GET OUT OF TOWN!
Professional Pet Care
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
What types of pets do you provide services for?
How do I make a reservation for service?
How much advance notice is needed to book your services for my pet?
Can I make last minute reservations for service?
What is the purpose of the Free In-Home Consultation?
Why do you require two copies of my house key?
How will I be billed for your services?
What methods of payment do you accept?
What if I have to cancel service after I've booked with you?
Do you require proof of vaccination for my pets?
What types of medication can you administer?
Do you charge extra to administer medication?
What type of special training do you have?
What does it mean when you say you are bonded?
What does it mean when you say you are insured?
How can I be sure that my home and pets are safe while under the pet sitter's care?
Can you spend extra time with my pet(s)?
Do you offer overnight visits?
Can you take my dog for a trail walk, to the dog park, or walk him off-leash?
Can you board my pet at your home instead of coming to my home?
My pet is sometimes aggressive. Can you still care for them?
What will you do if my pet becomes ill or injured while I'm away?
Are there any special policies regarding holidays?
Do you require a deposit or advance payment?
What should I expect when I return home?
How will you get my keys back to me?
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What can I do to help my pet sitter take the best care of my pets?
How should I prepare my home and pets for pet sitting services?
What types of pets do you provide services for?
We provide services for dogs, cats, birds, and small caged pets such as rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, chinchillas, rats, etc. If you have another type of pet that you need services for, please contact us to see if we are able to assist you.
Please Note: We do not provide services for arachnids (including spiders and scorpions), snakes, or any pet that must be fed other creatures of any kind (dead or alive.)
For a detailed overview of the standard services we offer, please refer to the Our Services page. If you require a service other than one of those outlined, please contact us to see if we are able to accommodate your needs.
We have some of the most competitive rates you will find through any legitimate pet care provider. We offer discounted rates for multiple visits on the same day. For a detailed overview of our rates, please refer to the Our Services page. If you require a service other than one of those outlined, and would like information regarding rates for those services, please contact us to see if we are able to assist you.
Our standard service areas are: ZONE 1: Albany, Crockett, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Hercules, Pinole, Richmond (limited service area)*, Rodeo, San Pablo (limited service area)* and ZONE 2: Martinez, Pacheco, Pleasant Hill, Concord (limited service area)*, Walnut Creek (limited service area)*, Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda. Depending upon our availability, we may be available to service additional areas of Western and Central Contra Costa County. If you are located in an area of Western or Central Contra Costa County not listed above, please contact us to determine if we are available to provide services in your particular area.
*Because we have limited service areas in Richmond, San Pablo, Concord and Walnut Creek, residents of these cities should call us at (510) 734-5198 to verify if we are able to service your particular area.
How do I make a reservation for service?
Please call (510) 734-5198 or e-mail us at getoutoftownpets@sbcglobal.net to make a reservation.
How much advance notice is needed to book your services for my pet?
You should contact us as soon as you know you'll be needing our services to help ensure a spot on our schedule. If it is your first time using our services, we would appreciate seven days notice to enable us to schedule your free in-home consultation prior to the assignment start date. However, we can usually work in a consultation with a bit less notice. Once you're an established customer - particularly if you're a participant in our "Ready-Key" program - we can generally book services with as little as 24 hours notice.
Can I make last minute reservations for service?
While we make every effort to accommodate all requests for service, we cannot guarantee we will have availability on our schedule if you need a reservation on very short notice. We always recommend making reservations as soon as possible to ensure a spot on our schedule. It is particularly difficult, and often impossible, to accommodate short notice requests during holiday periods.
What is the purpose of the Free In-Home Consultation?
The free in-home consultation gives you the opportunity to meet with us and communicate any information that will help us to provide the best possible care for your pet(s). It also gives us an opportunity to meet your pet(s), fill out necessary paper work, and pick up keys to you home. A free in-home consultation is required for all first-time clients. Once you are an established client, we can accept telephone reservations for service.
How will I be billed for your services?
