Dog Walking Sickness Policy

Pick the reason, see the charge

As soon as the client picks "Pet sickness / illness" in the cancel dialog, the quote is asked again with that reason and, when a rule matches, shows "Sickness Cancellation Charge", the days away, the reduced percentage and the amount. When you cancel for a client and pick the same reason you are quoted from this policy too. On your Bookings page the dialog lists this policy's rules for a one-walk booking or a test walk, the matching one highlighted, and you may still cancel without charge; a booking with several walks offers Cancel All (Auto Policy) instead.

The fee is on the walk only

The percentage is taken from the primary walk fee of the date, or dates, cancelled. Add-ons on the date are cancelled for nothing. VAT is added or extracted as your VAT settings say. If the date was already paid, what was paid above the fee goes back to the client as account credit.

Your own ladder

Add a rule for each notice window: "If cancelled within N day(s) → pays X%". Each rule needs its own number of days. The preview beside the rules (below them on a phone) shows your ladder in order and the free window beyond your longest rule; the agreement carries the same rules as sentences. You cannot save without at least one rule.

Off means the standard charges

With this policy inactive, the sickness reason still goes through, but your Dog Walking Cancellation Policy prices it; if that is inactive too, the cancellation is free. The policy card reads "Inactive — standard cancellation charges apply for sickness".

Exempt clients

A client on this policy's exempt list is never charged a sickness cancellation fee, whatever the notice. The list is separate from the one on your cancellation policy: it applies when the sickness reason is given and this policy is live. The picker offers every client who has not left or been made inactive, so pending and imported clients are listed too. A client you add or remove gets a notice in the app saying so, and their agreement shows an exemption line in place of the rules.

"Require vet certificate" adds a sentence, not a check

Ticking it adds "A vet certificate may be required to receive sickness cancellation rates" to the agreement, a line to the client's cancel dialog and a line to their email. Nothing is uploaded or checked, and the reduced rate is applied on the reason alone. If you want proof, ask for it yourself.

Exclusion periods are told, not enforced

Your hours for general sickness, days for kennel cough and hours for other contagious conditions (48, 14 and 72 until you change them) go into the agreement, into the cancel dialog when the sickness reason is picked, and into the "Before [dog] Returns" part of the email. The calendar does not stop a booking inside those periods; that is for you to watch.

The email the client gets

A sickness cancellation sends the "Sickness Cancellation" email ("We hope [dog] feels better soon") in place of the standard one: the reason and the policy applied, the rate and the amount (or that there is no charge), and the exclusion periods. It goes out under your client "Booking cancelled" email switch. When you cancel for a client you can untick the email; a client's own cancellation always sends it.

The Dog Walking Agreement carries it

While the policy is active with rules, its wording is written into the agreement's Booking & Cancellation section and into the PDF. The Health section says a dog that has been unwell must be symptom-free for the period in the Sickness Policy before returning. Saving a change to the wording of an active policy (its rules, exclusion periods or the vet certificate line) records a revision on the agreement and tells every client in the app. A change to the exempt list alone records no revision, and a change saved while inactive records nothing and tells nobody.

Your team

Only an admin can save this policy. A cancellation under it is the client's own or an admin's; a team member who is not an admin cannot cancel a client's walk through it. A cancelled walk leaves the Daybook straight away. Gaia will explain the policy to a team member or a client who asks, and tells an exempt client that they are exempt.

Which plans see it

The Dog Walking policies appear for a business that sells walking: Starter, Walker and Pro, or any plan with the Dog Walking add-on. This policy has no extra gate of its own.