1. Your Dog’s Health and Welfare

At PawPaw Land, your dog’s health, safety and welfare are our primary concerns throughout every stage of the grooming process.

Before attending, all dogs must have a current vaccination certificate, as required under the Victorian State Government’s Code of Practice for Dog Boarding and Daycare Establishments under the Domestic Animals Act 1996.

If we believe your dog is experiencing fear or stress at any stage of the grooming process, we will, wherever possible, implement alternative handling strategies to help alleviate their discomfort. This may require additional time or grooming sessions to address these concerns.

During grooming, we may identify pre-existing health or skin conditions. Any such concerns will be communicated to you, and you will be responsible for arranging appropriate follow-up care with your veterinarian.

In the unlikely event of an accident during grooming or a medical emergency, you authorise PawPaw Land to seek emergency veterinary treatment for your dog.

2. Customer Information and Privacy

All customer information provided to PawPaw Land is treated confidentially and maintained for reference purposes to support the safe and appropriate grooming of your dog.

3. Aggressive or Poorly Socialised Dogs

PawPaw Land reserves the right to refuse grooming services for any dog whose behaviour may pose a risk of injury to itself or our staff.

If a dog displays aggression or concerning behaviour that was not disclosed before the appointment, the grooming session will be stopped immediately, and the full fee incurred.

Owners must inform PawPaw Land of any previous history of biting, aggression or behavioural concerns before their dog's grooming appointment.

Owners' attention is drawn to the Domestic Animals Act 1994, which addresses owner liability for dog bites and injuries.

We kindly ask that all dogs are given an opportunity to toilet before arriving for their appointment. If a dog toilets on the grooming table, an additional cleaning fee of $25.00 will apply.

4. Grooming Prices and Additional Charges

All quoted grooming prices are based on the following assumptions:

1. Your dog’s coat is well maintained and free from knots, matting and tangles.
2. Your dog is well behaved, displays no aggression and is groomed at the recommended intervals.
3. Your dog is not overweight or oversized for its breed.

All grooming appointments must be prepaid.
We are happy to accommodate nervous or timid dogs wherever possible. However, additional charges may apply where extra time, care or specialised handling is required.

Additional charges may also apply for dogs with matted or poorly maintained coats, or dogs presenting with fleas. Any additional charges incurred must be paid before collection.

For our current grooming prices, please visit:
PawPaw Land Grooming Rates 

5. Salon Exclusivity

PawPaw Land operates strictly by appointment to provide a calm, controlled and low-risk grooming environment.

Our quoted grooming prices include exclusive use of the grooming salon during your dog's appointment, together with an applicable discount for our loyal doggy daycare clients.

The only time more than one dog is allowed in the grooming area is when they are from the same household. If you have two dogs, only one of whom is groomed, and they are not used to being apart, the second can remain at our discretion.

6. Neglected or Matted Coats

At PawPaw Land, we prioritise humanity before vanity.
Should a dog be presented with a matted or neglected coat, if our opinion is that it will be kinder to shave the coat back completely, we will contact you first for permission and this will be done in compliance with The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (POCTA) 1986. Animals are to be protected from pain, injury, and suffering. This incurs extra charges due to time and extra wear and tear on equipment.

In instances where the above is necessary, it can lead to skin irritation and other conditions. On some breeds the coat may not grow back in the same manner. PawPaw Land Grooming and its staff, will not be liable for any effects which may arise from this.

7. Appointment Times, Late Arrivals and Collections

Grooming appointments are scheduled according to the individual needs of each dog, with appropriate time allocated between appointments to minimise overlap and ensure that grooming is not rushed.

Your scheduled appointment time is the time at which we expect to admit your dog into the salon.

If you arrive early, we may not be able to accommodate you immediately.

If you arrive late, we may be unable to proceed with the appointment due to scheduling constraints or animal welfare considerations. In such circumstances, a fee will apply.

Customers arriving 30 minutes or more after their scheduled appointment time will be considered a no-show and charged the full appointment fee.

Late collections will incur an additional fee of $25.00 per 30 minutes, as delays may affect subsequent appointments.

We kindly ask all customers to respect their scheduled appointment and collection times so that we can extend the same level of care and consideration to every dog in our salon.

8. Cancellations and No-Shows

We understand that circumstances may arise requiring you to reschedule or cancel your dog’s grooming appointment.

Our cancellation policy is as follows:

• More than 48 hours' notice: No cancellation fee applies.
• Between 24 and 48 hours' notice: A cancellation fee equivalent to 50% of the scheduled appointment fee applies.
• Less than 24 hours' notice: The full appointment fee is payable.
• Failure to attend (no-show): The full appointment fee is payable.

Where cancellation or no-show fees remain outstanding, no further grooming appointments will be accepted until the account has been settled.

9. Grooming Feedback and Customer Satisfaction

Following each grooming session, our groomer will advise you of any concerns, difficulties or issues identified during your dog’s appointment.

We encourage you to raise any questions or concerns regarding the groom at the time of collection.

If you are happy with the service provided, we would greatly appreciate a Google review.

Leave a Google Review – PawPaw Land Blackburn

A significant proportion of our business comes from returning customers, and we are committed to maintaining the quality and consistency of our grooming services. To support this, we ask customers to book their next grooming appointment at the time of collection, in consultation with our groomer.

10. Photography and Social Media

From time to time, PawPaw Land may photograph dogs before, during or after grooming to demonstrate our work and for training, educational and informational purposes.

These photographs may also be shared on our social media platforms.

If you do not wish photographs of your dog to appear on social media, please inform our team at the time of the groom.

11. Concerns or Complaints

Your dog’s welfare and your satisfaction with our services are important to us.

If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of your dog’s grooming experience, please speak directly with our groomer and/or centre manager so that your concerns can be addressed.