Policy and Procedures

In order for OC Pet Companions to provide the best possible service for you, your pets and all of our clients, the following applies.

You must receive a confirmation of service call from your individual pet companion or the office within a day or two before departure. Please do not depart without this confirmation.

Your decision to partner with our company to provide professional pet and home care services is one we take very seriously. We are committed to care for your pets with love, respect, and individual attention.

Additionally, OC Pet Companions will perform crime deterrent activities in your home with each visit to provide that “somebody’s home” appearance. We will collect mail, adjust blinds and lights, and water your indoor plants at no additional fee. To allow us to better serve you please take a few moments to become familiar with our array of services and routine policies.

Reservations and Confirmations

All reservations or changes to reservations must be made either through the website, via email, or by telephone at 949-709-2707. Please do not contact your pet sitter directly as they cannot make or change reservations. Please book as far ahead as possible to ensure we can provide service on the dates requested, especially for nationally recognized holidays.

If you have not received a service confirmation call or email from your pet care provider or the office within one or two days of your departure, please call the office. Do not assume that your message on our office answering machine or email message to us confirms service.

Please make reservations for future visits through the office so there will be no misunderstandings about your departure and arrival dates and times. We require that you contact the office or your pet care provider with a “we’ve returned home” confirmation call.

Please keep the office updated with changes to information gathered during the registration interview. Of particular importance is information concerning your contact phone numbers, security system status and pet health care (medications or veterinarian) changes? Instructions for administration of all medications must be clearly written on a separate sheet of paper.

Once you have scheduled services, we ask that you call the office with any changes in your travel departure or return times. If you forget to inform us of your delayed departure or early return and you are there when your pet care provider arrives for the scheduled visit, you will be charged the normal visit rate. When possible please call the night before with a change in departure or arrival times to accommodate our coordination of visits.

Travel plans change and “things happen” when you travel. If you find you will need us to continue service beyond the contracted period, we request that you advise us as soon as possible. Every effort will be made to accommodate your requests and additional visits will routinely be made at your normal visit fee. A late request fee may be added.

Pet Safety

It is imperative that all pets be up-to-date on vaccinations and proof of same submitted at time of contract signing. OC Pet Companions cannot provide service for aggressive animals, those with a history of biting, or pets whose vaccinations are not current. This is for the safety of the pet sitter and for the safety of the other animals we care for. All pets must wear identification tags while in our care. OC Pet Companions welcomes disabled pets and/or those needing extra special care.

In order to ensure peace of mind and to better monitor the health of your pets we must visit your home at least once each day during the terms of our contract. We will not provide service on an every other-day basis.

OC Pet Companions will not provide service for loose (not contained) or chained dogs. If pets are contained in a fence or by invisible fencing when a company representative is not there, our service contract releases us from liability for incidents involving pets left outside unsupervised.

Our signed service contract permits us to get medical care from your veterinarian and the animal emergency clinic with reimbursement of all incurred expenses to company.

We cannot accept biting, aggressive, or ill pets. Pregnant pets are accepted on a case-by-case basis. We appreciate honesty and full disclosure of your pet’s needs and personality!

With the exception of the requirement to administer time-sensitive medications, we cannot commit to be at your home at an exact time each day. When time-specific visits require adjustments of our schedule, there will be an additional charge. Due to traffic, weather conditions, and the unpredictability of circumstances at prior scheduled visits that day, we still cannot guarantee an exact visit time but will make every effort to be there at the requested time.

Back-up Sitter

In the event of injury or illness of your assigned pet sitter, another OC Pet Companions staff sitter will be assigned. It is OC Pet Companions policy to ensure that your pets and home are never left unattended.

Job Sharing

We prefer not to share the care of your pets with anyone else. This is for your pet’s well-being, the security of your home and our insurance and bonding policies cover only OC Pet Companions employees. If you desire for us to share the visit with another person (family member, neighbor, or relative), our service contract releases us from liability due to negligence of the other party. This also applies when other contracted services (carpenter, maid, carpet cleaners, etc.) will be in the home during the period of our contracted service with you.

Security

1. The company maintains strict control of your house key and security alarm code information. No personal information is annotated on your key tag. Your pet’s name and our administrative number is our cross reference from your contract to the keys which are kept separated in our company locking key boxes.
2. We request that clients provide two copies of the house key during the Registration Interview. Your representative will keep one key secured in their key box and the office will secure the back-up copy for emergency situations.
3. In the event you have an unscheduled need for service and your primary pet care provider is out of town, the second key allows us to meet your needs without an additional delay in obtaining a key. We can also assist if you lock yourself out of the house!
4. Please do not ask us to return keys by locking them inside the home on the final visit. If you request to have your key returned, it will be returned to you by mail. We can, at your request, leave your key with a trusted neighbor or in a safe hiding place outside the home. We must be able to access the home for continuing pet care if you are delayed in returning.
5. Your pet sitting representative is familiar with most home security systems but may request a “walk through” of setting and disarming your system to understand its nuances. We cannot be responsible for false alarms when systems have been armed or disarmed according to your instructions. You have several options with respect to your security code.
6. You may provide your pet care provider with your personal code.
7. You may change the code for the duration of service or provide us with a ‘guest code’ that is only activated during the contracted period.
8. You may choose to leave the system disarmed while you are away.

Before You Leave

Please leave a note for your pet sitter with specific instructions related to the current visit. While we have the instructions in our files from the original consultation, things may have changed slightly from the previous visit. Please advise us if there are any alarm code changes before you leave. Make sure we have up-to-date emergency contact info in the case any questions or issues that arise while you are away. Please leave medications, special treats or cleanup disposal bags where we can easily see them.