Yes, we require two sets of working keys from every in-home pet sitting and/or dog walking client. Keys are to be given to us at the time of the initial meet & great/consultation. One set of keys is for your dedicated pet sitter and the other set is to be held in our office in a dedicated key lock box for emergencies, lockouts or in case your keys should break or fail to work in the lock. We can't use a garage door opener system as a main entry.

Our various pet care services are provided 7 days a week and our pet sitting services are available for the most part 24/7. Our office hours are from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm M-F, Saturday from 10:00 am-4:00 pm. The office is closed on Sundays.

All payments are due prior to services being rendered. Regular daily in-home pet visits and dog walks can be billed to you bi-monthly or monthly. Future invoices can be e-mailed at the time you reserve services.

We prefer and make every attempt to maintain the continuity of the same pet care specialist and will do everything possible to that end. If that person is for whatever reason not available, then another of our pet care specialists will provide service for your pet(s). We can set up a meet & greet with any substitute pet sitter to review with you any and all pertinent information.

No. Our Pet Care Specialists are not allowed to accept orders for service directly from either existing or new clients. We ask that you do not put them in an uncomfortable position as this is part of our company policy. They are not allowed to accept future visits directly either. Please contact Daytime Dogs and Friends directly or they will direct you do the same. We kindly require all existing clients to please email all requests of service dates and times to info@daytimedogs.com and within 24 hours of your request you will receive an email confirmation of your scheduled appointment(s). Thank you for your cooperation on this policy.

You can complete the meet and greet information or give us a call and we can schedule an initial meet and greet orientation at a time most convenient to you. This meeting normally takes approximately 30 minutes. Once you have scheduled your Meet & Greet, please complete the required new client forms which include a Pet profile, Client Agreement and Urgent Veterinary Authorization prior to our meeting so that we can begin the evaluation process once we arrive at your home. This will also allow us to spend more time getting to know you and your pets. Understanding you and your pet's special needs and focusing on your questions and/or concerns is extremely important to us! We want you to be completely assured and comfortable with our service.

We maintain every pet’s detailed information during each outing they participate in. This includes the owner’s contact phone numbers, your pet’s veterinarian and medical history. We also will have the consent forms which have been provided to us and a comprehensive listing of available veterinarians in our area. We are also fully certified in Pet First Aid by the American Red Cross and we maintain an up to date American Red Cross Pet First Aid kit which we carry with us on all of our outings in the event of any emergency.

YES, absolutely. This is a requirement for service. You may do so by phone, email or text. All of our contact information is provided to you at the time of our initial meet & greet/consultation. 

In the event that your return is being delayed for any reason, please let us know ASAP so that we can make arrangements to continue service for your pet(s). The safety of your pets is our primary concern. 

We do everything in our abilities to ensure their safety. We believe that your pets need to be visited the number of times agreed upon during a day and at the time services are booked. 

While we certainly anticipate that you will be arriving home on the date you provide to us, we understand that their will occasionally be circumstances beyond your control that will prevent you from returning on the indicated date. 

If this happens, please call us and we will absolutely extend past the predetermined visits to care for your pets. We ask that you call us, e-mail or text when you arrive home. We will also leave a small note card reminding you to call. 

This covers an unforeseen event in which you do not arrive home and cannot notify us of this situation. If Daytime Dogs and Friends does not hear from you prior to your arrival date, we will automatically extend your visits to ensure the safety and welfare of your pets. 

If you arrive at your home, and you are either at home or have arranged for other care for your pets, we will charge you for an extra visit and any other charges that might apply.

Absolutely not. We do not walk dogs off leash. We strictly adhere to the City of Gainesville / Alachua County regulation. This is for the safety and security of your pet and is not allowed by our insurance carrier.

Daytime Dogs and Friends, Pet Care Specialist(s) will be the only parties with access to your home. All keys are kept in a secured safe when not in use and no address or other personal information is attached to your keys. We are fully bonded and insured and copies of our certificates are available to you by request.

