Based on the outskirts of Durham, we provide a home visit service for small and exotic animals. Professional service/qualified staff
Always having a passion for animals and their welfare, the owner has a number of qualifications and years experience caring for a large variety of animals which gives you peace of mind that your pet(s) are being well cared for.
*BSc Animal Behaviour and Training (Hu
ll University)
*National Diploma Animal Management (Bishop Burton College)
ANIMAL WELFARE NEEDS
The welfare of animals in our care is our top priority. Our care is based on:
*The need for a suitable environment
*The need for a suitable diet
*The need to exhibit normal behaviour patterns
*The need to be housed with or apart from other animals
*The need to be protected from pain, suffering and disease
HOME VISITS SERVICE
The optimum care provided includes, but not limited to the following animal groups:
*Rodents- Guinea pig, Hamster, Rat, Mouse, Gerbil, Ferret
*Small Mammals- Rabbit, Chinchilla, Ferrets, Sugar Gliders
*Insects- Stick Insect, Bugs and Beetles
*Amphibians- Frogs, Toads, Newts, Salamanders
*Lizards- Various species
*Snakes- Various species
*Tortoise and Turtle
*Fish- Cold, Tropical, Marine
*The more exotic- Pymgy Hedgehog, Birds of Prey, Poultry Parrots, Crabs. PRICES
Per Visit (based on a maximum of 30 minutes per visit)
£10.00 for one daily visit
£15.00 for two daily visits
For visits of longer than 30 minutes, price on application. The price includes:
• Feeding and watering
• Cleaning
• Exercise and handling
• Giving medication (if necessary)
• Other services, including watering plants, collecting post, putting out bins, etc. Mileage
Mileage is charged in addition to the visit at 45p per mile. We can only accept home visit bookings within a 10 mile radius of Houghton Le Spring (one-way trip). Amanda's Home Comfort's does not charge mileage for any home visit in Houghton Le Spring. Keeping you updated
As part of the boarding and the home visit service, we are happy to send you regular updates on your pet(s). We know they are a big part of your family and you miss them. We regularly share pictures/videos of the pets in our care on our social media pages and/or website. We ask all customers to let us know via our booking form if they would prefer that we do not share pictures/videos of their pets. We ensure that all of the pictures and videos we share do not serve to identify the owner/property. TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Enclosures and equipment
Amanda's Home Comfort's cannot be held liable for costs relating to damage to cages, vivariums, other animal enclosures, accessories (such as lighting, etc). If lighting or heating stops working then Amanda's Home Comfort's will do its best to replace the item but the cost must be reimbursed by the owner on their return. Food
Amanda's Home Comfort's requests customers to supply their own dried/live/frozen food, hay/straw, fruit, vegetables and plants to cover the duration of the booking. In the event that additional items need to be purchased (pet food, litter, cleaning supplies or other necessary items that contribute to the health and wellbeing of your pet), Amanda's Home Comfort's will purchase these and retain a receipt. The pet owner is responsible for reimbursement of these items within 7 days of the customer’s return. Booking
A completed booking form and pet registration form is required for each booking if you are a new customer. If an existing customer requests home visits then unless the information already held by Amanda's Home Comfort's is confirmed as still correct by the customer, a booking form/pet registration form will need to be completed and submitted to Amanda's Home Comfort's. An initial meet and greet in-home consultation will be organised at your home to complete the booking form and registration form. This will be an opportunity to introduce your pet(s) to Amanda's Home Comfort's, discuss the requirements of your pet(s), share any concerns, key drop-off arrangements, alarm/padlock codes, location of pet’s supplies at customer’s home, discussion of other services required (watering plants, collecting post, putting bins out, etc). Full written instructions are required from the customer (via the booking form/pet registration form) to ensure that the expected services are delivered. Amanda's Home Comfort's operates a minimum booking of 3 days. Visit Times
Amanda's Home Comfort's can undertake home visits every day from 8.30am to 5.30pm. Other arrangements can be made on request. Payment
We request full payment in cash or online (preferable) prior to the first paid visit. For first-time customers of Amanda's Home Comfort's we request a deposit of £10 to be paid within 7 days of making the booking. This will secure the booking which is refundable on cancellation up to 2 weeks before the start of the booking. For first-time customers who book at short notice, we request full payment to secure the booking. If you return home earlier than expected and no longer need the home visit service (without prior arrangement up to 2 weeks before the start of the booking) you will need to pay the full home visit fee regardless of returning home early. Our rates are based on number of daily visits (maximum of 30 minutes per visit), the time it will take Amanda's Home Comfort's to complete the service requested and mileage, where appropriate. Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day - an extra 50% is added to the daily rate. Cancellation/Amendment
We would appreciate as much notice as possible if you need to cancel your booking.
