Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! We work hard to offer high quality, competitively priced services to all of our clients. For those who schedule 3 or more regular dog walking visits per week, expect a 5% discount. Our veterans, active duty service members, first responders (yes we include nurses and doctors in this category), aged 65+, foster pet parents, and expecting parents receive a 5% discount off their total invoice. (Please make sure you let us know! We do not apply discounts retroactively)

We don't get asked this question as often as we'd like. Many companies have a fee for time and an additional fee per pet with their dog walking and pet sitting rates, but not Mama Walks Dogs. We LOVE meeting new furry friends and are happy to care for the whole furry family at no extra cost. For poop scooping we have a flat rate, then an additional $5 per additional fur-baby that uses the yard because more poo does equal more time spent on cleaning up.

If there are no humans present to allow us in, we require either two copies of your house key, OR one access code (garage, door, etc) and one copy of your house key. Why? If one of our team members is in a car accident or otherwise delayed, another staff member will get the back-up key from our office key safe, and make sure that your fur-baby has the care he/she needs. Why not just the garage code? Power outages can happen, garage doors can freeze shut, or any number of other incidents may occur when you are not home. We believe that care for your loved ones should not be left up to chance.

Nope! Walking dogs is our passion, but we also provide care for other furry and feathered critters. Sorry! No reptiles or spiders at this time.

Most of our clients have us keep a key on file for future visits. If you would prefer that we bring your key back to you, we charge a $25 key pickup/drop off fee to cover our time and mileage costs.

We accept credit and debit cards, GooglePay, and ApplePay payments through our online Client Portal. If you'd like to pay with cash or check, you can leave the payment on the counter or mail it to us at: Mama Walks Dogs PO Box 77261 Colorado Springs, CO 80970 Please keep in mind that we charge a $35 bounced check fee and a $10 late payment fee.

This is your opportunity to meet with us, introduce us to your furry loved ones, and share with us your needs and desires. This is usually the first time we get together, and this meeting is FREE! Many companies call this a "Meet N Greet." We believe that words matter. We are doing more than just meeting you and doing business together; we are creating a plan to ensure the health and welfare of your furry babies.

Most companies call this service "Pet Sitting." We believe that words matter. When caring for your babies while you're away, we do more than just feed your dogs and lock the door. We check for any accidents or messes, damage from wind or snow storms, bring in packages, care for the physical and mental wellbeing of your fur-kids, and more.

