FAQ

We conduct a mandatory Pre-Service Interview (PSI) at your home which is a great opportunity for you to meet a Tails of the City representative and pre-approve us. The half-hour meeting also allows us to make sure your pet is the right candidate for our services. The PSI is an ideal opportunity for us handle administrative matters such as testing keys, collecting New Client documents and reviewing the care and home instructions with you.

Best times to schedule a PSI are M-F outside of the midday hours of 11 am – 3 pm when it is less hectic and time more flexible and anytime Saturdays & Sundays.

We currently have branches in the following areas:

DC: All 4 quadrants of Washington, DC
VA: Arlington & Alexandria
MD: Bethesda, Rockville, Silver Spring, Hyattsville & Baltimore City

*If you do not see your area listed, do not despair! Check with us as we might be able to service you.

Our business hours are 9 am – 5 pm M-F. Our pet care hours are 24/7, 365 days a year. We are a year-round pet care service provider and are on assignment and in the field every minute of the day.

Every region is led by a Pack Leader, your point person for all administrative matters. Once you come on board as a New Client, you will be assigned a Pack Leader who will get you set up and provide you with additional contact information.

For non-emergency, non-urgent issues, please email your Pack Leader at his or her business e-mail address. We check messages constantly throughout the day and respond to inquiries and requests promptly. Additionally, we prefer email communication because it allows a paper trail to refer to later. (Zero inaccuracies is our goal!) Calling us is also an excellent way to reach us. Calling our main number at 1-866-25-PETCARE (1-866-257-3822) will put you in touch with the emergency and non-emergency extensions for each Pack Leader.

If you opt to communicate by email or phone, please make sure a staff member confirms receipt of your call or request. Please do NOT assume that technology is working 100% of the time. We can not take care of your pet if we never received the request! We always e-mail back confirmations as soon as we learn of a request so if you do not hear back from us, chances are we did not get the email or call.

(tel) 1-866-25-PETCARE (or 1-866-257-3822)
Email: info@tailsofthecitypetcare.com
MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 21571 Washington, DC 20009

Connect with us on social media! Tails of the City is on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In. We also have a blog that you can check out for articles on all things pet!

We cover all your pet care needs! Tails of the City provides midday walking services, pet sitting, overnight services and pet taxi.

We do not provide obedience training. We do not provide grooming services, brush pet teeth, bathe or trim nails. Although we do not provide training or grooming services, we will be more than happy to transport your pet to a groomer, training facility or vet clinic so that these basic dog training or personal hygiene services can be performed.

Although we prefer as much notice as possible for pet care bookings and to guarantee service, we can often times handle requests for services with a minimum of 48-hr notice. There is no guarantee that we can handle your request if you provide little or no notice. Exceptions can be made for those rare circumstance of family emergencies on a case-by-case basis.

Our sitters are often times “on-call” throughout the day and could accept last-minute request for visits if their schedule permits and provided clients sign up for the Handlr app, check availability under our Tails of the City listing and use a lock box for easy sitter access to your pet. If you are interested in this “Pet Care On Demand” option, let us know and we will help you sign up with the handy Handlr app. Please note that there is a convenience fee charged by Handlr for this service.

Tails of the City offers midday walking services, pet sitting, overnight services and pet taxi. – critical services that enable pet owners to provide quality care when they can’t be there. Potty breaks, litter clean-up and regular feedings are a part of a dog or cat’s’ life. For more than the core pet care services, Tails of the City’s affiliated pet care company, Born to Run Pet Fitness, provides fitness-focused pet care. Often times, pet owners are simply too busy or not trained to run with a dog or integrate well-planned, in-home exercise into their pet’s regular routine.

This is where Born to Run Pet Fitness comes in. Dogs and cats are born to run! Not only will Born to Run let your pups out to do the requisite potty break and paw stretch but are trained and fit enough to run with them. Either on trails or at the park, Born to Run pet fitness providers do not kick back on a bench and like posts on their Facebook feed while your pet sniffs around. They are your pet’s personal pet fitness trainers. The time is entirely devoted to maximizing the time with your pets, getting their paws in motion and meeting their fitness goals and requirements.

