Terms & Conditions
Please take a moment to read the terms that apply to walks, visits, and pet sitting with HillTop Hounds. They keep things clear and fair for you, your dog, and us.
First Walk Free
Your first walk is free when you book and pay for a block of 4 walks — that's 5 walks for the price of 4. It's our way of welcoming you and your dog to the HillTop Hounds pack.
- Available to new clients only, one offer per household.
- Book and pay for a block of 4 walks and your first walk is on us — effectively 5 walks for the price of 4.
- The free walk is taken as the first walk of the block and applies to individual or group walks only.
- Non-transferable, cannot be exchanged for cash, and cannot be combined with any other offer.
- If you cancel within the block, the free walk is void and standard walk rates apply to walks already taken.
Professional Care & Safeguarding Policy
Accreditation & Insurance
HillTop Hounds is fully insured by specialist pet business insurance and all staff/operators are strictly DBS checked. All training and behavioural modification plans adhere to the force-free, science-based ethics of the Pet Professional Guild British Isles (PPGBI).
Emergency Veterinary Authorisation
In the highly unlikely event of a medical emergency during a walk, training session, or sitting period, HillTop Hounds will make every effort to contact the owner immediately. By signing our Emergency Vet Authorisation form, you grant HillTop Hounds the authority to transport your dog to a registered veterinary professional to seek immediate treatment if you cannot be reached.
Weather & Safety Updates
Walks are tailored to your dog's specific physical and psychological needs. During extreme weather conditions (e.g., severe heatwaves or ice), outdoor walks may be shortened or substituted with indoor enrichment and mental stimulation sessions to protect your dog's well-being.
Bookings & Availability
- All walks and visits are subject to availability and must be booked in advance.
- We operate Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm, with other times available on request.
- A free, no-obligation consultation is offered to all new clients before the first walk.
- We reserve the right to decline a booking if we feel we cannot meet your dog's needs safely.
Payment
- Blocks of walks are paid for in advance; ad-hoc walks are paid on the day.
- Accepted payment methods will be agreed at your consultation.
- Receipts are available on request.
Cancellations & Rescheduling
- Cancellations made at least 24 hours before a booked walk can be rescheduled at no charge.
- Cancellations within 24 hours of the walk are chargeable at the full walk rate.
- Where we have to cancel a walk, we will offer a rescheduled walk or a full refund.
Dog Requirements
- Dogs must be up to date with vaccinations and be treated regularly for fleas and worms.
- Please inform us of any health conditions, medication, or behavioural needs before booking.
- Dogs must wear a secure collar with an ID tag, as required by UK law.
- We may decline or pause walks if a dog's behaviour poses a risk to themselves, other dogs, or the handler.
Keys & Home Access
- Keys are kept securely and never labelled with your address.
- For home visits and pet sitting, access details are agreed in advance and held in confidence.
- A spare key may be held for regular clients with written consent.
Safety & Liability
- HillTop Hounds holds public liability insurance up to £5,000,000 any one claim.
- We also hold care, custody & control cover of £25,000 per claim (£75,000 in the annual aggregate) for injury to or death of a dog in our care, animal illness cover of £2,000 per dog, and professional indemnity cover of £1,000,000.
- We follow clear safety procedures and risk assessments for every dog and route.
- Clients remain responsible for ensuring the information they provide about their dog is accurate and up to date.
- We are not liable for pre-existing conditions or incidents arising from information not disclosed to us.
Service Area
- We serve Bromsgrove and the surrounding areas.
- Areas outside our usual coverage may incur a travel surcharge or be declined — please ask when booking.
Client Responsibilities & Disclosures
- You must disclose all relevant information about your dog before booking, including temperament, medical history, medication, allergies, phobias, and any history of aggression or reactivity.
- You confirm that your dog is not classified as a banned breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, unless a valid Certificate of Exemption is held and provided to us.
- You must update us promptly of any change in your dog's health, behaviour, or circumstances that may affect the safety of a walk or visit.