14 days or more before start of booking – any deposit/booking fee paid is returned to customer
7 – 13 days before start of booking – 50% of any monies paid is returned to customer
Less than 7 days – full payment is to be paid to Amanda's Home Comfort's. If you are delayed for any reason and need extra visits, we will do all we can to accommodate your pets. Any extra visits are charged at our normal visit rates and payable within 7 days of your return home. Health and Welfare
Amanda's Home Comfort's must have sight of an up to date vaccination record for those animals that require regular vaccinations against diseases that are transferable through the environment. Amanda's Home Comfort's reserves the right to refuse to deliver a home visit service if a vaccination record is out of date or incomplete. You must ensure that your pet is in good health, free from parasites and is adequately wormed. Pre-existing medical conditions, including pregnancy, must be disclosed on the pet registration form prior to the start of the booking. We take no responsibility if your pet(s) falls pregnant whilst in our care. We request owners to provide Amanda's Home Comfort's with full information of behavioural, dietary and special needs/requirements upon booking. If your pet needs veterinary assistance whilst in our care we will inform you or your emergency contact immediately. Any veterinary fees, plus any mileage, incurred during the booking must be reimbursed to Amanda's Home Comfort' by the customer within 7 days of the end of the booking. We promise to take great care of your pet(s) whilst they are in our care. Sadly, small animals can pass away with very little warning and very quickly after showing signs of illness. We cannot accept any liability if your pet becomes ill or passes away whilst they are in our care. We can spot clean daily but request customers provide their own pet-safe cleaning products. Amanda's Home Comfort's will properly dispose of your pet waste. For cat litter trays we do request that you provide all necessary items such as scooper, cat litter and plastic bags and indicate where you would like these waste bags disposed of. The same applies to any other home based animal. We will also check daily for any damaged enclosures/hutches and if necessary we will make contact with the owner or nominated contact to determine how your pet should be housed for the rest of the booking. During extreme temperatures, Amanda's Home Comfort's will make all efforts to ensure the animals in its care are as comfortable as possible. We would request customers to provide access to additional supplies for your animals during extreme temperatures (for example, frozen water bottles, ice packs, extra heating, positioning of outdoor enclosures to reduce the impact of extreme weather, cooling fans, etc). Amanda's Home Comfort's cannot be held responsible for animals becoming ill or passing away as a result of extreme temperatures. We are unable to move pets into separate runs or allow them to roam free unless it is just for the duration of our visit. We reserve the right to refuse to look after your pet(s) if we feel they are showing signs of disease, injury, illness, pregnancy or aggression unless previously discussed at our initial meet and greet. Amanda's Home Comfort's does not accept any responsibility or liability for any client’s animals that escape or become lost or injured, fatal or otherwise, when instructed to leave the client’s animal(s) in a fenced area. This includes cats given free-roam outside during the day/night. Should you wish for your cat to have free access to a cat flap, Amanda's Home Comfort's cannot be held liable for any disappearance, injuries or death as a result. Amanda's Home Comfort's cannot be held responsible for your pets, while they are left alone in their own home, while their owner is away and Amanda's Home Comfort's is not present. We would ask our customers to ensure they make available a suitable pet carrier to avoid unnecessary stress or injury if it became necessary to transfer them for veterinary treatment. If your pets are showing signs of fighting during the booking, Amanda's Home Comfort's will make contact with the owner and/or emergency contact to see how best to proceed. If there is a likelihood of fighting between co-habiting pets, Amanda's Home Comfort's asks pet owners to prepare for this eventuality and provide separate accommodation. Animal welfare is our primary concern and we will always act in your pet’s best interests. Medications/Veterinary Treatment
If your pet is on any medication, please let us know this on the pet registration form. Amanda's Home Comfort's will be happy to administer medication (if prescribed by a vet) during the booking. Please note, however, Amanda's Home Comfort's cannot administer injections. Please ensure there is a sufficient quantity of the medication and it is readily available to Amanda's Home Comfort's during the whole of the booking. As part of the booking, we ask customers to supply the name and contact details of their usual vet’s practice. If your pet requires veterinary treatment during the booking, we will make contact with you or your nominated emergency contact as soon as possible. If the customer is unable to provide vet’s details, then Amanda's Home Comfort's will use the services of their own vet’s practice. By accepting our Terms and Conditions, you agree to any vet costs incurred by your pet, including round-trip mileage to/from the vets. Health and Safety/Legal
Amanda's Home Comfort's are fully insured, details available on request. All staff at Amanda's Home Comfort's hold a valid DBS certificate which can be shown on request. Amanda's Home Comfort's may bring an additional member of staff (with valid DBS certificate) at no additional cost to you. This may be due to personal safety and/or number of duties to be carried out during the home visit. It is the customer’s responsibility to insure their own property and pet(s). Amanda's Home Comfort's is not liable for any damages to your property caused by your pet whilst carrying out services discussed. Amanda's Home Comfort's cannot be held liable for any break-ins or vandalism to the owner’s property during use of Amanda's Home Comfort's services. Should anything occur such as this, Amanda's Home Comfort's will inform you and/or your emergency contact and report the incident to the police immediately. Amanda's Home Comfort's does not accept liability for other persons who may be in your home prior to, during or immediately after Amanda's Home Comfort's services have been completed. Amanda's Home Comfort's will not provide a home visit service to care for an animal which is overly aggressive and therefore may be a danger to Amanda's Home Comfort's staff. Home visits to small animals does not currently require a licence. All animals are left in Amanda's Home Comfort's care at their owner’s risk. Protection of data and property
All personal data (including key code, alarm code, name and address, etc) will be kept securely in paper format or on a password protected computer. Information will not be passed to third parties and only used for the purpose of arranging bookings and providing pet updates throughout their stay. You may request your data to be deleted from our records at any time. Amanda's Home Comfort's will be provided with a spare house key and any codes (alarms, padlocks, etc) during the ‘meet and greet’ before the booking commences. All keys and codes will be held securely by Amanda's Home Comfort's and will remain unidentifiable in a locked key safe. Abandoned Pet(s)
In the event of an owner not returning to collect their house key from Amanda's Home Comfort's and no communication from the owner or nominated emergency contact within 7 days of the end of the booking, Amanda's Home Comfort's reserves the right to rehome the animal. Any fees incurred as a result of the rehoming process, plus the fees for the extended care from Amanda's Home Comfort's, will be recovered, by legal means if necessary, from the owner. Social Media/Website
We regularly share pictures/videos of animals on our social media pages and/or website. Keeping you updated
We are happy to send you regular updates on your pet(s). We can do this either via WhatsApp, Messenger or email. COVID-19
At Amanda's Home Comfort's we take COVID-19 risks very seriously and will respect guidance from the government at all times.