Yes! Here they are: General -Mama Walks Dogs shall perform all services in an attentive, reliable and caring manner, using all reasonable skill and care. -We reserve the right to refuse service for any pet or human deemed at our discretion to be, or have the potential to be, dangerous, disruptive, and/or disrespectful. -Mama Walks Dogs allows for up to two Free Care Plan Meetings per year. Any additional Care Plan Meetings for any reason (meeting new staff, showing new training technique, new house layout, etc) will be charged the same price of a walk, depending on time needed in 15 minute increments rounded up. -Mama Walks Dogs staff may be accompanied by another team member whilst providing services for your pet, for purposes of training or quality assurance. No costs will be applied to your account for any assistance the additional team member provides. -Mama Walks Dogs will always try to have consistent staff for your pet's care, but we cannot guarantee it. People get sick, take vacations, have car trouble, quit jobs, etc. Thank you for your understanding! -Mama Walks Dogs is fully insured and bonded for services provided. By using our services, it is agreed that it is your responsibility to ensure that the property, its contents and pets are adequately insured throughout the duration of services. -Mama Walks Dogs operates under the Fear-Free guidelines and principles. We will NOT utilize certain tools or techniques such as, but not limited to: prong collars, choke chains, leash pops, electric fences, electric collars, or bark collars. Please feel free to notify us if we need to supply additional tools such as a head collar or harness to complete services. We require a 48 notice to ensure that we can bring the necessary equipment. If we arrive and there is no Fear Free compatible equipment, we reserve the right to adjust the care as needed, such as increasing/reducing visit time with any additional fees charged to you, changing the Care Plan, canceling services, and/or otherwise changing care as we deem at our discretion to be necessary. For more information on Fear-Free care please visit: https://fearfreepets.com/ -Mama Walks Dogs is not responsible for any lost, stolen, or damaged pet equipment. We will use best endeavors to make sure that items are treated respectfully and returned to you when applicable. -Mama Walks Dogs shall not be liable for any injury, disappearance, death, or fines for any pet allowed unsupervised access outdoors. -Mama Walks Dogs schedules all care within Scheduling Windows. This allows us the flexibility to care for multiple clients across the city, handle last minute scheduling requests, staff illness, etc. We do our best to stay within your chosen window, but due to the nature of animal care we cannot guarantee it. Sometimes there are weather events, medical emergencies, etc. Thank you for your understanding! -By using Mama Walks Dogs’ services, you give permission for Mama Walks Dogs to use photographs and/or videos of your pet for Mama Walks Dogs to use on their social media, website, and other marketing projects. -Same day cancellations will be charged the full cost of the original service booked. If you choose to decrease the duration of a walk or service the same day as the service is scheduled, you will be charged the full cost of the originally scheduled service. Cancellations due to adverse weather conditions will have NO charge unless they are canceled within 60 minutes of the originally scheduled Scheduling Window. -Mama Walks Dogs shall clean up after your pets to the best of our ability. You shall make available cleaning materials in the event of any pet ‘mistakes’ within your property. You shall communicate with Mama Walks Dogs the location of appropriate cleaning materials, example: plastic bags, disposable gloves, towels, disinfectant, paper towels and bin bags. Mama Walks Dogs cannot be held liable or responsible for any stains, marks or damages caused by your pets or attempts to clean it. If there are not sufficient cleaning supplies available, Mama Walks Dogs will assess you a Cleaning Fee of $35. This cleaning fee covers the additional time needed by our staff to obtain supplies, return to your residence, and clean. The actual supplies are Mama Walks Dogs property and will NOT be left at your residence. -Any damage to your property or possessions in your absence will be reported to you at the earliest opportunity. -To ensure a safe and happy experience for your pet, sometimes Mama Walks Dogs may use treats to positively reinforce a behavior or create a positive association. It is your responsibility to keep Mama Walks Dogs informed of any allergies that we need to be aware of. Mama Walks Dogs is not responsible for any and all medical situations that may arise if/when allergy information is not updated in your pet's profile in the client portal with 24 hours notice. -By using Mama Walks Dogs services, you agree that you are solely responsible for any and all harm or damage caused by your pet while it is under the care of Mama Walks Dogs, or is using any other services provided by Mama Walks Dogs, and agree to indemnify Mama Walks Dogs in full against any liability arising from such harm or damage to third parties. -Mama Walks Dogs has a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you are not completely satisfied with care provided, you agree to notify Mama Walks Dogs within 24 hours of completion of that service or prior to the next scheduled service, whichever timeframe is shorter, for a full refund of that visit or walk. We