- You are responsible for ensuring your dog's vaccinations, flea, and worming treatments are current, and for providing evidence on request.
- You must provide accurate contact details for yourself and a veterinary practice authorised to treat your dog in an emergency.
Emergencies & Veterinary Care
- In a medical emergency we will seek veterinary care for your dog immediately, using the practice you have nominated or the nearest available vet if time is critical.
- You authorise us to consent to emergency veterinary treatment on your behalf up to a limit of £1,500 per incident, and you agree to reimburse us for any costs incurred within 14 days of the invoice date.
- Where a claim is accepted under our insurance, we will pursue that route first and only pass on any excess or uninsured cost.
- We will contact you as soon as reasonably practicable in any emergency, but your dog's welfare takes priority over reaching you first.
Limitation of Liability
- Our liability for injury to, illness of, or loss of a dog in our care is limited to the amount recoverable under our care, custody & control insurance — up to £25,000 per claim (£75,000 in the annual aggregate).
- Our liability for loss of or damage to your property, including keys, is limited to the amount recoverable under our insurance — up to £10,000 for lost keys and £1,000 for equipment.
- We are not liable for any indirect or consequential loss, including loss of income, loss of enjoyment, or emotional distress, arising from our services.
- Nothing in these terms limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for any other liability that cannot be excluded by law.
Exclusions of Liability
- We are not liable for injury or illness caused by a pre-existing condition that was not disclosed to us at the time of booking.
- We are not liable for incidents arising from inaccurate or incomplete information provided by you about your dog.
- We are not liable for loss or damage caused by your dog to third parties or their property; you remain responsible for your dog's actions at all times.
- We are not liable for events outside our reasonable control, including but not limited to extreme weather, road closures, or third-party actions.
- We are not liable for any dog we own ourselves, for our own personal injury, or for the acts of assistants or subcontractors not engaged by us.
Force Majeure
- We will not be liable for any failure or delay in providing our services caused by circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including severe weather, natural disasters, pandemics, industrial action, or road closures.
- Where a walk or visit is prevented by a force majeure event, we will offer a rescheduled appointment or a full refund at your option.
- We will give you as much notice as reasonably possible if we are unable to attend a booking due to a force majeure event.
Data Protection & Privacy
- We collect and process your personal data (name, address, contact details, and information about your dog) solely for the purpose of providing our services and complying with our legal obligations.
- We process personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
- We will not share your personal data with any third party without your consent, except where required by law or to arrange emergency veterinary care.
- Your key and access details are stored securely and separately from your personal data, and are never labelled with your address.
- You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data at any time by contacting us in writing.
Photography & Media Consent
- We may take photographs or video of your dog during walks and visits for our own records, training, and safety assessment.
- Unless you tell us otherwise in writing, you consent to us using images of your dog on our website, social media, and marketing materials.
- You may withdraw this consent at any time by notifying us in writing, and we will remove existing images of your dog from our public channels within 14 days.
- We will never disclose your personal details, address, or location alongside images of your dog.
Dispute Resolution & Governing Law
- These terms and any contract between us are governed by the laws of England and Wales.
- If you have a complaint, please contact us first — we will acknowledge it within 7 days and aim to resolve it within 28 days.
- If a dispute cannot be resolved through direct discussion, it may be referred to mediation before any court proceedings are commenced.
- Any legal proceedings arising from these terms or our services shall be brought in the courts of England and Wales.
Agreement Acceptance
- By booking a walk, visit, or pet-sitting service with HillTop Hounds, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to these terms and conditions.
- You confirm that the information you have provided about yourself and your dog is accurate and complete to the best of your knowledge.
- You confirm that you are the dog's legal owner or have been authorised by the owner to enter into this agreement on their behalf.
- These terms may be updated from time to time; the version current at the time of your booking applies to that booking.
These terms may be updated from time to time. We will always show the most current version on this page.