When you book a reservation with us, we will e-mail you an estimate for services. At the time of booking, we require a 50% deposit and ask that the remaining 50% be left for us to pick up on the assignment start date. If any additional services (i.e. unexpected trip to veterinarian, etc.) were requested or required while we were on the assignment, we will provide an updated invoice reflecting such additions. Payment for additional services performed is due upon receipt of invoice.
What methods of payment do you accept?
We currently accept payment via cash, check and online payments via Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover or PayPal Account (payments processed via PayPal - PayPal account is not required.) Checks should be made payable to "GET OUT OF TOWN! Professional Pet Care."
What if I have to cancel service after I've booked with you?
If you must cancel your reservation with us, we request as much notice as possible, both as a professional courtesy and to give us an opportunity to book another client who otherwise might be turned away for scheduling reasons. All cancellations must be received and acknowledged by the Company. Cancellations made with less than 48 hours notice will be subject to a cancellation fee of 50% of the contracted total. Cancellations made for major holiday periods (regardless of the notification period) will also be subject to a cancellation fee of 50% of the contracted total.
Do you require proof of vaccination for my pets?
We do ask for proof of vaccination for your pet(s). If you do not have a printed schedule of vaccinations, we can call your veterinary care provider to confirm vaccinations. Please notify us of any vaccination deficiencies your pet has, so we can take the necessary precautions to protect other client's pets, as well as our own pets. GET OUT OF TOWN! Professional Pet Care will not be liable for pets that become ill due to exposure to a disease or illness which could have been prevented by a routine vaccination.
What types of medication can you administer?
We are able to administer all types of medications including pills, drops, ointments and lotions. We are also able to administer insulin injections and subcutaneous (sub-q) fluids.
Do you charge extra to administer medication?
Pills, drops, ointments and lotions are administered at no additional charge. There is an additional fee for administering injections and subcutaneous (sub-q) fluids.
What type of special training do you have?
We are certified in Pet First Aid & CPR by the American Red Cross and are able to recognize and react to a broad range of emergencies.
What does it mean when you say you are bonded?
We carry a dishonesty bond to give our clients additional peace of mind. The dishonesty bond protects our clients from loss in the event of theft committed by one of our associates. View our Dishonesty Bond Certificate. As a protective measure for yourself, you should make sure that any workers entering your home carry a dishonesty bond.
What does it mean when you say you are insured?
We carry liability insurance to protect our clients from financial loss in the event that we are found liable for accidents that occur while caring for your pet(s). View our Liability Insurance Certificate. Any responsible and reputable business should have liability insurance.
How can I be sure that my home and pet(s) are safe while under your care?
We take great care to ensure the safety and security of our client's home and pet(s). Aside from being bonded, insured and pet first aid certified, we are pet and home owners too, which means we understand the level of trust our clients are instilling in us by allowing us to care for their home and pet(s). When we say we "you can rest assured that your pets and your home will be cared for with the utmost love, care and respect," we mean it!
Why shouldn't I have my neighbor's child or a low cost, uninsured pet sitter care for my home and pets?
In most instances you get what you pay for. Most clients feel better knowing that their home and pet(s) are in the hands of a trustworthy, reliable, and responsible professional who knows how to recognize and handle the situation should something go wrong. What would happen if the neighbor child accidentally left the water running and flooded your home or if your pet had a medical emergency that went untreated because the person watching them didn't recognize the signs/symptoms? Those are big responsibilities to place on a child's shoulders and a big risk to take with an uninsured pet sitter. We are bonded and insured to help protect our client's pet(s) and property. We are Pet First Aid & CPR certified to aids us in recognizing and managing emergency situations that may occur with pets.
Why do you require two copies of my house key?
First and foremost, all keys are assigned a key code and never have your address or any other identifying information associated with them. The reason behind requiring two copies is simply that it is much less expensive and time consuming to have a second key made ahead of time than it is to call a locksmith out to gain entry into your home and/or re-key your door should something happen (i.e. key breaks, key jams and will not work for some reason, or the door is has a self-locking mechanism and it shuts and locks us out.) Your second key is always kept in a locked key box just as a precautionary measure so that we can still gain entry to the house. Having the second key greatly reduces the potential need for a locksmith, which in turn, can save the client the expense of a locksmith visit.
