Policies

Below are some of our general guidelines that help Small World Pet Sitters run as smoothly as possible.

Meet-n-Greet

A meet-n-greet will be scheduled for all new clients. This will involve us coming to your home, meeting you and your pet(s) and going over the worksheet that specifically chronicles your pets’ needs and care. We will provide you with a vet release and contract specifying the start and end dates of the pet visits, what services will be provided and the cost. We require two sets of keys to ensure that both Ann and Boni will have access to your home. One set of keys will be used for service, the second set locked up for emergencies.

Keep in mind, setting up a meet-n-greet can take up to a week to set up. If you are a new customer and a meet-n-greet is required less than 5 days before our first scheduled visit there will be an additional fee. Please inquire.

We will wear a mask at the meet-n-greet and we ask the pet parent to wear one as well. Thank you!

Availability

We provide service seven days a week. Visits are always based upon availability. Our office hours are Monday- Friday 9am-5pm.

Holidays

Holiday pet care fills up very quickly. To ensure your holiday pet care needs it is best to email for service at least one month prior to the holiday and your departure date.

A $15 per visit surcharge will be applied on the following holidays: Easter, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, and New Years Day.

Visits

While you are away for an extended stay, we can make as many visits per day to your pets as needed. However, we must be able to visit your cat(s) at least once during each 24-hour period to ensure your pet gets the care required. We suggest that you schedule a visit on the day of your return if you are returning after 3pm. If you are delayed please let us know by 11am the day of your return so that we can schedule another visit.

For cats that need two visits a day, the morning visit occurs between 7am and 10am and the evening visit occurs between 4pm and 7pm. Both visits are based upon availability.

We are unable to share pet sitting responsibilities with others during your time away. This means your neighbor or relative can not do visits when we are caring for your pet. This is in the best interest of your pets and will help assure they get the most consistent care possible.

Supplies in the Home

Please have enough food for your pets to last the duration of your time away plus a two-day supply should you be delayed in returning home. Other supplies to have stocked are litter, paper towels (to clean up pet messes) and medications. If we have to purchase needed supplies we will charge based on the location of the store in addition to the cost of the products.

Emergency Situations

In an emergency we will make every effort to contact you first. Should your pet become ill while you are away we will take your pet to your vet as stated on the vet release or to one that is more local to the neighborhood. If the emergency occurs after normal vet office hours we will go to one of the two emergency animal hospitals in Brooklyn. We hope this never happens but should this occur, you will be charged at the rate of $50 per hour.

If an emergency occurs in your apartment while you are away we will contact you immediately. If we are unable to contact you we will call the emergency contact you provided and attempt to contact the super and the management company to address the problem. Examples of such problems include a leak from another apartment, the front door lock breaks or the refrigerator dies. We will charge an additional $50 an hour for this service. As stated in the release, Small World Pet Sitters is not responsible for damage to your apartment which may occur in your absence.

Keys

We will pick up and drop off your keys at no cost for first time pet visits. Two sets of keys are required and picked up at the meet and greet for the duration of your pet care needs. For all subsequent bookings, we can keep the keys locked up on file. If you do not wish for us to keep the keys on file then a key pick up and key return will each have a surcharge of $25. For your security, the keys will be tagged with the pet’s name ONLY. We do not have key drop off or pick up at our home and we do not leave keys behind at the last visit in a home where the door locks automatically. Last minute requests are more challenging for us to accommodate if we do not have the keys on file.

Cancellations

Extended Pet Care Bookings

***Small World Pet Sitters will no longer honor Covid-19 related cancellations as of May 31, 2022. Please refer to regular and holiday cancellation policies below.***

We understand that plans change, whether it is vacation, holiday or business trips. That is why we make every attempt to work with our clients when this occurs. However, we adhere to a strict policy of not overbooking clients. Once you have contracted our services, we will turn away business in order to accommodate your schedule.

Cancellations made within 4 days of the first day of service, not including the first day of service will be charged 100% of the entire reservation.

Once a pet care reservation has started there are no refunds or credits for future visits given for early returns, as we cannot rebook your services and our employees are still paid.

Holidays

Cancellation fees are strictly imposed during the holiday season and differ from non-holiday periods.

If you decide to cancel in 14 days prior to your first day of service, not including the first day of service, you will be charged 50% of the entire booking fee. If you decide to cancel in 7 days or less, not including the first day of service, you will be charged the full amount for the reservation. In addition any visit cancelled after 12pm the day before the scheduled visits begin, you will be charged in full.

Holidays include: Easter, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, and New Years Day.

A $15 per visit surcharge will be applied to all visits that fall on the following holidays: Easter, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, and New Years Day.

Your Pets

To ensure we give your pet the best care possible, as well as the other pets we visit on the same day, we cannot care for cats you are fostering from rescue centers. Some cats that are rescued and put in temporary foster homes to be assessed and socialized may be ill and we do not want to risk passing that illness on to other pets.

We accept checks, cash and Zelle

All services are subject to NY State Sales Tax (8.875%)