WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BRINGING YOUR DOG TO CITY DOGS
All references in this document are to Star City Dogs LLC, Roanoke VA and these policies are for the benefit of City Dogs and its managers and employees.
These policies are subject to change without notice and they will remain available to our clients online. A PDF copy may be downloaded here.
WHEN YOUR DOG COMES TO CITY DOGS
LEASHED PETS
For the safety of everyone, all dogs are required to enter and exit the facility on-leash. Remember, your dog may be friendly, but we may have other dogs in the lobby that have not been assessed yet.
VACCINATIONS
All dogs that attend City Dogs must be at least 16 weeks old and have completed their puppy vaccine series including rabies. All dogs must remain current on Rabies, Distemper/Parvo and Bordetalla vaccines while attending City Dogs. The Rabies vaccine is required on all dogs by law and dogs will not be admitted to City Dogs if their Rabies vaccine is expired even by just one day. While the law does not require the Distemper/Parvo and Bordetella vaccines, City Dogs requires that any dog attending our facility is current on these vaccines and we reserve the right to deny admission to any dog if these vaccines are not current. Please be aware that the Bordetella vaccine takes several days to be effective, so we recommend that dogs receive their vaccines at least 7 days before attending City Dogs. Also note that some dogs can exhibit symptoms of Canine Cough or Bordetella from receiving the vaccine.
It is your responsibility to bring your dog’s vaccination records from a licensed veterinarian at enrollment and each time your dog’s vaccines are renewed. Vaccines that are not administered by a veterinarian cannot be accepted because we cannot confirm the proper dosage, storage, and administration of those vaccines. For privacy reasons, most veterinarians in the area will not provide vaccines directly to City Dogs unless the client is making the request. Therefore, you will need to be responsible for ensuring that we receive current vaccine records for your dog. If you are unsure if we have your dog’s current vaccine records on file, you can email, text or call us.
FOOD
We request that your dog bring their own food so as not to cause tummy upset or diarrhea. This is especially important if your dog is on a special diet or has food allergies. We have a refrigerator to store any wet food. There is no need to individually bag meals as long as you provide us with detailed feeding instructions at check in. In the event that you do not bring food, we have high quality, Diamond Naturals food for $1 per cup. This can be paid at pick up.
MEDICATIONS
If your dog is taking any medications, be sure to bring them in the original bottle. This is a state requirement and it ensures that we can provide accurate information to a veterinarian in the event of an emergency. You should provide clear written instructions for administering your dog’s medications with the bottles. City Dogs does not charge an additional fee for administering medications.
OWNERSHIP
We typically recommend that you have owned your dog for at least 30 days before they participate in group play. This allows them time to settle in to their new environment before introducing them to a group play environment.
RISKS
While we strive to achieve a safe environment for all dogs at City Dogs, we cannot prevent accidents, injuries, illnesses or changes in behavior. You must accept our Boarding and Playcare Release of Liability before bring your dog(s) to City Dogs.
If your dog is boarding or in our dog play groups, there are opportunities for your dog to interact with other dogs in the facility and not all types of interactions can be prevented. Dogs in a play group will be supervised at all times; however, City Dogs cannot prevent or control all incidents that may occur. Dogs will sometimes play roughly, and your dog may return home with scratches, abrasions, and/or minor bites. Dogs who exhibit any aggressive behavior will immediately be removed from the play group and will not be allowed to return unless owner agrees that dog will remain segregated from other dogs at all times. City Dogs is an all-breed facility and we do not breed discriminate.
Dogs not regularly socialized may exhibit atypical behavior, such as acting out, aggression, or biting. Dogs may also become dirty while playing. Some dogs, even when boarded with housemates, may react atypically. Sometimes altercations and fights can occur, even among housemates. All attempts will be made to prevent such behavior. Dogs that dig, chew on fencing or walls, or exhibit obsessive compulsive behavior (licking, barking, pacing) may injure themselves. City Dogs will not be held liable for injury resulting from such behavior. Owner assumes responsibility and will pay for damages to persons, pets, and/or property done by their pet(s) while on City Dogs property.
HEALTH CONDITIONS
All dogs attending City Dogs must be in overall good health and dogs in group play must be fit to play in an active environment. Dogs that have casts, stiches or medical devices are typically not good candidates for group play as the other dogs will be drawn to and chew on these items. Dogs that have hearing conditions can often be successful in group play, but dogs with vision impairments are generally not comfortable in a group of dogs. If your dog has hip or joint conditions, or other physical conditions, please discuss them with your veterinarian before your dog participates in group play or otherwise attends City Dogs.
Please let us know if your dog has any health issues. We are able to care for many dogs with special health needs, such as special feeding, more frequent bathroom breaks, or mobility issues. There may be an additional fee required. So, if your dog needs special care, be sure to discuss this with one of our managers prior to your dog’s arrival so that we can determine if we will be able to provide the care your dog needs.
