Frequently Asked Questions
What does a subscription scooping service include?
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Great question!
Our scooping service is designed to be as automatic as possible for you. Once you receive your free estimate and agree to pricing and our Terms of Service, we will add you to our schedule. The day before our arrival, you’ll receive a reminder text. On your scoop day, we will contact you when we are on our way to your home.
Once we arrive at your home, we will walk your property in a thorough pattern, making sure to scoop any dog waste that we find. Once we are sure all waste has been picked up, we will double bag any waste and dispose of it in your garbage bin.
While scooping, we will also keep an eye out for the state of your dog’s waste. If we notice anything unusual for them (runny stools, evidence of worms, etc) we will text you.
Upon exiting your yard, we will make sure any gate we entered through is securely latched and locked (if applicable).
We will then sanitize all of our equipment and boots using veterinary-grade sanitization, doing our best to ensure that cross-contamination between yards does not occur.
What does a subscription bucket service include?
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Our bucket service is designed to be as automatic as possible for you. Once you receive your free estimate and agree to pricing and our Terms of Service, we will add you to our schedule. The day before our arrival, you will receive a reminder text. On your bucket day, we will contact you when we are on our way to your home.
Once we arrive at your home's bucket, we will double bag any waste inside and dispose of it in your main garbage bin or communal dumpster (whichever is applicable). We will then make sure the bucket is clean, re-lined, and ready for another week of collection.
We will then sanitize any equipment and boots necessary using veterinary-grade sanitization, doing our best to ensure that cross-contamination between buckets/properties does not occur.
**Please note: The bucket must be available for service on cleaning day without entering your individual unit. Oftentimes, this is a front door area or back patio. Balconies without outside access do not meet this criteria.
Do I need to be home for scooping services?
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Nope! We will text you before our arrival to make sure we will have access to your property. Once we arrive, we’ll scoop your yard & complete the service by taking a photo of the latched gate (if one exists).
If you are not home, your dog must be secured out of the area to be scooped.
I have a locked gate. Will you still be able to service my property?
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Gates must be unlocked or a key/code provided. If a gate is locked upon our arrival, we will attempt to contact you. If no timely contact is made, we will be unable to perform that week's pickup. No refunds will be issued for failed attempts that occur outside of Happy Tails' control.
I'm nervous about my dog getting out. What steps do you take to handle this?
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We understand that pets are very special. Be assured that our technicians care about your dog, too! We want to make sure your property is left in better condition than we found it. If you have gates, we will make sure to close (and lock, when applicable) any gates as we come into and leave your property. We will also take a photo of the closed/locked gate when we leave and text it to you for your peace of mind.
If you feel that your home needs special care in this regard, please reach out to us.
My dog is protective/aggressive. What should I do to prepare for your arrival?
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We understand that dogs are often protective of their homes and humans. If they see a stranger walking around their yard, it makes sense that they would have an instinct to protect. During our first visits, or any time that you are not home, we do require dogs to be safely put inside before we will enter the yard. As each dog gets more used to our presence, we may feel comfortable scooping the yard with the dog nearby. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis and should not be assumed to be the standard.
For the safety of our technicians, if we feel a dog is being aggressive and/or their protective nature is possibly unsafe for the technician, we will require that the dog remain inside for each visit. We may also require text confirmation from you ensuring the dog is inside & secured. Failure to secure your dog inside may result in incomplete services; no refunds are available in this rare case.
Please also make sure all other members of your household are aware of these rules when we are present in your yard.
I like to keep an eye on my dog's poop for health reasons. Can I still use your service?
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Absolutely!
We are animal lovers and want your furry friend to be healthy and happy. While we scoop your property, we will also keep an eye out for the state of your dog’s waste. If we notice anything unusual for them (runny stools, evidence of worms, etc) we will text you.
We are not veterinarians, so we cannot diagnose nor catch everything. This service should not take the place of vet visits or watchful eyes. But we will keep an eye out on what we see and let you know if we are concerned. If possible, we’ll take a picture of the waste in question so you (or your vet) can review it.
Also, if you’ve signed up for our subscription service, we offer complimentary fecal sample retrieval. Let us know 24 hours before your regularly scheduled scooping service and we’ll package up the freshest waste, ready for the vet. (A small trip fee may be charged if the retrieval is outside your normal service time.)
My grass is long. Is this an issue?
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Grass longer than ankle height, leaves, or items in the yard may hinder our ability for a complete clean. In these cases, we will attempt to clean the property to the highest degree of satisfaction, but we cannot guarantee to pick up what we cannot see.
If this becomes an ongoing issue, we will let you know and may need to pause service until the yard is maintained.
What happens with the scooped waste?
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Waste will be double-bagged and placed in the homeowner's trash bin (or property's communal dumpster, if applicable). If the trash bins are not accessible, waste will be presentably double bagged and left at the home's back door (or location requested by the homeowner).
How do you bill each month?
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Before your first service, we will secure a credit card for your account. Once your first service is completed, payment will be automatically applied for the first service plus the remaining service trips for that month.
Each month thereafter, the full month’s subscription amount will be charged to your card on file at the beginning of each month. Payment will be charged between the 1st and 5th of each month. We will send out billing reminders a few days beforehand.
If you would like to update your card on file, please contact us right away. We will apply that updated card to your next billing cycle.
For any card declines, services will be paused until payment is successful. If two service dates go by without successful payment, an Initial Cleaning surcharge may apply when restarting service.
We aim for your complete satisfaction. If you are not satisfied with our service, contact us within 24 hours and we’ll make it right.
What forms of payment do you accept?
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Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. We do not accept cash, check, Venmo, Apple Pay, or PayPal at this time.
How do I contact you?
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The fastest way to contact us is to request a quote here on our website. Otherwise, you can always reach out to us via voice or text at 253-321-7388.
