At Merry Pawpins, our policies are designed to ensure the safety, comfort, and wellbeing of every dog while allowing us to manage appointments fairly for all clients.

By booking an appointment, you agree to the following policies.

To maintain fairness for all clients and manage our schedule efficiently:

Less than 48 hours notice
Cancellations, rescheduling, or appointment changes made within 48 hours of the appointment time will incur a 50% cancellation fee.

No-show appointments
Failure to attend a scheduled appointment without notice will incur a 100% service fee.

Outstanding cancellation or no-show fees must be settled before any future appointments can be made.

Repeated late cancellations or no-shows may result in prepayment requirements or refusal of future bookings.

Our grooming schedule is carefully planned, and late arrivals affect the entire day.

Late drop-off

Clients arriving more than 15 minutes late may have their appointment cancelled.
In this case, the full appointment fee will apply.

If we are able to still accept your dog after 15 minutes, a $20 late take-in fee will be added.

Late pick-up

A $10 fee per 10 minutes will apply for late pick-ups.

Pick-up time will be sent by text message approximately 20–30 minutes before completion.

Please do not arrive more than 10 minutes before your appointment time.

Upon arrival, please text us from the car park and wait for confirmation before bringing your dog inside.

To maintain a clean and safe salon environment, we strongly recommend walking your dog before arrival so they can toilet beforehand.

Dogs that repeatedly toilet excessively during grooming may incur additional cleaning fees.

Owners must inform us of any medical conditions, injuries, allergies, or health concerns prior to grooming.

Dogs must be fit and healthy for grooming.

Grooming elderly, anxious, or medically compromised dogs is performed at the owner's risk.

In the event of a medical emergency, Merry Pawpins is authorised to contact the nearest veterinarian and approve necessary treatment if the owner cannot be reached.

Any veterinary costs incurred will be the responsibility of the owner.

Owners must inform us of any behavioural issues, including aggression, anxiety, or sensitivity to grooming.

Dogs that display aggressive or unsafe behaviour may require:

• additional handling fees
• the use of a muzzle
• early termination of the grooming session

If a dog becomes unsafe to groom, the owner may be asked to collect their dog immediately and full grooming charges may still apply.

The safety of our staff and all dogs in the salon is our priority.

Severely matted coats can cause significant discomfort and skin problems for dogs.

For the welfare of the dog, heavily matted coats will not be brushed out, as this can cause unnecessary pain.
Instead, the coat will be clipped short to safely remove the matting.

Owners should understand that:

• Removing matted coats may reveal pre-existing skin conditions, sores, parasites, or irritation that were hidden beneath the mats.
• Because the clip must often be performed very close to the skin, dogs may experience temporary redness, irritation, clipper rash, or sensitivity after grooming.
• These reactions are a result of the matting condition and not caused by negligence.

In severe cases, nicks, irritation, or minor skin abrasions may occur despite extreme care.

Additional time and care are required to groom matted dogs, therefore extra charges will apply depending on the severity of the matting.

By booking a grooming appointment, owners acknowledge and accept these risks when matting is present.

We accept all major credit cards.

Prices may vary depending on:

• coat condition
• matting
• behaviour
• grooming time required

Prices are subject to change without prior notice.

Merry Pawpins reserves the right to refuse or discontinue service if:

• a dog poses a safety risk
• the owner's behaviour is inappropriate
• salon policies are repeatedly not respected

Our priority is to maintain a safe, calm, and respectful environment for our staff, dogs, and clients.

We recommend that you arrive at the salon 5 minutes earlier than your appointment time, and it is best to walk near the salon for dogs that need to use the toilet before entering the salon.