Experience the benefits of pet fitness – regular, consistent physical activity that is geared towards the specific needs of dogs and cats will promote a healthy lifestyle, decrease sedentary habits, increase longevity, strengthen muscles, improve endurance and mitigate bad or destructive behavior. To learn more or to request pet fitness services, visit Born to Run Pet Fitness.

Yes we do! Our Overnight Service is an ideal pet care alternative when you travel if your pet gets extra lonely and needs more belly rubs and ear scratches to get through separation anxiety and missing Mommy & Daddy. Our Overnight Services include Overnight Sleepovers where sitters stay over your home to care of your pets and home; Premier Pet Pad Guest Services where your pet boards at a sitter’s home as a beloved guest; and House Sitting/Home Checks when there is no pet involved but you need someone to take care of your home while you are away.

Yes, we do! We provide your pet and you with safe and dependable transportation to and from anywhere in the DC metro area. We transport for emergency and nonemergency situations. We can take your pet to the vet, grooming and trainer appointments, boarding facilities, doggy daycare, airport (BWI, Dulles and Reagan International) and other pet related locations. Our goal is to ensure that your pet has a stress free move.

Yes, we do! Our Pet Concierge Services, uniquely focusing on items related to your pet and home, can help manage your pet care responsibilities. By whittling down your pet or home care-related “to-do” list, we help you become better pet owners allowing you to spend your precious time with your pet. Pet Concierge Services include the following: 1) Pet food, medicine and supply runs at pet stores or veterinary clinics. We also provide delivery of these products to your home. 2) Wait at your home for repair people, installers or contractors. 3) Hang out with your pets for an “extended” outing while you deal with showing your home to prospective buyers, have work done to your house by contractors, home exterminations, etc.

We can orally pill pets or crush medication into food or a treat. We can rub medicated ointment onto pets. For an additional cost. we can administer insulin injections to diabetic cats or give subcutaneous fluids to cats with kidney problems.

We certify that all our pet care provides are first and foremost animal lovers. True animal lovers, out of a genuine concern for pets, will make it a personal priority to ensure visits are made on time and be interested in the overall well-being of the pets in their charge. All pet care providers must have experience taking care of pets whether that experience is professional or through personal pet ownership or volunteerism. Each pet care provider must pass a criminal background check and recent employment history must be verified.

New hires undergo a rigorous training program and are trained in animal behavior, puppy care, elder care, pet meds administration and Pet First Aid. Before new hires are dispatched into the field to care for your furry babies, they must complete an online training program that covers all aspects of pet care ranging from administrative procedures to puppy care basics, pass an exam and shadow a seasoned pet care provider until management deems that (s)he is ready to go out on his or her own.

All pet care providers are managed carefully through a GPS-based pet sitter software that enables clients to view the status of their visits by logging into the Client Portal and view their individual client account. Additionally, clients receive real-time, GPS-pinned, e-mailed visit confirmation that not only confirms that the visit was completed but will include pictures and a report of how your pet did during the visit. All visit feedback reports will be stored in your online file for future reference.

An emergency is when your pet is hurt and needs veterinary care or when your basement is flooded. In times like these, we call the client or the client’s emergency contact. During the pre-service interview, we gather a lot of information, including your contact information and that of your designated emergency contact. If you are unreachable while traveling and your emergency contact is not responding to phone calls, it is our responsibility to seek care for your pet or secure your home. If a plumber needs to be called, the client will reimburse Tails of the City for expenses incurred. If a vet visit is deemed necessary, we will take your pet to your regular vet. If your regular vet’s office is closed, we will take your pet to a nearby 24-hour emergency veterinary care clinic.

Tails of the City carries liability insurance through Business Insurance of the Carolinas (Century Insurance Group). Our crime bond is issued through Traveler’s Insurance. Yes, you may request photocopies of our policy certificates and/or cards.

We sure can! We encourage prospective clients to thoroughly vet us and anyone they would consider as caretakers for their most precious family member. Like you, we want to ensure that we are the right fit for you and your pet. If prospective clients request references, they can be provided.

All reputable, long-standing pet care companies charge a registration fee. The registration fee helps to identify clients who are truly serious about using pet care services and compensates Tails of the City representatives who are scheduling time to come out to meet you and your pet.

