Terms and Conditions

Last updated: 3 August 2026

These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) govern the use of dog grooming services provided by Prior & Pooch (“we”, “us”, “our”). By booking an appointment, you (“client”, “you”) agree to these Terms.

1. Services

Prior & Pooch provides dog grooming services including, but not limited to, bathing, brushing, haircuts, nail trimming, ear cleaning and de-shedding treatments, as described at the time of booking.

2. Booking, cancellations and no-shows

Appointments should be booked in advance via social media, telephone or online.
Cancellations require at least 48 hours’ notice. Cancellations made with less than 48 hours’ notice will incur a fee of 75% of the service cost. This must be paid before any further bookings can be made.
No-shows will be charged 100% of the service cost, on the same basis as above, and may be required to prepay for future bookings.
We reserve the right to reschedule appointments due to unforeseen circumstances, staff illness or emergencies, with as much notice as possible.

3. Client responsibilities

You confirm that your dog is up to date with required vaccinations.
You must tell us about any known health conditions, behavioural issues, allergies, sensitivities, previous injuries or aggressive tendencies before the appointment.
If you know your dog has fleas, please do not bring them to the salon. Contact Prior & Pooch to rebook once the issue has been resolved.
If your dog is found to have fleas during the groom, the groom will be stopped and you will be asked to collect your dog immediately. A salon decontamination fee of £35 will apply, plus 50% of the cost of any grooms booked after yours that are cancelled because of the fleas. This amount cannot be known until the day.
Dogs must be on a lead and under control when arriving and leaving.
Please drop off and pick up at the agreed times. If you are more than 15 minutes late dropping off, we may have to cancel and rebook your appointment. We will try to accommodate you where possible, but this may be treated as a no-show. If you are more than 20 minutes late to collect, there will be a charge of £10, plus £5 for every additional 10 minutes.

4. Right to refuse or stop a groom

We reserve the right to refuse service, or to stop a groom partway through, if:

A dog shows aggressive, dangerous or unmanageable behaviour towards staff or other animals.
A dog appears unwell, injured or unfit for grooming, in which case we may recommend veterinary attention.
Continuing the groom would pose an unreasonable risk to the dog’s welfare or staff safety.

In these cases, we will charge fairly for any work already completed. If a groom is stopped early for reasons unrelated to your dog’s behaviour or welfare (for example, an issue on our side), we will arrange another time to complete the groom.

5. Matting and pre-existing conditions

Severely matted coats may need to be shaved for the dog’s health and comfort. Shaving a matted coat can occasionally reveal pre-existing skin conditions, irritation or sores that were hidden beneath the mats; we are not responsible for such conditions.
Senior dogs, dogs with health conditions or dogs prone to stress may face increased risk during grooming (for example, skin nicks or stress-related reactions). We take reasonable precautions but cannot eliminate all risk.
Additional charges will apply for the extra time, products and equipment involved in grooming a neglected coat.
We do not de-mat neglected coats because of the discomfort it causes the dog.

6. Liability

We provide our services with reasonable care and skill, in line with the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
While rare, minor incidents (such as nicks, cuts or stress reactions) can occur during grooming, particularly with matted, wriggly, senior or anxious dogs. We will not be held responsible for this.
Subject to the above, our liability for any other loss or damage is limited to the cost of the service booked, and we are not liable for indirect or consequential losses.

7. Payment

Payment is due at the time of service.
We accept cash, Visa and Mastercard.
Prices are as listed at the time of booking and may vary based on breed, coat condition, temperament and size.

8. Photos and marketing

We may take before and after photos of your dog for our records and, with your consent, for use on our website or social media. In line with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, this consent is optional, specific to marketing use, and can be withdrawn at any time by letting us know — we will remove any published images on request. We own the copyright for any images we take.

9. Personal belongings

We are not responsible for loss of or damage to collars, leads or other personal items left with us, unless caused by our negligence.

10. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. The latest version will always be available at priorandpooch.co.uk.

11. Contact

Questions about these Terms can be directed to Steph Prior at hello@priorandpooch.co.uk or on 07533 906592.