Standard pet care visits last 30 - 45 minutes. Standard play time visits or dog walks last 30 minutes, but can be lengthened for an additional fee. Overnight visits last roughly 12 hours.
Can you spend extra time with my pet(s)?
We will make every effort to accommodate requests for extended visits. Extended visits are billed at an hourly rate.
Do you offer overnight visits?
Yes, we do offer overnight visits. Please refer to the Our Services page for additional information.
Can you take my dog for a trail walk, to the dog park, or walk him/her off-leash?
We're sorry, but we do not currently offer off-leash walks, trail walks, or dog park outings.
Can you board my pet at your home instead of coming to my home?
We're sorry, but we do not have the facilities to offer boarding services.
My pet is sometimes aggressive. Can you still care for them?
We will evaluate each situation on an individual basis. When we meet for the free in-home consultation we will evaluate your pet. It is of the utmost importance that you be open and honest about your pets behavior. Let us know how your pet has displayed their aggression (i.e. biting people/animals, growling, lunging, baring teeth, chasing, etc.), who/what the aggression was directed towards (i.e. people, unfamiliar dogs/cats, other household pets, etc.) and if there are any identifiable triggers for the aggression (i.e. trying to take away objects such as food/toys, touching a certain area on the pet, noises/sounds, etc.) If we feel that your pet is too aggressive we will have to respectfully decline the job. We have to consider our safety, your pet's safety, and the safety of other people and animals that your pet could come in contact with while under our care.
What will you do if my pet becomes ill or injured while I'm away?
During your free in-home consultation you will fill out a Veterinarian Release Form which includes information regarding your pet(s) name, age, description, any current/prior health conditions and medications they are taking, your regular veterinarian, preference for emergency veterinarian, and method of payment should your pet require veterinary attention while under our care. If your pet is a senior, you will also fill out a Senior Pet Medical Form which provides some additional detail/direction in the event veterinary care is needed.
If your pet becomes injured or we suspect that they are ill while you're away, we will attempt to contact you at the emergency numbers left on file with us so we can explain the situation with your pet. If you believe your pet should be seen by a veterinarian we will make arrangements for an appointment and transport your pet to the vet*. If we are unable to reach you, we will use our best judgment in determining if your pet is in need of veterinary care. If we feel your pet should be seen by a veterinarian, we will make the necessary arrangements to get your pet that care. If we are not able to reach you prior taking your pet to the veterinarian, we will continue to attempt to reach you until we make contact and update you on the situation. Clients will be billed for additional time and/or services (i.e. transportation to/from vet office) associated with seeking veterinary care.
*GET OUT OF TOWN! Professional Pet Care will not withhold veterinary care from a pet that is obviously or seriously injured or ill.
Are there any special policies regarding holidays?
A $10.00 major holiday surcharge will apply to the following holidays: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Do you require a deposit or advance payment?
A minimum 50% deposit is required at the time of contract signing with the remaining balance due upon arrival for assignment for all new clients. During major holiday periods advance payment is required.
What should I expect when I return home?
The first thing you should expect when you return home are happy, healthy pets and a home that's just as you left it! You should also expect to find a "welcome back" card with instructions to contact us so we know you've made it back home and that your pets are back under your care, along with a daily checklist and notes reporting how our visits went with your pet(s) while you were gone. You may also find an invoice/statement of account depending on the situation.
How will you get my keys back to me?
The standard process for returning keys is via US Mail. Requests for keys to be returned in person can be accommodated, however, a $5.00 fee will be assessed to compensate for time, fuel costs, etc.
Yes, we can keep your keys on file. All keys kept on file are stored in a locked key box. To protect our clients, their home and pets, all keys that we keep on file are assigned a key code and never have your address or any other identifying information associated with them.