A lock box is a secure method to store keys so that sitters can access keys to your home to make visits for your pet. Using lock boxes ensures that sitters dispatched to your assignment are able to gain access to your home for any reason – regular visits, last-minute requests or emergency situations. At the time of the Pre-Service Interview, your Pack Leader will help you choose a secure location, program your lock box code and instruct you on how to use it. You may purchase one of our lock boxes for $20 or supply your own lock box.

Alternatively, if you reside in a pet-friendly building with front desk service and will allow sitters to check out keys, that may be an option provided the front desk offers reliable service and there are no issues retrieving and returning keys.

We prefer the lock box system but for clients who would prefer us to keep their keys, our Ready Key Program may be an ideal option: We keep two copies of your home keys. Keys are labelled by pet name only and stored in a locked safe.

If you prefer to have us pick up keys before an assignment begins and drop off at the conclusion of visits, there is a key drop off and pick up charge of $15 per pick up or drop.

We request two sets so that the walker or sitter can have a copy and the office can store a copy for emergency purposes. It’s an unfortunate situation when a client is out-of-town, gives us only one set of keys and that set of keys gets broken off in the lock, misplaced or lost. (A wide variety of scenarios are possible.) We want to ensure no impediments in accessing your home should you need care for your pets.

The key pick-up or drop off charge is $15 each. If we mail your keys to you, you will be charged for postage, packaging & handling. Dropping off or picking up keys from us is free! If you choose our Ready Key Program, keys are usually collected at the time of the Pre-Service Interview for free.

Yes, clients can always request to meet the person who will be spending time with their pets and entering their homes. It is a reasonable and natural request. Please schedule such Meet and Greets with the Tails of the City Administrative Team. There is an additional charge for the Meet and Greet.

It is always a better idea to communicate through Tails of the City. Management and staff are in constant communication by e-mail and cell phone. Messages can be relayed through the company. Walkers and sitters check in with the Office Manager each morning and pick up updates to their schedule at that time. Check-in usually occurs between 8 and 10 AM. Please ensure updates are given to the office well in advance.

Generally, yes. Each new midday walking account is assigned to one walker. This walker will walk your pet each midday UNLESS (s)he has requested time off or has an unforeseen emergency. During this scheduled and unscheduled time off, trained and experienced midday walking subs will be in place to cover walker routes so there is no disruption in service or level of care.

This is very unlikely. Pet sitting clients can not rely on getting the same sitter each assignment. A request can be made, however, if the sitter is not available during a requested period, another sitter will be more than happy to cover the assignment.

There is an extra $10 per visit holiday charge on the following Holidays: New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Easter Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Day After Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day. 100% of this fee is given to your sitter as an incentive to devote time to your pet and home on these special days. Regular mid-day walks do not occur on holidays, unless separately scheduled.

a. PURCHASING FOOD OR SUPPLIES FOR YOUR PET. There will be a $35.00/hour delivery fee if Tails of the City Pet Care needs to pick up supplies for your pet (minimum 1 hour). Please remember to leave adequate (or more!) food, medication, litter, leashes and other walking/running gear, poop bags, etc. for your pet’s needs.

b. MEETING WITH WALKERS OR SITTERS. There is a $15 charge per meeting when clients request to meet their walker or sitter.

c. LAST MINUTE SERVICE REQUESTS. Sometimes emergencies do arise, generally we ask for 48-hour notice for services to be rendered. Feel free to inquire about last minute services but availability is on a first come first serve basis, and will incur a “LAST MINUTE” fee of $25.00 if requested with less than 48- hours notice.

d. RETURN CHECK CHARGE. Client agrees to pay a $35 fee for each check returned by the client’s bank regardless of the reason.

Tails of the City is pleased to offer clients an online account through their Client Portal.

Through the Client Portal, pet owners will have access to a host of features that will make life simpler. Tails of the City clients can accomplish the following through The Client Portal:

• Update personal account information
• Provide us with emergency contact information
• Tell us about your pets and their unique pet care instructions
• Upload your favorite pet photos
• View your pet care schedule to ensure that we have the correct services booked for you
• See GPS data relating to visits made for your pets, adding transparency and peace of mind
• Book and cancel services online using our advanced booking service
• Pay your balance with your credit card

Clients can request services easily through the Client Portal. Request are not official until confirmation by email is made by Tails of the City. Through the Client Portal, clients can also amend or cancel their reservations if the cancellation cut off period has not yet been reached.

