Booking & Payment Policies 

We firmly believe that pet care should always be highly professional, completely dependable, and entirely stress-free — not just for your beloved pets, but for you as well. To help us maintain a well-structured and carefully organized schedule, while ensuring our services remain consistently reliable and seamlessly efficient, we kindly require prepayment for all bookings to streamline the process.

Booking & Payments

We firmly believe that professional pet care should be dependable, stress-free, and seamless — not just for your beloved pets, but for you as well. To ensure we deliver on that promise every time, we have structured our Booking & Payment Policy with fairness, transparency, and reliability as our guiding principles.

Why We Require Pre-Payment

When you book a service with PAWsome Companions, we reserve specific dates and times exclusively for your pet. This means:

• Your time slot is guaranteed — once booked, we do not overbook or double-book, ensuring your pet receives focused, personalized care.
• Our team is scheduled with your pet in mind — care providers block off their calendars to be available for your services, often turning down other opportunities for the same date and time.
• We can plan logistics confidently — staffing, route planning, supplies, and caregiver preparation all depend on confirmed bookings.

Requiring pre-payment allows us to professionally manage our schedule, maintain consistency for all clients, and protect our small business from last-minute cancellations and no-shows that could otherwise compromise service quality and availability. Collecting payment ahead of time is a standard practice in the pet care industry — similar to boarding, grooming, and specialized services — and it supports smooth operations and dependable pet care. 

Deposit Requirements & Balance Payments

To reserve your service dates:

• A 50% deposit is required at the time of booking.

• This deposit is applied toward your total balance.

Remaining balance:

• The remaining 50% balance is due no later than 72 hours before your first scheduled service.

• If payment is not received by then, your reservation is subject to cancellation, and the deposit may be forfeited in accordance with our Cancellation Policy.

Flexible options for long-term planning:

If you’re booking more than (6) months in advance, you may choose to split your deposit for added convenience:

1. A deposit of 25% is required at the time of booking.
2. An additional 25% payment is due 60 days later.
3. The remaining 50% balance must be paid 72 hours prior to the start of your services.

Payment Methods We Accept

💳 All major Credit & Debit Cards (processed via Square)

🏦 Zelle (preferred)

📱 Venmo

💶 Cash App

🧾 Checks (with prior approval)

💲 Apple Pay

💵 Original Cash

Please Note:

With the exception of Zelle, cash and checks (so long as they are not returned), a 3.5% + 0.10 processing fee will be added to your invoice total.

Deposit Terms

• All deposits are non-refundable as cash unless canceled within our cancellation policy guidelines.

• Deposits may be credited toward future services in accordance with our Cancellation Policy — we work with you whenever possible to reschedule.

• Deposits act as your commitment to your booked dates and ensure your sitter reserves that time exclusively for you and your pet.  

Late Payments

• All balances must be paid no later than 72 hours prior to services to confirm your reservation and final scheduling.
• A $15 late fee will be added to any unpaid balance after the due date.
• Unpaid balances may result in paused or canceled services until payment is received.
• Clients with repeated late payments may be required to prepay in full for future bookings.

💡 Example:

• Book Today for Next Month:
  → Pay 50% now and the remaining 50% (3) days before your services begin
• Book Today for Next Summer:
  → Pay 25% now, followed by 25% (60) days later, and the final 50% (3) days before your pet's first visit

Why We Require Prepayment

At the core of our mission is a genuine passion for pet care, but it is also a professional service that requires meticulous planning, dedicated time, and the commitment of our skilled team. When you book with us, we reserve those specific dates and hours exclusively for you and your beloved pets. In the pet care industry, upfront payment is a common practice—whether for daycare, training, boarding, or other services. This approach fosters fairness, transparency, and reliability for everyone involved. By requiring prepayment, we can:

• Secures your spot. When you make a reservation, that specific time is prepared just for your pet, ensuring they receive our full attention. We never double-book appointments or overcrowd our schedule, allowing us to concentrate on delivering the highest quality service tailored to your pet’s individual needs.
• Ensures fairness and consistency. Our policy is designed to avoid sudden cancellations that could disrupt the availability for other clients who depend on our services.
• Maintains reliable services. Prepayment is essential for us to plan effectively, aligning schedules to match the ideal team with your pet. This preparation guarantees we are ready to provide the highest standard of care, specially suited to your pet’s unique needs.
• Supports a community-driven small business. Cancellations, no-shows, and unpaid services can significantly affect a small team like ours. By requiring prepayment, we can confidently commit our time, energy, and resources to consistently delivering exceptional, dependable care for every client, without compromise.

We deeply value the trust you place in us and take every scheduled appointment seriously. Prepayment enables us to uphold the high standards of care, attention, and reliability that PAWsome Companions is recognized for throughout Ventura and Los Angeles Counties.

Our Commitment to You

Prepayment allows us to concentrate on what truly matters—providing exceptional, personalized, and reliable care for your cherished pets, ensuring their happiness and well-being at every step. It ensures that each client receives our undivided attention, that every sitter is fairly and ethically compensated, and that every pet experiences consistent, Fear-Free care, thoughtfully tailored to meet their unique preferences. By prepaying, you actively support our unwavering commitment to excellence: delivering focused, uninterrupted attention, compassionate individualized care, and dedicated time to each pet under our care. This crucial step helps us stay organized, fully prepared, and maintain a high professional standard, ensuring you receive the consistent, quality service you expect from PAWsome Companions every time.

Thank you for your understanding, trust, and for supporting a passionate local business that takes immense pride in treating every pet with the same love, care, and respect we would extend to our own cherished family members.

Cancellation & Rescheduling Policy

We understand that plans can change. Because we reserve specific dates and times exclusively for your pet and schedule our caregivers in advance, the following policies helps protect our team’s time while ensuring fairness and consistency for all clients.

Deposit Policy (Important)

All booking deposits are non-refundable as cash. Deposits secure your reserved dates and are applied toward your total service cost. When proper notice is given, deposits may be credited toward future services, in accordance with the guidelines below.

Standard Cancellations

Non-Holiday Bookings

• Cancellations made 5 or more days before the first scheduled service
  → Deposit may be credited toward future services (no cash refunds).
• Cancellations made fewer than 5 days before the first scheduled service
  → Deposit is forfeited.

Holiday & Peak-Demand Bookings

Holiday and peak dates require advanced staffing and often result in turning away multiple clients.

• Cancellations made 8 or more days before the first scheduled service
  → A portion of the deposit may be credited toward future services, at our discretion.
• Cancellations made fewer than 8 days before the first scheduled service
  → Deposit is fully forfeited.
• All holiday deposits are non-refundable as cash.
• Full payment is required in advance for holiday bookings.
• Canceling a holiday reservation forfeits all payments made.

Same-Day Cancellations & No-Shows

• Same-day cancellations or failure to provide home access are charged 100% of the scheduled service rate.
• No refunds or credits are issued for same-day cancellations or no-shows.

Mid-Booking Cancellations

If a multi-day booking has already begun:

• Services already completed are non-refundable.
• Any remaining scheduled services canceled mid-booking are non-refundable.

Rescheduling

• Reschedule requests must be submitted as soon as possible.
• With sufficient advance notice, we will make every reasonable effort to apply your deposit toward new dates, subject to availability.
• Rescheduling requests made close to the service date may be treated as a cancellation and subject to the applicable cancellation policy.

Emergencies

We understand that unexpected situations can arise. If an emergency occurs, please contact us as soon as possible. While policies must remain consistent, we always strive to approach these situations with care and understanding.

Why These Policies Exist