The Fine Print

OFFICE HOURS

Monday-Thursday: 9am-3pm
Friday-Sunday: CLOSED
Holidays: CLOSED

Note: Managers are on duty during all scheduled visits.

NEW CLIENT CONSULTATION FEE

    We charge a $25 New Client Consultation Fee. The fee includes:
  • Access to a private client portal account.
  • A personalized meeting with a manager and a team member.
  • Complimentary key pick-up prior to service. (2 full working sets required)
  • Secure coding and safe-keeping of your keys.
  • Ongoing support to ensure we are meeting your expectations for care.
  • Daily electronic reports letting you know how your little one is doing.

GENERAL BOOKING POLICIES

  • The earliest arrival window begins at 8am, and the latest arrival window ends at 6pm.
  • You may request and cancel services using your client portal. A $25 late request fee is applied to those requests submitted after 1pm for the next day, or after 1pm on Thursday for any visits requested for Friday through Monday. Please note that we cannot guarantee availability for late-request scheduling.
  • Should you require a weekend visit, please send in your request no later than 1pm on Thursday.
  • If a sitter arrives at a client’s home and the pet is not present or the sitter is unable to gain entry, the client will be charged for the visit. If Chicago Pet Sitters dispatches a second sitter or manager to visit a client’s home, the client will be charged for the additional visit.
  • If a primary sitter is sick or out of town, Chicago Pet Sitters reserves the right to provide a substitute sitter.
  • If a client does not utilize Chicago Pet Sitters for six months or more, that client will be considered suspended and will be subject to CPS’ availability moving forward.

DOG-SPECIFIC BOOKING POLICIES

  • If a sitter attempts to leash a client’s dog and is unable to due to pet aggression, apprehension, fear, etc., that client will be charged for that visit.
  • Pre-set, recurring dog walks are given a 2-hour arrival window. Ad-hoc visits are available in a variety of arrival windows based on your needs.
  • Pre-set, recurring puppy/senior potty breaks are given a 90-min arrival window, twice per day.
  • For all ad hoc visits, regardless of frequency requested, the specific arrival time may fluctuate and will be determined by the sitter’s schedule. We provide many options for arrival windows if your pet needs more targeted times for care.
  • Clients on pre-set, recurring schedules with three visits per week or more will be offered a set primary sitter. All other visits will be scheduled to any of our qualified staff. You can always view the sitter assigned to a particular visit in the portal.

CAT & CRITTER-SPECIFIC BOOKING POLICIES

  • Chicago Pet Sitters will not accept a reservation with visits taking place every-other-day, every three days, etc., unless you are home during the intermittent days. Visits must take place consecutively throughout the duration of the client’s travel. We do not share care with 3rd parties.
  • We cannot guarantee the same sitter for every trip. While we certainly do our best, scheduling a specific staff member is dependent on availability.

CANCELLATION POLICIES

Our cancellation policy exists to ensure we maintain consistency in schedules for our employees and to compensate for the time required to schedule and prepare for visits. When cancellations are made prior to our deadline, our sitters can make other plans or fit other visits into their schedule, and our company can accommodate the needs of other clients.

  • All visits must be cancelled by 4pm the day prior to avoid a charge. If visits are cancelled after the aforementioned times, the service will be charged in full.
  • Cancellations during holiday dates will be treated differently with deadlines communicated well in advance.

*Cancellation requests submitted after the deadlines described above are considered “late cancellations,” and will be referred to as such in email communication.

HOLIDAY BOOKING

All preset, recurring visits will be cancelled on Chicago Pet Sitters holiday dates. Should you need service on a holiday, please request service in advance. Holiday and ad hoc rates will apply.

Chicago Pet Sitters Holidays Include:

  • Easter
  • Memorial Day
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Thanksgiving
  • Winter Holiday

Specific deadline dates for each holiday will be emailed multiple times prior to each holiday period so you have time to plan accordingly. The approximate schedule of deadlines for reservations, cancellations, changes, and profile updates will be as follows:

Approximately 2 weeks before the first date of a holiday period:

  • Requests made for care within the holiday period incur $15/visit late request fee
  • Cancellations or changes of previously scheduled care within the holiday period incur $25/visit late cancellation fee

Approximately 1 week before the first date of a holiday period:

  • Requests made for care within the holiday period incur $15/visit late request fee
  • Cancellations or changes of previously scheduled care within the holiday period charged at 75% of total price
  • Updates to pet care instructions or access instructions incur $25/update fee (Note: this includes printed instructions left within your home)

We have worked to find a balance that provides the flexibility you need during your holiday planning and the sustainability we need as a small business providing excellent pet care. As a helpful comparison, many pet care companies in Chicago require a minimum of one month notice for reservations, full payment up front, and no refunds for cancellations made within the month before a holiday.

SCHEDULING ADDITIONAL MEET ‘N GREETS

Chicago Pet Sitters cannot guarantee one sitter during your reservation or the same sitter each time you need us. We do our best to ensure all staff members provide the same excellent service while understanding preferences emerge from each sitter’s particular personality.

If you would like to meet the sitter(s) scheduled for your upcoming reservation, you may pay a fee for each additional meet ‘n greet. Please note we may not be able to accommodate this request based on staff availability or time before your reservation.

ADDITIONAL CHARGES

  • There is a $25 charge for all late requests.
  • There is a $7 charge for visits occurring on Saturday or Sunday.
  • After the New Client Consultation, there is a charge for all subsequent Meet ‘n Greets.
  • All invoices for charges from services rendered are automatically charged to the payment method on file. Invoices 14 days past due are subject to a 15% late payment fee.

TERMINATION

  • Client and company can terminate service at anytime.