The rule of thumb is book services as soon as you are aware of your travel plans. Do NOT procrastinate. With ample notice we can guarantee service 100% of the time. If clients contact us with little or no notice, there is no guarantee that we can accommodate requests. Usually if clients give us at least 48-hours, arrangements for pet care can be made successfully. Between Thanksgiving – New Year’s, PLEASE book early as this is the busiest time of the year for pet sitters.

We require that clients keep a current credit card on file to reserve services. Clients agree to permit Tails of the City to charge the credit card on file for 100% of the total value of the contracted services after the rendering of such services. If a credit card cannot be kept on file, payment must be made prior to the commencement of services by submitting payment by PayPal or leaving a check for the pet care provider to pick up on the first day of visits. Late payments are subject to a late payment fine and suspension of services. A late payment charge of $25 will be added to unpaid balances after fifteen (15) days after the due date. The late payment fee of $25 will appear as a recurring charge after each missed due date until outstanding balances are paid in full. A handling fee of $35 will be charged on all returned checks. In the event it is necessary to initiate collection proceedings on the account, Client will be responsible for all attorney’s fees and costs of collection.

If mailing or leaving a check or money order, please make payments out to Tails of the City Pet Care and mail to P.O. Box 21571 Washington, DC 20009. Please write-in your pet’s name and pet care dates in the subject area of the check.

Tails of the City accepts major credit cards and can store your credit card information through a secure payment processor, credit/debit card or bank account payments through Pay Pal, checks, money orders and cash.

If paying by Pay Pal, please use our e-mail TailsoftheCityDC@aol.com

If mailing or leaving a check or money order, please make payments out to Tails of the City Pet Care and mail to P.O. Box 21571 Washington, DC 20009. Please write-in your pet’s name and pet care dates in the subject area of the check.

Cancellations made 24-hours in advance are not subject to a charge. However, cancellations made with less than 24-hours notice will be subject to full visit charge whether or not the visit actually took place.

RAIN: We walk dogs midday and make pet sitting visits in the rain & sleet. Walks might be shorter for the comfort of your pet, but visits are made.

SNOW: If there is light snow and the city is operating as a normal business day, midday walks and pet sitting visits continue as usual. For midday visits, if the public school system or federal/state government is closed due to snow, other forms of inclement weather or area-wide emergency, all mid-day visits will be cancelled at no charge to you. If we are still on duty but your place of employment closes or you choose to stay home, please contact our office by 9 a.m. in order to allow time for your service to be cancelled and avoid being charged for that day’s service. We will not impose the 24-hour cancellation policy during times of hazardous weather that is beyond a Client’s control.

For vacation pet sitting visits, we recommend that a neighbor who has access to your home be instructed to make visits should the weather conditions make it impossible to get to your home. During inclement weather we take every necessary step to make certain that your pet’s personal care is uninterrupted. Please make certain that we have a safe way to enter your home by clearing sidewalks and stairs.

DANGEROUS TEMPERATURE LEVELS: If it is a Code Red day where high temperatures are dangerous for pets and humans, we will provide shorter walks and charge you our rate for 15-min walks/visits.

Absolutely. During the time of the pre-service interview, we check vet records to ensure that pets are up-to-date with their innoculations and expect vaccination records to be updated by clients through the Client Portal.

Although we do not require that pets be spade or neutered, pets that are not spade or neutered will not be walked with other pets. Individual walks will be provided, charged at a separate rate.

We, under no circumstances, will agree to care for a pet (cat or dog) with a history of biting people. Dogs who are aggressive with other dogs, we will accept on a case-by-case basis, however, individual walks will have to be given. Individual walks are subject to a higher rate.

We are thrilled when we can provide quality pet care when you can’t be there and offer you priceless peace of mind. If you love our services, there are a number of ways for you to share your wonderful experience with Tails of the City:

Visit our Testimonials page and submit a testimonial there. If approved, it will appear on our Testimonials page.

• Write a review on Yelp
• Write a review on Angie’s List
• Write a review on Google

Yes we do! We thrive on word-of-mouth referrals and encourage you to sing our praises to co-workers, friends, family and other pet owners you may come across about Tails of the City and our services. For every referral who becomes a Tails of the City client, you will earn one free visit.