Policies and Procedures

General Information

Location: 2845 Verot School Road Lafayette, Louisiana 70508

Phone Number: (337) 706-9001

Business Hours: Monday thru Friday 6:30am to 6:30pm, Saturday 7:00am to 12:00pm, & Sunday 9:00am to 10:00am & 3:00pm to 6:00pm (Sunday- pick up/drop off only).

Holidays: We are open for boarding during holidays. There is no daycare or pickup/drop off services available on major holidays including New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

Emergency:In case of emergency, your dog will be transported to the Vet’s office you provide in the profile. In case of emergency on the weekend, after hours, or if your vet is not available, your dog will be transported to Companion Animal Hospital located at 729 E Broussard Rd, Lafayette, La 70508 or the nearest 24 hour vet clinic. The Doghouse is not responsible for any vet bills accrued and the pet owner will be responsible for all charges incurred.

Procedures

Age, Health, and Vaccination Requirements:

• The Doghouse, LLC welcomes dogs of all activity levels, and we will work with your dog to help him or her adjust to the daycare setting. To ensure the safety and wellbeing of the dogs, dogs must be at least 4 months old to join the daycare and have been owned by their owner for at least 7 days. We require that all dogs aged 6 months and up are spayed/neutered. However, please be aware that unspayed/unneutered dogs will be separated from the daycare groups. We are able to accommodate senior dogs and special needs dogs who may have special health or behavioral needs. If your senior and/or special needs dog is not comfortable in the daycare setting, we offer a variety of areas in our facility where your dog can spend the day, and we will work with you to find a situation suitable to your dog’s needs.
• The Doghouse, LLC requires all dogs to be up to date on their rabies, DHPP, and Bordetella vaccines as well as be on a flea/tick prevention. We also require a negative fecal test. We reserve the right to deny admission to any dog if their vaccines are not current. We will ask for a copy of your dog’s vaccination records on your first day. Please provide us with updated records as the old ones expire. The Doghouse, LLC will only accept vaccination records from a licensed vet. Owner will not enroll any dog that has any condition that could potentially jeopardize the health of other dogs or people. Also, Owner will not enroll any dog who has had any potentially communicable condition within 30 days of enrollment.
• Please let us know if your dog has any health issues that would impact his or her stay with us. Examples include injuries, recent surgery/stitches, skin conditions, illness, history of seizures, allergies, etc. We will do our best to accommodate any special health needs your dog may have.
• Please do not bring your dog to daycare if he or she is showing signs of illness. Symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, rashes, coughing, or discharge from the eyes or nose may indicate an illness that could be contagious to other dogs. If your dog shows signs of illness while at daycare, we will remove him or her from the pack to a quiet area, and then alert you or your emergency contact. Your dog’s health and safety at our daycare is of the utmost important to us. In the course of playtime with other dogs throughout the day, minor injuries such as scrapes or bumps may occur. In the event that your dog becomes sick or injured during the day, our staff will assist him or her immediately to ensure his or her safety. We will then contact you, or your emergency contact, to alert you of the situation.

• Stress can be reduced by regular visits to maintain familiarity and comfort in the boarding environment. Stress and being in close quarters with other dogs increase the risk of disease transmission and it is not uncommon for boarding dogs to contract minor illness consisting of upper respiratory infection (kennel cough), gastrointestinal disorder such as vomiting or diarrhea, loss of appetite and weight loss. The Doghouse cannot guarantee that your dog will not become ill while in our care.
• Owners are responsible for keeping their dog(s) flea and tick free.If a dog is found to have fleas and/or ticks, The Doghouse will attempt to contact you regarding options, and the dog will be placed in isolation until picked up for the day.

Collars/ Leash:

• All dogs are required to wear a collar and leash upon arrival for the safety of our staff, customers, visitors, and other dogs on the facility.

Check in/Check out:

• ID is required to check in and check out your dog. Dogs will only be released to the owner or to the persons identified prior to pick up by the owner via written and signed documentation.

