Dog Walker Agreement

What is a dog walker agreement?

A dog walker agreement can be used by a person who charges for their services as a dog walker. This dog walker agreement is designed for use in England and Wales.

What is the difference between a dog walker agreement and an employment/work contract?

A dog walker agreement will be used where a dog walker is selling their services to consumers* as an independent, small business. A dog walker agreement is a type of service agreement.

Employees and workers are employed under an employment contract or contract for work. They will report to the employer and will have certain rights and protections.

A consumer is an individual who purchases goods and/or services from a business for personal use. Consumers have certain legal rights and protections.

Is it mandatory to have a written dog walker agreement?

No. A dog walker can offer their services on a casual basis, by verbal agreement. However, a written agreement can be helpful in order to:

• formalise and regulate the agreement between the dog owner (the customer) and the dog walker
• confirm the responsibilities of each party
• confirm how booking and payment for the services will operate
• outline the nature and extent of the liability of the dog walker

Liability means the legal responsibility of a party for something. If a party's liability is successfully excluded in relation to a particular issue, this means that they will have no legal obligations concerning that matter, including no requirement to pay legal damages.

What is not allowed in a dog walker agreement?

An agreement between a business and a consumer should never:

• exclude liability for any statutory legal rights that exist in relation to the supply of services (these are rights about the required standard of services that are defined in consumer laws)
• exclude or restrict liability for death or personal injury resulting from negligence

Who can enter into a dog walker agreement?

This dog walker agreement may be used by a casual dog walker, who operates as an individual or as a small business (a sole trader). The dog walker may be registered as a private limited company and in that case, the company can be named on the contract. The customer will be an individual consumer.

Any natural person, entering into a contract should have full capacity (meaning that they are of sound mind). Generally speaking, they should be over the age of 18*.

Entering into a contract with a child is complex, and specialist advice should be sought in those circumstances.

What can the duration of a dog walker agreement be?

The dog walker agreement will comprise of terms and conditions that will apply to any dog walk undertaken by the dog walker on behalf of the customer, each time that they make a booking.

The agreement will specify the circumstances in which the customer can cancel a single booking or cancel all future bookings.

What has to be done once the dog walker agreement is ready?

A signed version of the agreement should be kept by the dog walker. Each new customer who wishes to make a booking should be invited to read the agreement carefully before signing it. It is possible to ask the customer to agree to/sign the agreement electronically. It is not necessary for the signatures to be witnessed.

Once the agreement has been signed by both parties and once the dog walker has accepted a booking, the agreement will commence.

Which documents should be attached to a dog walker agreement?

The agreement will have two documents attached to it:

• a pet information form - for the customer to complete
• a cancellation form – this is a suggested template for the customer to use, should they wish to cancel any bookings.

Is dog walking a regulated profession?

Dog walking is not currently regulated, but some professional dog walkers choose to register with a professional association such as the Professional Dog Walkers Association.

There is no single national law that requires professional dog walkers to hold a licence and many dog walkers will therefore not hold a licence. However, some local rules may require a professional dog walker to hold a licence. For example, if a commercial dog walker wishes to walk dogs around the Royal Parks then a licence is required. It is therefore important to check local rules and regulations.

What other documents might a dog walker need?

A dog walker will need to consider creating a:

• complaints policy
• privacy policy
• website acceptable use policy

What should be included in a dog walker agreement?

A dog walker agreement should include information about:

• the dog walker – including the nature of the dog walker's business and whether they are registered as a company
• the services – confirm the nature of the dog walking, the location of the services and the standards that can be expected of the services
• bookings – this will explain how the services can be requested and agreement will commence
• cancellations – the right of the customer to cancel in certain circumstances
• the payment terms – how and when payments must be made by the customer
• the responsibility and consent of the customer - this will explain to the customer what is expected of them and their dog
• the liability of the dog walker – including any exclusions and limitations

What laws apply to a dog walker agreement?

The general principles of contract law will apply to this agreement.

The customer will be protected as a consumer under:

• The Consumer Rights Act 2015
• The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, SI 2013/3134

There are also important laws and rules applicable to walking dogs in public, including:

• The Animal Welfare Act 2006
• The Animals Act 1971
• The Control of Dogs Order 1992
• The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (as amended)
• The Highway Code
• The Countryside Code

Help from a lawyer

You can choose to consult a lawyer if you need help.

The lawyer can answer your questions or help you through the process. You will be offered this option when you complete the document.

How to modify the template?

You fill out a form. The document is created before your eyes as you respond to the questions.

At the end, you receive it in Word and PDF formats. You can modify it and reuse it.