Type of animal(s)

Little Dolittle provides a boarding service for the following animals:

• Amphibian

• Degu

• Ferret

• Gerbil

• Guinea pig

• Hamster

• Insect

• Mouse

• Rat

• Tortoise

 

Enclosures and equipment

For guinea pigs

 

Little Dolittle provides:

• Indoor hutches/C&C cages

• Outdoor runs​

• Substrate/bedding

• Food bowls

• Water dispensers

• Hideouts

• Fruit, vegetables, hay and wild plants

 

Customer provides:

• Dry food

• Toys

• Sturdy pet carrier

 

For tortoises 

 

Little Dolittle provides:

• Indoor tortoise runs​

• Outdoor tortoise runs

• Heating/lighting

• Substrate

• Food bowls

• Water bowls

• Hideouts

• Fruit, vegetables and wild plants

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Customer provides:

• Dry food

• Toys

• Supplements, including calcium powder, cuttlefish, etc (if appropriate)

• Sturdy pet carrier

 

For other small animals

 

Little Dolittle provides:

• Fruit, vegetables, hay, natural treats and wild plants

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Customer provides:

• Suitable secure enclosure/cage

• Changeable substrate/bedding (wood shavings, shredded paper, etc)

• Food bowl

• Water bowl/dispenser

• Dry/live/frozen food

• Toys/hideouts

• Special heating/lighting (if appropriate)

• Supplements, including calcium powder, cuttlefish, etc (if appropriate)

• Sturdy pet carrier

 

Little Dolittle cannot be held liable for costs relating to damage to cages, vivariums, other animal enclosures, accessories (such as lighting, etc). If lighting or heating provided by the customer stops working then Little Dolittle will do its best to replace the item but the cost must be reimbursed by the owner on their return.

 

Food

Little Dolittle will supply fresh water, hay, fruit, vegetables and plants but we ask customers to supply a sufficient quantity of their pet’s own dried/frozen/live food (to avoid upset tummies). If Little Dolittle has to buy more dried/frozen/live food then this will be charged to the customer.

 

Booking

A completed booking form and pet registration form is required for each booking if you are a new customer. If an existing customer requests boarding then unless the information already held by Little Dolittle is confirmed as still correct by the customer, a booking form/pet registration form will need to be completed and submitted to Little Dolittle. Little Dolittle operates a minimum stay of 3 nights.

 

Payment

We request full payment in cash or by online banking prior to the start of the booking, at the latest the day before the booking starts. For first-time customers of Little Dolittle we request a deposit of £20 to be paid within 7 days of making the booking. This will secure the booking which is refundable on cancellation up to 2 weeks before the start of the booking. For first-time customers who book at short notice, we request full payment to secure the booking. If you collect your pet(s) earlier than the agreed dates (without prior arrangement) you will need to pay the full boarding fee regardless of collecting early.

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• We charge for the full day if you drop off before 12pm

• We charge for the full day if you collect after 12pm

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Our rates are based on a daily charge by type of animal. The rates also include a free weight check at the beginning of their stay and a free weight check, wellbeing check and nail trimming at the end of their stay.

Little Dolittle offers a number of chargeable additional services for guinea pigs during their boarding stay with us (ear cleaning, boar cleaning, grease glands cleaning, bathing) which are discounted at 50% compared to non-boarders.

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We do not have the facilities to accept payment by debit/credit card.

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Cancellation/Amendment

We would appreciate as much notice as possible if you need to cancel your booking.

14 days or more before start of booking – any deposit/booking fee paid is returned to customer.

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7 – 13 days before start of booking – 50% of any monies paid is returned to customer.

Less than 7 days – full payment is to be paid to Little Dolittle.

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If you are delayed for any reason and need extra nights of boarding, we will do all we can to accommodate your pets. Any extra nights are charged at our normal daily rate and payable on collection of your pet.

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Arrival and departure times

We are open for arrival and departure of your pet(s) via appointment Monday to Saturday between 10:30am – 6pm. If these times are not suitable, please let us know and we can try and arrange another time. We are closed for arrivals and departures on Sundays, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. We would ask you to drop off/collect your pet(s) at the pre-arranged time. Please notify us as soon as possible if you need to change your arrival/departure time. If you do not collect your pet(s) on the agreed date, you will be charged for any extra nights at the daily rate.

 

If you are having your pet collected by someone other than the owner, please let us know in advance.