No. We never allow for dog-to-dog greetings under any circumstance. Even though your dog may be quite socialized and friends with other dogs in and around your neighborhood, we cannot take any chance that an incident could occur, nor will our insurance carrier permit same.

With the exception of our Puppy Services, each dog must be at least six months old, licensed, fully vaccinated (Rabies, Distemper, Parvovirus and Parainfluenza (DHPP), Bordatella), neutered or spayed, up to date/current on monthly flea and tick medication, non-aggressive and well socialized. All dogs seven months of age and older must be spayed or neutered in order to participate in overnight boarding and dog daycare. Documentation of up to date vaccinations, flea and tick medication and spay and neuter certificates will be required.

We at Daytime Dogs and Friends respect and love all dog breeds. However, we must respectfully decline several breeds in particular that statistics reflect are capable of aggressive behavior. Those breeds are: American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Chows, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Rottweilers, and Doberman Pinschers. We also reserve the right to deny service to any other dog that displays aggressive and extreme non-social behavior as determined by one of our handlers

All dogs are required to be free of any condition which could potentially jeopardize other dogs including fleas and ticks. Owners will certify that their dogs have not harmed or shown any aggressive or threatening behavior towards any person or dogs and that their dog is free of fleas and ticks. We always conduct spot checks for all dogs for the health and well being of both dogs and owners alike.

For all cats, Feline vaccinations are required and include Rabies, Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calcivirus and Panleukopenia (FVRCP). These can all be either 1 or 3-year vaccinations.

As we Floridians understand, if you can't stand the weather, wait 30 minutes and it will change! In many cases, our stormy weather comes and goes. At a minimum, we guarantee that each dog will receive adequate exercise for that day and then full regular outings will resume on the next scheduled outing. We will always use extreme care in our outings when it comes to hot temperatures. We will take our time giving plenty of water breaks and will adjust our routine accordingly to assure a totally safe and enjoyable session for your dog.

In the case of tropical weather and hurricanes, we will closely monitor the weather reports. All currently scheduled appointments will take place with our Pet Care Specialist team. However, if weather conditions are projected to be unfavorable and unsafe for our specialists to be out on the roads, appointments may need to be canceled to ensure the safety of our customer’s pets as well as our team members. Clients will be notified. We reserve the right to cancel appointments in advance of the storm so our Pet Care Specialist team can make appropriate arrangements and preparedness actions on their end to stay safe. Our #1 priority is pet & human safety.

Yes; however you will still need to go through the initial in-home evaluation.

Yes; with our pet taxi and concierge service, we will transport your pet to and from the vet, groomer or wherever he or she needs to go. We can also remain with your pet throughout a scheduled vet visit, should you desire.

We believe in a positive reinforcement philosophy with every dog, utilizing praise, rewards and consistency. During our sessions with your dog, we become your dog's pack leader and as such when these standards are applied on a consistent basis, the end result will be very a positive experience for your dog and hopefully one in which every owner will benefit from as well. We practice such basic dog commands as sit, stay, come, down. We never use choke, prong or shock collars. We utilize the safe and reliable “Martingale” type collar and leash throughout all of our outings to insure your dog's safety and security at all times.

We will assess the situation to determine what plan of action is best to take. Our concern is always what will be best for your pet. Depending on the situation, we will either rush the pet to the closest veterinarian or, in a non-emergency, we will make every effort to take them to your designated veterinarian. We will always attempt to contact the owner to get their permission for our chosen course of action.

Daytime Dogs and Friends does require all pets to wear a collar with an ID tag including your name and phone number.

We are fully insured and bonded. Our certificates of coverage are on file and available upon request.

Daytime Dogs and Friends, LLC is a registered business with the State of Florida and Alachua County.

We sure can. Please contact us and we will be glad to send you a list of personal references.

Yes, we do. Refer someone to Daytime Dogs and Friends and get rewarded! After they become a client, book and complete their appointment, you'll get a $20 credit towards your next service you book with us. You must mention the person's name referred to us via phone or e-mail no later than 15 days after their completed appointment. If the person you refer cancels their appointment you will not receive the $20 credit. You may refer as many new people as you like.