Boarding Terms & Conditions

1. Agreement & Acceptance

By requesting and confirming a booking, you agree to these terms on behalf of yourself and any other owner of the dog. We will provide these terms to you before your booking is confirmed and before any deposit or payment is taken.

You confirm that you are the dog's legal owner, or are authorised by the owner to make this booking and to give the consents set out below.

2. Which Dogs We Can Accept

We are a small, home-based boarding service and we host one dog at a time. Your dog will be our only guest for the duration of the stay.

• Small to medium dogs only — approximately 4 kg to 25 kg and up to 50 cm at the shoulder.
• Where a booking is for more than one dog, all dogs must come from the same household and be accustomed to living together. Multi-dog bookings are accepted only by prior written agreement and subject to any limits set by our local council.
• Dogs must be at least six months of age, toilet trained, and comfortable being handled by people outside their household.
• Female dogs in season cannot be accepted. Please contact us to reschedule if your dog comes into season before the stay.
• We may decline or end a booking where a dog falls outside these criteria, or where we reasonably believe we cannot meet the dog's needs safely.

3. Health, Vaccination & Parasite Control

The health of every guest — and of the dogs who live here — depends on these requirements. They are not negotiable, and a dog cannot be admitted without them.

• Written proof of current C5 vaccination (covering distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus and canine cough — parainfluenza and Bordetella bronchiseptica) must be provided before or at drop-off. A certificate or record from your veterinarian is required; a verbal assurance is not sufficient.
• Vaccinations and boosters must be current for the entire stay and must not be overdue. Where a vaccination or booster has been given shortly before arrival, please allow at least 14 days before the stay so immunity has time to develop.
• Your dog must be microchipped and registered with your local council, as required under the Domestic Animals Act 1994 (Vic).
• Flea, tick and intestinal worm treatments must be current at drop-off. Where fleas or ticks are found during a stay, we may treat the dog at your cost.
• You must disclose any illness, injury, infectious condition, ongoing medical condition or current medication before the stay. Dogs showing signs of contagious illness cannot be admitted.
• If your dog becomes unwell during the stay, we will contact you as soon as practicable and act on veterinary advice.

4. Veterinary Care & Medical Emergencies

• You authorise us to obtain veterinary attention for your dog whenever we reasonably believe it is necessary, including emergency and after-hours treatment.
• We will make every reasonable effort to contact you, and then your nominated emergency contact, before treatment is given. Where a delay would put your dog at risk, we will act first and inform you as soon as possible.
• You are responsible for all veterinary and related costs incurred during the stay, including consultation, treatment, medication, diagnostics, transport and after-hours fees, regardless of cause. Any costs we pay on your behalf are reimbursable to us on demand.
• You agree to provide your usual veterinarian's name and contact details at booking. Where your vet is unavailable or the situation is urgent, we may use the nearest available veterinary or emergency practice.
• Where your dog requires medication, you must supply it in its original labelled packaging with written dosage instructions. We will administer routine medication at no extra charge but cannot provide specialised nursing or injections unless agreed in advance in writing.

5. Behaviour & Temperament Disclosure

Full and honest disclosure keeps everyone safe — your dog, our family and our neighbours. Withholding relevant behavioural history is a breach of these terms.

• You must disclose in writing before the stay any history of aggression towards people or animals, biting or attempting to bite, resource or food guarding, excessive or persistent barking, escaping or attempting to escape, destructive behaviour, separation anxiety, or any behaviour that has previously resulted in a complaint, injury or council action.
• You must tell us if your dog has ever been declared dangerous, menacing or restricted under the Domestic Animals Act 1994 (Vic). We cannot accept such dogs.
• Where a dog presents a risk to the safety of people or animals, or where behaviour was not disclosed, we may end the stay immediately. In that event we may return the dog to you or your emergency contact, or place the dog in an external boarding facility or with a veterinarian, at your cost. Fees already paid for the balance of the stay are not refundable in these circumstances.
• You are responsible for any injury, loss or damage caused by your dog during the stay, including to people, other animals, our property or the property of others, except to the extent caused by our negligence.

