Dog daycare cancellation policy template (UK)
A cancellation policy protects the spaces you staff for. This one is written the way Duncan's Dog Co runs its own: firm enough that an empty space on the day is paid for, fair enough that customers do not feel caught out. Fill the [square brackets] and change anything that does not fit how you work.
Cancellation policy
We plan staff and spaces around every booking, so a late cancellation leaves a space we have paid for and cannot fill. This policy explains what notice we need and what happens if a booking changes.
Single and extra days
You can cancel a single or extra day free of charge with at least [48 hours'] notice. Cancellations with less notice are charged at [50%] of the day rate. If your dog does not arrive and we have not heard from you, the full day is charged.
Regular weekly days
Your regular days are reserved for you every week. To drop a regular day or end your place, please give us [4 weeks'] notice. You can still cancel an individual regular day with [48 hours'] notice and it will not be charged.
Holidays
Regular customers can take up to [4 weeks] off a year without charge, as long as you tell us at least [2 weeks] before. Please book holidays through [the app / by email to address].
If your dog is unwell
Please keep your dog at home if they are unwell, have had sickness or diarrhoea in the last [48 hours], or have been in contact with a contagious illness. Tell us as early as you can. If you let us know before [8am] on the day, we will [not charge for the day / charge 50%].
Collection
If your dog is collected by our van, please cancel by [6pm the day before] so we can change the route. Collection cancelled later than that is charged at the collection rate.
When we close
If we have to close, for example because of severe weather or an emergency, you will not be charged for that day, or we will credit it to your account. We close on [bank holidays / list days], and these days are not charged.
How to cancel
Cancel through [the app / by email to address / by text to number]. A cancellation counts from the time we receive it. Please do not rely on a voicemail or a social media message.
Your rights
If you booked online or by phone, the law gives you 14 days from booking to cancel. If you ask us to start daycare within those 14 days and then cancel, we may charge for the days already provided. Nothing in this policy affects your statutory rights.
Last updated: [date]
Why it is written this way
Why 48 hours
It is long enough to offer the space to someone on a waiting list and short enough that customers accept it. Some daycares use 24 hours for half days and 7 days for school holidays. Whatever you choose, use the same figure everywhere: website, booking form and invoices.
Keep the charge close to your loss
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 a term that charges a consumer more than your real loss can be unfair and unenforceable. Charging the day rate for a no-show is close to your loss, because the staff are booked. A large flat fee on top is not.
The 14-day rule
Bookings made online or by phone are distance contracts, and the customer has 14 days to cancel. If they ask you to start sooner, you can charge for what you provided before they cancelled, but you have to have told them about the right first. The last section does that.
Make it automatic
A policy only works if it is applied the same way every time. If your booking system can see when a booking was cancelled, it can add the late charge to the invoice without a conversation at drop-off.
Questions owners ask
QWhat is a fair cancellation policy for dog daycare?
QCan I charge for a dog daycare no-show?
QShould I charge if a dog is too ill to come in?
Sources
Duncan
Founder of Genera and owner of Duncan's Dog Co
Duncan has run Duncan's Dog Co, a licensed dog daycare in Surrey, since 2011. Genera is the software he built to run it, shaped by what actually works day to day, not theory.
More free reference pages
Where Genera comes in
Genera keeps the records your licence asks for against every booking: vaccinations, consents, vets and emergency contacts, ready for an inspector.