06/01/2026
‼️🐾 BATH, EXIT BATH & MATTED COAT POLICY 🐾‼️
For the comfort, health, safety, and well-being of all pets, we would like to share important information regarding bath services, exit baths, and matted coats.
If a pet arrives for boarding, pet sitting, daycare, or a bath service with existing matting, especially severe matting, an exit bath or standard bath will not remove, correct, or resolve those mats. In many cases, dense matting cannot be safely brushed or combed out and may require professional grooming to be shaved or carefully removed.
Matting develops over time and does not occur overnight. Severe matting is generally the result of pre-existing tangles, knots, or lack of routine coat maintenance that have progressively tightened over days, weeks, or longer periods. Areas commonly affected include the ears, tail, legs, armpits, groin area, behind the collar or harness, and other friction points. Long-coated breeds, doodles, poodles, and other curly, fluffy, or high-maintenance coats are particularly prone to matting without regular grooming.
During a bath service or exit bath following a boarding stay, matting may become more visible once the coat has been washed, dried, separated, and thoroughly examined. Some matting may be hidden beneath the outer coat and not immediately apparent during check-in or drop-off.
Any matting identified before, during, or after services may be documented through date- and time-stamped photographs, intake records, service notes, and staff observations. When visible matting is observed at drop-off, photographs may be taken and retained in your pet’s file to document the condition of the coat upon arrival.
If severe matting is discovered, we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible. For the safety, comfort, and well-being of your pet, we do not brush out, pull apart, comb through, or remove severe mats. Attempting to do so can be painful, may cause significant stress, and can result in skin irritation, bruising, cuts, or other injuries. Pets requiring mat removal may need evaluation and treatment by a professional groomer.
Please note that matting severe enough that a comb or brush cannot safely pass through the coat is considered pre-existing and would have developed prior to the pet’s arrival. While existing mats may become more noticeable during or after a bath, the bath itself does not create severe matting.
In the event of any question, concern, or dispute regarding the condition of a pet’s coat, Your Friendly Neighborhood Pet Sitters will rely on date- and time-stamped photographs, intake documentation, service records, staff notes, and observations made before, during, and after services to document the pet’s condition. These records will serve as the official documentation of the pet’s coat condition upon arrival and throughout the duration of services.
Our boarding, pet sitting, daycare, and bath services focus on providing attentive daily care, including feeding, supervision, exercise, comfort, enrichment, and general well-being. Grooming-related conditions that exist prior to a pet’s stay or appointment, including matting, coat neglect, or lack of regular grooming maintenance, remain the responsibility of the pet owner.
We appreciate your understanding and encourage routine brushing, coat maintenance, and professional grooming appointments to help keep your pet comfortable, healthy, and mat-free
