Rates & Services: (updated, January 2007) Island Animal Care fees are based on the number of calendar days our services are required, including both the day of your departure and the day of your return. NEW: If you arrange with us ahead of time to be home by noon on the day of your return, our fee for that day may be reduced accordingly. Base Rate #1: Our fees begin at $25 per day for a basic housesit on Denman, which can include up to two cats for the same price. We sleep over every nite you are away for no extra charge. If you live on Hornby or elsewhere in the Comox Valley, additional transportation fees apply. Base Rate #2: If you have one dog, our fees begins at $35 per day, including overnite stays as required at no extra charge. If you live on Hornby or elsewhere in the Comox Valley, additional transportation costs apply. Base Rate #3: If you have other animals, such as a second dog, additional companion animals, chickens or livestock, our fee begins at $40 per day. Additional charges may apply, depending on responsibilities involved, or your location.

General Services: Providing your companion animals the kind of trustworthy care and reassurance they deserve in your absence is our top priority. This means we don't just drop by to fill up a food dish- we spend quality time with your animals each day, and are happy to be there for them when they wake up each morning. We are also experienced in administering some forms of medication. Regrettably, we are not available to provide round the clock or palliative care for infirm animals. We do our best to maintain your animals' familiar feeding and outdoor routines, while requiring some time flexibility in order to go about our own varied daily schedules. You can rest assured that your animals will never be left unattended for any extended period of time. For example, it is our policy not to leave a dog alone in the house for more than 4 to 5 hours at the most on any day such an absence may be necessary, and always make sure he or she receives adequate exercise. We are happy to keep in touch with you by e-mail or phone while you are away, and to monitor any other incoming calls according to your wishes. Please note that our general services do not include the responsibilities associated with maintaining home-based businesses. However, we're always open to discussing the needs of our clients and may be able to negotiate additional assistance. Our service automatically includes picking up your mail and watering the houseplants as required, and leaving your home in the same condition you left it. Again, depending on the length of your absence, we may be available for additional chores (like garden or household maintenance) for a negotiable hourly wage in addition to the Base Rate applicable to your situation. Before your trip we drop by to go over house details, meet the animals and learn about each one's specific requirements. Click here for a convenient check list to cover when planning your time away. We'll go over this with you to make sure we have all the information we need, and you can relax knowing no important details were overlooked or might be forgotten. Related Services: We also do periodic home and property checks for folks away over long periods of time when there are no animals involved. Our rates vary, depending upon individual needs.

Booking: Please call or e-mail any time to inquire about our availability during the dates you have in mind for travel. It's always a good idea to do this well in advance when possible. We are happy to make tentative arrange- ments with you until you are ready to confirm a schedule for our services. If someone else becomes interested in our services for the same period of time, we will get in touch right away and offer you priority booking. If your plans change well ahead of time and our services are no longer required, no problem...just let us know. We're often in demand these days, though, so advance notice really is necessary. Thankyou for reading our cancellation policy (below) before reserving our time on your behalf! You can always count on Island Animal Care to follow through on our commitment to you and your animals. In return, we request that our clients provide at least one week's advance notice in the event that their travel dates change, or our services are no longer required for all or part of a confirmed booking (i.e., because a friend or relative has suddenly become available to take our place, or a decision is made to come home early, etc.) If this advance notice is not possible, please note that we require full coverage for the days originally confirmed as reserved for you. This is because once we've said 'yes' to one client, our services may no longer be available for another. We also routinely adjust our own personal calendars in order to accommodate our Island Animal Care commitments, including other daily work activities and recreational plans both on and off of Denman. Please refer to booking for further information. Payment: Full payment for our services is due the day they are are completed. NEW: Please do not leave or write a cheque prior to receiving our invoice. We will make billing arrangements with you when you call to let us know you're home safe and sound, if we are not there to greet you upon your return. Thankyou! Back to top