greets. If we determine home conditions to be unsanitary and/or unsafe, we will make it clear to the Client that we cannot pursue a working relationship.

Should a Team Member sustain any injury, disease, or other harm in the course of providing services hereunder, the Client will indemnify Hands N Paws and hold it harmless with respect to all loss, expense, and damage caused thereby, except those arising from gross negligence or willful misconduct on part of Hands N Paws.

Client understands and acknowledges that he/she is responsible for letting Hands N Paws know of anyone who has access to their home and agrees to not contract with any other company and/or care provider during the duration of services booked with Hands N Paws. Client releases and holds Hands N Paws harmless of all loss, expense, and damage caused by anyone entering the Client’s home with their permission or access given to others during the terms of services rendered.

 

 

CONTRACT TERMS

This contract will take effect upon digital signature by Client (clicking “Agree & Submit” below) and will remain in effect until terminated by either party. Client may make online reservations for additional services at any time during the terms of this contract, as subject to Hands N Paws availability. All scheduled services will be governed by all the terms of this contract. We appreciate as much advance notice as possible for the work, but will make every effort possible to accommodate all requests.

Either party may terminate this contract at any time by written notice to the other. Hands N Paws is entitled to payment for all services rendered until notice of termination is received and for any transition services reasonably required to provide for the health and welfare of Client’s pet(s). Hands N Paws will not terminate during a period of scheduled service unless Hands N Paws determines, at their sole discretion, that a serious danger exists to the health or safety of a Team Member or pet. If such concerns preclude Hands N Paws from providing further care for the pet(s), Client agrees to pay for their pet to be boarded at a boarding facility or taken under the care of another party until Client returns. Every attempt will be made to notify Client and/or emergency contacts regarding such situations.

Client acknowledges that by signing below, he/she is providing written approval for the provision of services by Hands N Paws during any service period scheduled by Client and confirmed by Hands N Paws. Upon such scheduling and approval, Hands N Paws will be authorized to enter Client premises and perform services without additional signed contracts and/or written authorizations

 

 

AGREEMENT

I, Client, have reviewed this Client Agreement in its entirety. I will promptly complete all parts of my client account in Precise Petcare, and the information I provide will be detailed and accurate. My electronic signature here will indicate that I am agreeing to all the terms and conditions of this contract, exactly as they are outlined above.