6. Drop-off & Collection

• Drop-off and collection times are agreed in advance at booking and take place by appointment only. Please arrive within your agreed window so we can settle your dog calmly.
• Where you need to change an agreed time, please contact us as early as possible. Changes are subject to availability.
• Late collection may incur an additional fee, charged per hour or as an additional night where collection is materially delayed. Our current fees are provided with your booking confirmation.
• Where a stay is extended without prior agreement, additional nights are charged at our standard nightly rate and are subject to availability.
• Nobody other than you or a person you have nominated in writing may collect your dog. We may ask for identification.

7. Uncollected & Abandoned Dogs

We hope never to rely on this clause, but we are required to have one.

• Where a dog is not collected at the agreed time and we cannot make contact with you or your nominated emergency contact, we will continue to care for the dog and will keep trying to reach you.
• Where a dog remains uncollected for seven (7) days after the agreed collection time and we have received no contact from you, the dog will be treated as abandoned. We may then surrender the dog to our local council or to an appropriate animal welfare organisation, or rehome the dog, in accordance with applicable law.
• You remain liable for all boarding fees, care costs, veterinary costs and any surrender or transport fees incurred up to that point and thereafter.

8. Food, Bedding & Belongings

• We provide premium quality food as standard. Where your dog is on a specific diet, please supply their own food in sufficient quantity for the full stay, clearly labelled with feeding instructions.
• You are welcome to bring familiar bedding, a favourite toy, a collar, harness and lead. Please label everything with your dog's name.
• Please supply any medication in original labelled packaging with written dosage instructions.
• We take reasonable care of items brought to us, but we are not liable for loss, damage or ordinary wear to bedding, toys, collars, leads or other personal belongings. Please do not send anything of sentimental or high monetary value.
• Where a dog arrives without adequate food or essential supplies, we may purchase what is needed and pass on the cost.

9. Fees, Deposits, Payment & Cancellation

• Rates are quoted per night and confirmed in writing at the time of booking. Public holiday and peak-period rates may apply and will be disclosed before you confirm.
• A deposit may be required to secure a booking, particularly for peak periods and extended stays. The deposit amount and due date are set out in your booking confirmation.
• The balance is payable by the date shown on your booking confirmation, and no later than drop-off unless otherwise agreed in writing.
• Cancellation by you: the deposit may be retained where a booking is cancelled close to the start of the stay. The applicable notice periods and any retained amounts are set out in your booking confirmation before you pay.
• Early collection: where you collect your dog before the agreed end of the stay, fees for the booked period remain payable.
• Cancellation by us: where we must cancel for reasons within our control, we will refund all amounts paid for the affected stay in full and, where we can, help you find alternative care.
• Nothing in these terms excludes, restricts or modifies the consumer guarantees or other rights you have under the Australian Consumer Law, which apply in addition to these terms and cannot be contracted out of.

10. Updates, Photos & Privacy

• We send updates and photos during your dog's stay so you can travel with peace of mind.
• We may use photographs or video of your dog in our marketing, including on our website and social media. Please tell us in writing at booking if you would prefer we did not, and we will respect that — it will not affect your booking.
• We collect your contact details, your dog's health information and your veterinarian's details solely to provide care and to meet our record-keeping obligations. We do not sell your information or share it with third parties except where necessary for veterinary care, or where required by law or by our local council.

11. Our Commitments & Compliance

• We provide cage-free, home-based care with your dog as our only guest, in a climate-controlled and monitored environment.
• We operate in accordance with the Domestic Animals Act 1994 (Vic), the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 (Vic), the mandatory Victorian Code of Practice for the Operation of Boarding Establishments, and the requirements of our local council as a registered domestic animal business.
• We maintain records of each stay, including vaccination evidence, emergency contacts, feeding and medication instructions, and any incident or veterinary treatment.
• We will tell you promptly about any injury, illness, escape or other significant incident involving your dog.

12. Liability

• We care for every guest as we care for our own dog. However, boarding carries inherent risks, including illness, injury and the transmission of airborne conditions such as canine cough, even where a dog is fully vaccinated.
• To the extent permitted by law, and except where caused by our negligence or a failure to provide services with due care and skill, we are not liable for illness, injury, loss or death arising during or after a stay.
• Our liability is limited to the amount you paid for the stay, except where such a limitation is not permitted by law.
• Nothing in this clause limits your rights under the Australian Consumer Law.

13. Changes, Governing Law & Contact

• We may update these terms from time to time. The version provided to you before your booking is the version that applies to that booking.
• These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Victoria, Australia.
• Questions about these terms are genuinely welcome — please contact us before booking so we can talk them through.