ALLERGIES
If your dog has allergies of any type, it is your responsibility to ensure that the staff at City Dogs is aware of these allergies and the protocols to follow in the event of a reaction. If your dog has any food allergies, it is important to bring your dog’s own food.
ILLNESSES AND HEALTH CONCERNS
Information on common illnesses, as well as general health and safety concerns, can be found here.
Please keep the safety of others in mind. If your dog is showing any signs of illness, such as coughing, vomiting, or diarrhea, make sure they see a veterinarian so they can receive proper treatment. Do not bring your dog to City Dogs or allow them to be around other dogs until your veterinarian says it is okay to do so.
We take every dog’s health seriously. We clean and disinfect each run every morning, the floors and walls of the play areas are continually wiped and mopped during the day with a safe and biodegradable cleaner made specifically for kennels and veterinary hospitals, and a full cleaning of the play areas is completed each night, regardless of how many dogs have visited.
If we suspect your dog has symptoms, we will not allow them into our facility. If they are already in the facility and it is not an emergency, we will isolate them immediately and contact you to pick them up as soon as possible. If it is an emergency situation, we will immediately take them to the veterinarian of record or to the local emergency vet clinic, and contact you right away. If your dog is boarding with us and you are unable to pick them up, we will make every effort to contact you but will waste no time in transporting them to the vet, if medical attention is deemed necessary.
Just as when you send a child to school, dogs can get colds, coughs, stomach bugs and other contagious diseases. And just as your child’s school would not pay a doctor’s bill if your child gets sick at school, City Dogs does not pay vet bills if your dog becomes ill while at our facility.
ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES
Dogs will be separated into play groups based on various criteria including activity level, age, physical fitness, size, and/or demeanor.
No known aggressive dogs will be permitted to attend, but sometimes altercations and fights will break out, even among docile dogs. Just as a school or sports team cannot prevent injuries for children who attend school or play sports, City Dogs cannot prevent every injuries or accident although every attempt will be made to do so.
While accidents and injuries can occur at any time, there is a greater risk of an accident or injury if a dog participates in group play. Our group play is well staffed and we always have staff on hand certified by Pet Tech, but working with live animals that can be unpredictable. Dogs play with their mouths/teeth and paws/nails and can sometimes play hard enough to receive puncture wounds or cuts, scratches, broken nails, sore paw pads, sprains or other injuries in group play. While our staff checks over all canine guests daily, small punctures and cuts can sometimes happen without our awareness and can be missed during body check. Any time your dog has participated in group play, it is wise to look them over once at home. Even a small cut or puncture can become infected or cause more serious issues if not cleaned and properly cared for, so we advise everyone to closely check your dog for any cuts or scratches and to ensure that they receive the proper care.
BEHAVIORAL ISSUES
EMERGENCIES
If any injury or medical problem develops while your dog is in the care of City Dogs, City Dogs is authorized to do whatever is deemed necessary for the safety, health and well-being of your dog and others, and you agree to allow us to authorize reasonable treatment until you can be reached.
RESERVATIONS
City Dogs continues to accept drop-ins by current customers for Playcare; however, we do require reservations for any overnight stays.
When you make a reservation, you will receive a confirmation of your request via email. We allocate our rooms / suites on a first come, first served basis. If we do not have availability, we will post to our Facebook page / Twitter (which appears in a feed on our online Boarding Reservation page).
If you need to cancel a reservation, it is as simple as sending us a text or an email. We ask that you be considerate and cancel when you cannot use your reservation. We are often full and no-shows keep us from offering space to other customers on our waiting list.
BOARDING PACKAGES
Unused portions of our boarding and playcare packages are always refundable.
PAYMENTS
Payment is due in full at the time services are provided.
Our prices are listed and explained here. It is your responsibility to make sure that you understand our charges prior to boarding your dog. City Dogs does not allow clients to defer payment beyond the time you pick up your dog. If someone else will be picking up your dog, you may leave a card on file, pay via phone or pay in advance.
We accept cash, credit and debit cards. The cards we accept are Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover – chip and non-chip cards. We cannot break bills of $50 or greater. Unfortunately, we can no longer accept personal checks.
HOURS OF OPERATION
Regular hours of operation are found here. Once our facility closes for the day, drop off and pick up of dogs ceases. All dogs must be picked up as scheduled, within business hours, unless prior arrangements have been made.
If no contact is made by the owner for pick-up, your dog will be boarded for a period not to exceed one week. The owner will be responsible for all charges. City Dogs will consider the dog abandoned after one week. At that time City Dogs may, at City Dogs discretion, relocate the dog to a local shelter or rescue organization.