Policies

• A booking request is not a confirmed appointment. We’ll text you (and email you, if we have your address) once we’ve confirmed the time.
• Prices shown online are a “from” guide. The final price depends on your dog’s size, coat and condition and is confirmed on the day.
• Extra charges may apply for matted coats, fleas, or dogs who need extra time or handling. We’ll always explain any extra charge.
• Please arrive within the drop-off window and bring your dog’s up-to-date vaccination record. If you arrive late we may need to shorten the groom or rebook it, and the full price may still apply.
• We’ll text you when your dog is ready — please collect promptly, as waiting in the salon can be stressful for dogs.
• Payment is due on collection, by cash or card.
• Please give at least 24 hours’ notice to change or cancel — use the manage link in your confirmation, or text 07931 786312. Changes or cancellations inside 24 hours, and missed appointments, may be charged up to half the price of the booked service.
• We may ask for a £20 deposit to secure some bookings, paid online by card. It comes off the final price on the day, and isn’t refundable for missed appointments or changes and cancellations inside 24 hours.

Health and vaccinations

• Dogs must be up to date with their vaccinations. Puppies are welcome once they are fully vaccinated.
• Tell us before the appointment about any health problems, injuries, allergies, lumps or sore areas, so we can take care around them.
• Please let us know if your dog is in season, as other dogs may be in the salon. We don’t groom pregnant dogs.

Behaviour

• Tell us before booking if your dog has ever bitten, or is nervous, reactive or anxious — including about particular things such as nail trims or dryers.
• For your dog’s safety and ours, we may use a muzzle, and we may stop a groom if your dog becomes too stressed.

Matted coats

• Brushing out mats is painful for a dog. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 we must not cause a dog unnecessary suffering, so we limit de-matting to about 15 minutes. If a coat is more matted than that, we will clip it short for your dog’s welfare. By booking you consent to this, and we’ll let you know.
• Clipping a matted coat short can reveal skin problems that were hidden underneath, such as redness, sores, irritation or parasites. The skin may be sensitive or itchy afterwards, and the close clip can occasionally cause small nicks. These are risks of removing mats, not of careless grooming.
• The coat will grow back. Regular brushing and grooming between visits helps avoid matting.

Good to know

• If we find fleas or ticks we may need to use a flea treatment and deep-clean the salon. If there is a heavy infestation we may stop the groom and ask you to collect your dog and rebook once it has been treated.
• Each nail has a blood vessel inside it (the “quick”), which is easy to catch, especially in dark nails or dogs who move during the trim. If a nail bleeds, we use a styptic powder to stop the bleeding straight away.
• We don’t carry out internal treatments: we don’t express anal glands or clean inside the ear canal. We wipe the outer ear only.
• Your groomer is trained in canine first aid. If your dog is hurt or taken ill during a groom, we will give first aid and contact you and a vet straight away.
• We love to share photos of freshly groomed dogs on our social media. If you’d rather we didn’t post your dog, just tell us.

• Who we are: Raven Dog Grooming, The Printworks, 20 Arrow Close, Killingworth, NE12 6QN. We look after the information you give us.
• What we collect: your name, mobile number and email (if given), your dog’s details and any health or behaviour notes, and your appointment history. The booking form also keeps a scrambled copy of your internet address for a short time, to block spam.
• Why: to arrange your dog’s grooms and send you booking messages (confirmations, reminders and changes). We never send marketing.
• Who sees it: we never sell it. Only the services that run our website, database and messages handle it for us.
• Cookies: Google Ads uses cookies to tell us whether our adverts work. You can manage this in your Google Ad Settings or your browser.
• How long: while you’re a client and for a reasonable time afterwards.
• Your rights: you can ask to see, correct or delete your information at any time — email info@ravendoggrooming.com. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ico.org.uk).