require a reason why, in order to improve our services, and will NOT refund the cost of a visit or walk without a reason. We will NOT refund a visit or walk cost if the reason for your dissatisfaction is due to you not communicating needs, expectations, etc. Mama Walks Dogs reserves the right to stop providing a 100% satisfaction guarantee at any time without notice. Weather -In the event of extreme weather, which may have an adverse effect on your pet e.g. heat, snow, or thunderstorms, Mama Walks Dogs shall in our sole discretion take whatever action we consider necessary, including adjusting arrangements (for example: turning walks into indoor play visits, or changing scheduled time) or canceling scheduled services until it is, in our opinion, safe for our staff to provide care. We will attempt to communicate these changes as we are able to, with as much notice as possible provided depending on the situation. Client Responsibilities -By using Mama Walks Dogs services, you agree to notify Mama Walks Dogs immediately if your pet has any unwelcome changes of behavior which could lead to aggression and/or injury to themselves or others, or has any new or previous health concerns. Mama Walks Dogs cannot be held liable for any actions or omissions which result in problems or complications for anything not disclosed. -By using Mama Walks Dogs services, you agree to take any necessary measures and/or precautions to ensure that your pet is continuously free of contagious, infectious, or otherwise communicable diseases. You further agree to notify Mama Walks Dogs immediately of any infectious and/or contagious disease or conditions your dog has been exposed to or is affected by. Such diseases and conditions include, but are not limited to: Distemper, Hepatitis, Kennel Cough, Parvovirus, Corona virus, worms, Lyme disease, Fleas, Pregnancy, Infectious Skin Diseases and Intestinal Parasites and all other contagious diseases for pets in general. Mama Walks Dogs reserves the right to refuse service until satisfied that the condition is resolved. If you fail to provide Mama Walks Dogs notice that your pet is coughing, or showing signs of a communicable disease prior to their visit, you may be charged a PPE Fee and/or a $40 Restaffing Fee (so the exposed staff member may shower/change, etc prior to visiting other households). -By using Mama Walks Dogs for Vacation Care (pet sitting) services, you understand that if your pet is found to have a communicable disease that can spread across households via pet sitters, you will be charged a $100-$200 daily PPE Fee (depending on how many visits per day are needed and the gear required due to diagnosis) while your pet is contagious. -It shall be your sole responsibility to ensure the information provided is current and up to date, and you agree to accept any decision made by Mama Walks Dogs in the event of not being able to contact you as a result of wrong information held. Any new or updated information must be updated at least 24 hours prior to your next scheduled service to allow staff to review information . -By using Mama Walks Dogs services, you agree to provide sufficient provisions for your pet(s) for the duration of the service. If there are not sufficient provisions, Mama Walks Dogs reserves the right to purchase the needed items, assess you a Shopping Fee of $35 to cover our time running to the store, and add the cost of supplies to your invoice. -By using Mama Walks Dogs services, you agree to keep your yard and home to an acceptable level of cleanliness. We reserve the right to refuse service and/or cancel care if a yard/home is unacceptably filthy. For dog walking and Vacation Care (pet sitting) services utilizing the backyard, if the amount of feces is greater than approximately 5 piles of waste per pet residing in the home, we reserve the right to adjust the Care Plan, and/or assess a $50-$150 Backyard Pickup fee depending on severity. -It shall be your responsibility to inform Mama Walks Dogs of anyone who will have access to your property during any periods of your absence, e.g., cleaning services, maintenance personnel, friends, family and neighbors. Mama Walks Dogs shall not be liable for other persons, their actions, or omissions who will be in, or have access to your property before, during or after services have been rendered. -It is your responsibility to ensure that your pet has the appropriate gear and is comfortable using their gear for all weather situations. If a Mama Walks Dogs team member arrives and your pet does NOT have the appropriate gear or does not feel comfortable using their gear (example: dog refuses to wear new booties), we reserve the right to take whatever action we deem necessary to ensure the safety and mental wellbeing of your pet. This may include, but not limited to, canceling the service with full charge applied, changing the Care Plan, utilizing our equipment, and increasing/decreasing time with any additional cost billed to you. -By using Mama Walks Dogs services, you agree to keeping all smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in good working condition while our team is providing care in your home. You also agree to keeping the property reasonably clean and safe. We will assess a Battery Replacement Fee of $10 in the event that a smoke alarm or carbon monoxide alarm indicates that it needs a new battery, and we need to provide that new battery. Prior to the assessment of the fee, a Mama Walks Dogs team member will attempt to contact you to determine if there are replacement batteries already