Food and medication:

• Food is not given for daycare attendees unless arrangements are previously made. We highly recommend that you bring your dog(s) own food when boarding, however it is not required. Switching food can cause digestion issues, however, we have an in-house food for an additional price. Please bring food in a container with lid or in Ziplock’s. If your dog is staying with us for a long period of time, please bring full bag of food. We recommend you bring extra food in case your plans change. If your dog runs out of food, we will feed them our in-house food (for an additional cost) unless other arrangements are made. All food and medications must be labeled with your dog’s first and last names.
• Medications must be in original packaging with prescribed instructions included. We do not administer injections.

Behavior:

• All dogs must be non-aggressive and not food or toy possessive. The Doghouse reserves the right to reward good behavior with treats and modifies undesirable behavior using a “time out”. A “time out” is supervised confinement on the daycare floor or off of the daycare floor in a room or crate. The Doghouse reserves the right to remove or dismiss any dog from daycare if they injure another dog or person or become too difficult to manage in the daycare environment. Dogs must pass a temperament test to make sure they are a good fit in the daycare setting.

Play and Rest:

• Dogs will play most of the day in a cageless, indoor/outdoor environment. Dogs will be given breaks from the daycare floor throughout the day as needed. Full day daycare dogs may receive up to 2 hours of rest, half day daycare dogs may receive up to an hour of rest.

Payment/ Packages/ Reservations/ Cancellations:

• Owner agrees that if Owner’s dog(s) is/are not picked up by closing time of 6:30pm central time, then Owner hereby authorizes a late fee or overnight boarding appropriate for dog(s) and will pay The Doghouse for applicable overnight boarding charge plus any charge for required food.
• Reservations are not required but are highly encouraged for all services, especially during holidays. Walk-ins are accepted for any service if space is available. When making a boarding reservation, a 50% deposit is due at the time of making the reservation. You will receive an email confirmation when the reservation is made; if you don’t receive an email confirmation, we won’t be able to admit your dog unless we have availability. We require a two-night minimum stay for holidays. Boarding bundles are to be used consecutively. 
• Cancellations of a boarding reservations must be done 72-hours prior to the date of reservation to receive full refund.
• Payments are due and payable at the end of each visit. Boarding reservations require a 50% deposit to secure a spot which is due when making the reservation. Payment may be made by credit card or cash.
• Credit card information is required to make a reservation and the credit card on file will be automatically charged on the day of your dog’s departure. Daycare passes cannot be used to pay for boarding. Daycare fees are required to be rendered at the time of pickup.
• All daycare/boarding prepaid packages expire 12 months after date of purchase. Packages are nonrefundable. Full day packages cannot split into half days. 

Injuries/ Risks:

• Owner acknowledges that there are risks inherent in keeping dogs in daycare/boarding settings, including risks to the health and wellbeing of the dog(s) as well as risks that the dog(s) may harm people, dogs or other property. The Doghouse is not responsible for any injuries or illness your dog may obtain in daycare.

Belongings:

• The Doghouse provides raised beds and bowls for all dogs. Owner’s may bring the dog(s) bedding or toys if you believe they would make your dog feel more comfortable during their stay. We highly encourage that any items brought are marked with the dog’s name. The Doghouse is not responsible for lost/damaged/ missing items and cannot guarantee that your dog’s belongings will be returned to you in the same condition they were received. Please remember that your dog may act differently away from home so they may chew up their bedding while they are away from home. Any bedding or toys brought will not be taken out of their kennel.

Photo & Video Release/ Webcams:

• We love to post pictures and videos on Facebook, Instagram, lobby, the website, and/or in other marketing material. Owner agrees to allow The Doghouse to use Owner’s pet’s name and any images or likeness of Owner’s pet taken while he/she is at The Doghouse, in any form, for use at any time, in any media, marketing, advertising, illustration, trade or promotional materials without compensation, and Owner releases to The Doghouse all rights that Owner may possess or claim to such image, likeness, recording, etc.
• We have webcams throughout our facility to monitor the activity of our daycare and boarding dogs. If your dog is staying in one of our Lux kennels, you will be provided access to the webcam in their kennel.

Abandoned Dogs:

• Dogs considered abandoned (dogs left without proper arrangements and payment for such arrangement) will be placed with local rescue groups to find a suitable and loving home. Owner understands and agrees that if Owner abandons their dog(s), Owner may be unable to retrieve possession of dog and will have no recourse against The Doghouse.