What Should You Include in a Pet Care Contract

Pet care agreement contracts are essential for each pet care business. Pet care contracts areconvenient because you can have the client and pet information all in one place and is a great wayto set expectations and reduce risks during your appointments. It’s also beneficial for you sothat you don’t forget any client or pet information. Whether you’re creating a contract for petsitting, dog walking, or another pet care profession, we’ll cover what should be included in aservice agreement, client profile, a pet profile, and pet care contract templates found online.

1. Service Agreement

The service agreement is a general outline of all the terms and policies that you need yourclients to comply with. The service agreement is in place to protect you and your business. You’llwant to make sure that your service agreement is reviewed by an attorney before using it for yourbusiness.

• Payment policy: when payments are due and what the late fee entails
• Appointment policy: cancellation policy details
• Vaccination requirements: any vaccines that the pet may need to receive before you will agree to work with them
• Services provided: specifically states which services will be provided
• Frequency of visits: how often, i.e. daily, weekly, or monthly appointments

2. Client Profile

The client profile is designed for the client to fill out and is all about the client, or pet owner. This form should include:

• Client name
• Client address
• Contact information
• Emergency contact information
• Veterinarian contact details

All of the above information is essential for you to have as the business owner so you can contact your client, especially in the case of an emergency or accident.

3. Pet Profile

The pet profile is full of all the information that you’d need to know about the pet that you’ll be taking care of. The pet profile should include:

• Pet name
• Pet breed
• Behavior
• Allergies
• Medication list
• Company policies

4. Vet Release

The vet release section of your pet care contract essentially allows you, the pet sitter or pet boarder, to take the pet to the vet if needed. The vet release allows your client to give you permission to take their pet to the vet in case of emergency. Some forms have a set amount of money that is allowed to be spent at the vent, and others say that the client, or the pet owner, assumes all vet costs. This is a very important section of your pet care contract.

Pet Care Insurance provides vet bill reimbursement so that you don’t end up having to pay the full bill out of your pocket. Regardless who is at fault, this part of the policy provides coverage for medical expenses for a client’s pet in your care, control, or custody. For this reason, it’s important to have an insurance policy in place.

5. Payment Authorization Form

This form is for your client to know how to pay their invoices. You provide detailed instructions so they can fill it out correctly and you can get paid. If you plan on keeping a credit card on file, make sure that this is clearly explained to your client so that they can make sure it’s okay.

6. Home Rules

If you are a pet sitter or a pet boarder, you will want to leave a space in your contract for the client to fill out any home rules they may have. This will protect you so that you can know what the homeowner allows or doesn’t allow, any keys or alarms codes you will need, off-limit areas in the home, etc.

Pet Care Contract Templates

You are free to create your own pet care contract with the information listed above, or you can also look online for pet care contracts. Legal Templates asks for your state to create a free pet sitting contract, so you can make sure that it is in accordance with all state guidelines. You can easily set up a pet care contract for your business. Here is another pet care contract template that you may find useful for your business.

Make Sure It’s Official

Overall, the pet care agreement contracts can include whatever information you may find useful—just make sure that your client understands all of your business policies and expectations. The purpose is to make sure that you and the client are both on the same page, and to ensure that appointments run smoothly. Once you have your pet care contract finalized, you’re one step closer to signing on new clients!

Pet care contracts and agreements are great, but they might not be enough, so you’ll want to make sure that your business is covered with the right insurance policy! Pet Care Insurance provides insurance policies for pet sitters, dog walkers, pet groomers, and more. Learn more about Pet Care Insurance here and why more clients are requiring pet sitter insurance.