available in your home. Medical -If your pet becomes sick or injured while under the care of Mama Walks Dogs, we will notify you as soon as possible using whatever method is available. In the event of Mama Walks Dogs not being able to contact you, or in an emergency situation, Mama Walks Dogs shall seek out medical attention from a vet. Trips to the vet may incur an Emergency Trip Fee of either $100 or $30 per hour, whichever is the lowest cost applicable to the situation. -You are responsible for the full cost of treatment of any injuries or illness that your pet receives while under the care of Mama Walks Dogs, together with any associated costs e.g. call-out charges. By using Mama Walks Dogs services, you authorize Mama Walks Dogs to seek such veterinary advice and/or treatment as we deem necessary; where possible this will be carried out by your usual/preferred vet, but this cannot be guaranteed (e.g. in an emergency) and you accept that Mama Walks Dogs may at their discretion use any registered vet. You agree to pay all such costs immediately. -By using Mama Walks Dogs services, you accept that during the course of normal play your pet may sustain injuries. All play is carefully monitored to avoid injury, but scratches, punctures, torn ligaments, or other injuries may occur despite the best supervision. -By using Mama Walks Dogs services, you accept that there is a chance that your pet can contract a communicable illness, and you agree that you will not hold Mama Walks Dogs responsible if your pet contracts any communicable illnesses while under our care. Home Access -In order to access a residence without a human present/available to allow entrance, we require either: 2 keys, 1 code (door, garage) and 1 key, or a code to a realtor lockbox installed on the property. We will no longer accept a garage door opener at any time, or solely electronic code access to ensure that even in power outages or other emergencies your pet will receive care. -After the initial Care Plan Meeting we charge a $25 key pickup/drop off fee to cover our time and mileage costs. -If for any reason Mama Walks Dogs needs to make a key copy, we reserve the right to charge a Key Copy Fee of $25. -If Mama Walks Dogs arrives for services and your home is inaccessible, we will charge you for the full service scheduled. It is your responsibility to notify Mama Walks Dogs of new keys, codes, and/or location of the lockbox. Payment -By using our services, you agree to pay Mama Walks Dogs by cash, check, credit, or debit card. Credit/debit card payments are to be made via the client portal. If you choose to make payment by cash or check, you must notify Mama Walks Dogs either via text, email, or phone call to 719-426-0333 in advance. Our staff do not carry change, and any overpayment in cash will be put as a credit to your account. Returned checks will be charged a $35 fee. -All charges are payable either seven days after completion of services, or once monthly on either the 1st or 15th of the month depending on agreed upon payment schedule. Mama Walks Dogs will issue invoices for you upon request. All invoices are accessible through the client portal 24/7. -All clients scheduling Vacation Care/Pet Sitting are required to have a card on file prior to and during scheduled services. We reserve the right to charge this card in instances of past due invoices. -Any client who has an invoice past due by 30 days or more will be required to pre-pay all services going forward. -By using our services, you agree to reimburse Mama Walks Dogs for any additional fees including, but not limited to, providing emergency care, unexpected visits, transportation, housing, food or supplies. -Late payments will result in being charged a $10 late payment fee weekly, unless you speak with our office and agree on payment arrangements. Crates/Kennels/Cages -For any animal kept caged or crated we require the cage/crate/kennel to meet or exceed USDA guidelines. A brief summary: Must be free of sharp points or edges that could injure an animal. Must be large enough that the animal can easily stand up, turn around, sit erect, and lie down in a natural position without being crowded or uncomfortable. Must provide adequate protection from extreme weather, including wind, rain, snow, and extreme heat and cold. For more details please visit: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare/downloads/bluebook-ac-awa.pdf -If the crate/cage/kennel does not meet the minimum standards, we will contact you to discuss options. For clients that are out of town during services, please be aware that we will NOT continue to provide care with a substandard crating situation. We reserve the right to cancel all services immediately, purchase a new crate at your expense, and/or to create a safe space for your pup in a bathroom/bedroom/etc (depending on home layout) at our discretion. Mama Walks Dogs and its team will not be liable for any damage. Free Add-ons -At times Mama Walks Dogs provides free enrichment activities and holiday visit note photo opportunities for Vacation Care (pet sitting) and dog walking clients. We will always do our best to make sure to include your pet(s) in these activities, but due to the variable nature of pet care we cannot guarantee it. By using Mama Walks Dogs services, you understand that sometimes situations may arise that prevent us from allowing your pet to participate in these free add-on activities. -Mama Walks Dogs communicates free add-ons via email. If you are not receiving the email updates, please let us know. Poop