 

Health and Welfare

Pre-existing medical conditions, including pregnancy, must be disclosed prior to boarding. We take no responsibility if your pet(s) falls pregnant whilst in our care.

 

We are unable to board injured animals or an animal with a contagious condition which may cross contaminate other boarders.

 

We request owners to provide Little Dolittle with full information of behavioural, dietary and special needs/requirements upon booking. If your pet needs veterinary assistance whilst in our care we will inform you or your emergency contact immediately.

 

Any veterinary fees incurred during their stay must be reimbursed to Little Dolittle by the customer at the end of the booking. We promise to take great care of your pet(s) whilst they are with us. Sadly, small animals can pass away with very little warning and very quickly after showing signs of illness. We cannot accept any liability if your pet becomes ill or passes away whilst with us.

 

We spot clean daily all of our enclosures and ensure hutches/runs/enclosures are deep-cleaned using F10 (as recommended by vets) between each visit.

 

Some of our pets will receive daily exercise in outdoor runs (depending on weather) which will be secure.

 

We always transport your pet to/from the outdoor run using a suitable pet carrier.

 

Should any of your bonded pets need to be separated due to illness, there will be no charge for the additional accommodation.

 

Customers must advise Little Dolittle before their pet’s stay if they do not wish their pets to have access to outside space.

 

We would ask our customers to ensure they have their own suitable pet carrier to avoid unnecessary stress or injury whilst travelling to/from Little Dolittle.

 

If your pets need separating due to them fighting, we will make every effort to provide good separate accommodation but you may be liable for additional boarding fees.

 

Animal welfare is our primary concern and we will always act in your pet’s best interests.

 

Medications/Veterinary Treatment

If your pet is on any medication, please bring this with you and let us know about this on the pet registration form. Little Dolittle will be happy to administer medication (if prescribed by a vet) during their stay. Please note, however, Little Dolittle cannot administer injections. Please ensure you bring sufficient quantity of the medication to cover the duration of their stay.

 

As part of the booking, we ask customers to supply the name and contact details of their usual vet’s practice. If your pet requires veterinary treatment during their stay, we will make contact with you or your nominated emergency contact as soon as possible. If the customer is unable to provide vet’s details, then Little Dolittle will use the services of their own vet’s practice. By accepting our Terms and Conditions, you agree to any vet costs incurred by your pet, including round-trip mileage to/from the vets.

 

Health and Safety/Legal

Any pet owners on Little Dolittle premises are requested to take care during their visit and follow any health and safety signage on site to avoid trips and accidents.

 

Little Dolittle will not provide a boarding service for an animal which is overly aggressive and therefore may be a danger to Little Dolittle staff.

 

Little Dolittle are fully insured, details available on request.

 

The boarding of small animals does not currently require a licence. All animals are left with Little Dolittle at their owner’s risk.

 

Children

If you bring children when dropping off/collecting your pet, it is the owner’s responsibility to keep them away from other animals that may be boarding with us, to protect your child from injury by an animal and to protect the animals from being scared or hurt by a child.

 

Data Protection

All personal data will be kept securely in paper format or on a password protected computer. Information will not be passed to third parties and only used for the purpose of arranging bookings and providing pet updates throughout their stay. You may request your data to be deleted from our records at any time.

 

Abandoned Pet(s)

In the event of an animal not being collected within 7 days of the due collection date, Little Dolittle reserves the right to re-home the animal. Any fees incurred as a result of the re-homing process, plus the fees for the extended stay with Little Dolittle, will be payable in full by the owner.

 

Social Media/Website

We regularly share pictures/videos of boarding pets on our social media pages and/or website. We ask all customers to let us know via our booking form if they would prefer that we do not share pictures/videos of their pets.

 

Keeping you updated

We are happy to send you regular updates on your pet(s). We know they are a big part of your family and you miss them. We can do this either via WhatsApp, Messenger or email.

 

Webcams

These are available free of charge. We cannot guarantee connectivity and we reserve the right to remove the cameras and access at any time. Webcam codes and access details must not be shared with anyone apart from the pet’s owner.

 

COVID-19

At Little Dolittle we take COVID-19 risks very seriously and would request all visitors to maintain a social distance and to remain outdoors, wherever possible. We are currently arranging drop-offs and collections in our front garden/driveway. Your pet should be held in a secure pet carrier for us to collect and return to you at a safe distance.