Scooping -Weekly recurring poop scooping services shall be scheduled any weekday of your choosing and completed anytime between 9AM-4PM. To change your scheduled day you must provide 24 hours notice. -By using Mama Walks Dogs weekly poop scooping services, you agree to allow us access to your yard through either a gate or walkway, without going through your home. If we are unable to access your yard you will still be charged full cost, regardless if services were provided. -By using Mama Walks Dogs poop scooping services, you agree to have an outdoor trash bin accessible for throwing away the scooped feces. If no bin is accessible, we will leave the trash bag with feces in it, on the ground next to your home. -By using Mama Walks Dogs poop scooping services, you understand that we cannot guarantee a thorough yard clean up when the yard is not maintained. Please keep weeds, rocks, and obstructions to a minimum. -In the event of adverse weather, Mama Walks Dogs will contact you to reschedule your poop scooping service. -Any recurring poop scooping service that is scheduled on a date that lands on a holiday (December 25th, January 1st, Mother's Day, Father's Day, July 4th, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving) will be rescheduled. Mama Walks Dogs will contact you in advance to reschedule. If unable to reach you, we reserve the right to cancel that poop scoop service at no charge to you. Holidays -Mama Walks Dogs charges a $15 holiday fee on the following days: December 25th, January 1st, Mother's Day, Father's Day, July 4th, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving. -Due to the amount of holiday travel and bookings, all Vacation Care (pet sitting) services booked for the month of December will require a 25% nonrefundable deposit. This deposit will be applied towards your total invoice. If the deposit is not paid by no later than 7 days prior to your first scheduled service, then your scheduled services will be canceled. Website -This disclaimer governs your use of our website and client portal; by using our website and/or client portal you accept this disclaimer in full. If you disagree with any part of this disclaimer, please do not use our website and/or client portal. -Intellectual property rights Unless otherwise stated, we own the intellectual property rights in the website and material on the website. Subject to the license below, all our intellectual property rights are reserved. -License to use the website You may view, download for caching purposes only, provided that: (a) you must not republish material from this website (including duplicating on to another website), or reproduce or store material from this website in any public or private electronic retrieval system without the express permission of (a) Mama Walks Dogs (b) you must not reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell, or otherwise exploit our website or material on our website for a commercial purpose, unless given express permission of Mama Walks Dogs in writing. (c) you must not edit or modify any material on our website. Limitations of liability: The information on this website is provided free-of-charge, and you acknowledge that it would be unreasonable to hold us liable in respect of this website and the information on this website. Whilst we endeavor to ensure that the information on this website is correct, we do not warrant its completeness or accuracy; nor do we not commit to ensuring that the website remains available or that the material on this website is kept up-to-date. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law we exclude all representations, warranties and conditions (including, without limitation, the conditions implied by law of satisfactory quality, fitness for purpose and the use of reasonable care and skill). Our liability is limited and excluded to the maximum extent permitted under applicable law. We will not be liable for any direct, indirect or consequential loss or damage arising under this disclaimer or in connection with our website, whether arising in tort, contract, or otherwise \f1\endash including, without limitation, any loss of profit, contracts, business, goodwill, data, income, revenue or anticipated savings. However, nothing in this disclaimer shall exclude or limit our liability for fraud, for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for any other liability which cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law.

You have access to any current or past invoices 24/7 through the client portal. As a courtesy we send out invoices on Mondays (or Tuesdays if that Monday is a holiday) for our clients not using autopay.

All our services at Mama Walks Dogs are competitively priced to ensure that our team members receive a fair and living wage, making tips unnecessary. Officially, we do not accept tips at this time. However, some of our clients choose to show their appreciation through alternative means such as cash, baked goods, or seasonal garden produce. We greatly value our clients' generous gestures, but rest assured that our primary focus is on providing exceptional service without the expectation of additional gratuity.

Referrals are the heart of our business, and we truly appreciate your support! We offer a referral program for our active clients. When you refer someone to us and they mention your name during their Free Care Plan Meeting, both you and the person you referred will receive a $25 credit to your account after their first walk/visit. It's our way of saying thank you for spreading the word!