Terms & Conditions And Release of Liability 2023

Our My Second Home resorts in DIP-2 and AlQuoz-4 specialise in providing very high quality short, medium, and long -term accommodation for dogs (and a small number of cats in DIP), Daycare facilities, Dog Parks for owners and their dogs, Pet Taxi services, Grooming, Training and Wellbeing. Each facility also has an on-site food and accessories shop.

For us to deliver the highest possible quality of service and care for your pet, it is important for you to engage with us by agreeing to share and respect our core values and house rules. It is implicit in your acceptance of our Membership offer, that you agree to abide by all the rules; which are as follows.

Dress Code

All guests with four legs must wear a flat, snap or buckle-on collar with name tag when they’re with us. This is for their safety and to make sure we don’t confuse them with look-alikes. If your dog doesn’t have a tag – or it falls off on the way to us, our Guest Services teams can help by choosing a simple one and adding the cost to your account. The Municipal tag is breakable, so we recommend attaching it to your dog’s leash and not around the collar.

Choke, pinch or prong collars and any sort of chain, are not permitted. Harnesses are OK.

Health

Guest safety and welfare is our number one priority.

To make sure we have everything ready prior to your arrival we need you to complete a Guest Profile so that our teams can understand as much as possible about your pet’s character and needs.

Aside from specific details, it is important that all guests are in good health when they come to us. They must not have had or been exposed to any contagious or communicable illnesses within the 30 days prior to their arrival and if there’s any sign of vomiting, coughing, gagging, sneezing, runny nose, inflamed/red eyes or diarrhoea, we’ll most likely ask you to come back when he or she has made a full recovery. We would also suggest that you don’t make a reservation for any pet that has been diagnosed with a terminal illness – particularly if the condition is at an advanced stage.

We cannot admit any pet with stitches, bandages, a cast, head cone, or splint. These pets have special needs that can be better met in a veterinarian/hospital setting. Neither can we accept any pet that is pregnant or in season.

If your pet does need regular medication, please make sure it’s clearly labelled with specific instructions so that we can maintain the routine. Our Handlers will give your pet whatever oral medication it needs without charging you an extra fee.

All visitors and guests must have up to date vaccinations (Rabies and DHPPi) as well as the Kennel Cough vaccine. Evidence of sufficient protection from the vaccines against Parvovirus, Hepatitis and Distemper in particular, must be provided via a satisfactory VacciCheck Antibody Titer check. We may require the VacciCheck to be repeated every two years. Cats must have up to date Tricat Trio and Rabies vaccination. In Dubai it is compulsory to give your dogs the Rabies and DHPPi vaccinations annually.

We also recommend routine de-worming and monthly flea and tick treatment. Please notify us of any significant health issues and/or any changes in your pet’s recent behaviour or routine. Your pet’s health is our priority and anything that you think might be relevant – probably is.

All members are required to provide a full medical history on their pets. MSH reserves the right to contact the nominated veterinary clinic to follow through on any information provided. Clients are asked to authorise their veterinary clinic to cooperate with MSH should their pet’s condition be of any risk to other pets at the facilities.

If your dog has visited any other facility in the last two weeks, please inform us in advance before your arrival so we can avoid cross contamination/transfer of any viruses from anywhere else.

BEHAVIOUR

All visitors need to undergo a behaviour and temperament assessment and we reserve the right to refuse entry to our resorts by any dogs that shows signs of behaviour that is likely to disrupt the harmony of the dog groups. Admission will only be possible when such dogs have been neutered or spayed and have then passed a behaviour assessment.

If your dog starts to display unacceptable behaviour while with us, we will take him or her out of the general play area for some time-out. The length of the time-out will obviously vary. If time-out does not fix the issue, we will insist on a return home until the problem has been sorted out. Our behaviour specialists will be able to help. If it has been 6 months or more since we last saw your dog, we will do another assessment to make sure nothing has changed.

LIABILITY

We will do everything within our power to ensure your pet is kept safe while using our facilities. However, skirmishes sometimes break out wherever dogs play together and socialise. In the unlikely event that this happens and requires a level of urgent specialist attention beyond that which we can provide in-house, our team will arrange for your pet to be taken to your preferred veterinary practice. The likelihood is that we’ll be able to contact you for permission prior to your dog being admitted for care, but if we are presented with an emergency where we don’t have time to seek your approval, your veterinary surgeon’s decision will be final. We strongly suggest that you let your vet know that your dog is boarding with us so that the process is as smooth as possible if we need professional help. In such circumstances, it is each owner’s obligation to take full responsibility for any veterinary costs incurred on behalf of their own dog. We do not accept any responsibility for injuries or meeting the cost of their treatment and will expect you to sign a waiver absolving us from any liability as a condition of your Membership.

It’s a What?

We’ll accept any dog breed if it is well-mannered and passes our assessment and we reserve the right to refuse entry to our resorts by any dogs that show signs of behaviour that is likely to disrupt the harmony of the dog groups. Admission will only be possible when such dogs have been neutered or spayed and have then passed a behaviour assessment.

As we operate a Company rather than as a Registered Charity, any dog that the Veterinary Services Section of Dubai Municipality’s Public health Department has banned from the UAE under its Ministerial Decree No 348/2008, Article 7, will be required to wear a muzzle in our public areas and observe any of the special conditions stipulated by this regulation..  

Bookings, Deposits & Payment

Members can book any of our services by phoning (04 881 8002 or 04 881 8005 for our DIP facility and 04 546 3889 or 04 546 3890 for our Al Quoz facility) or emailing (info@mysecondhomedubai.com) our Guest Services teams or coming to see us in person. Please be aware that all bookings must be confirmed in writing. Texts, Facebook messages, Tweets, voicemails, and carrier pigeons are handy alternatives but can be misunderstood and cause confusion – as can messages that are communicated to our Drivers/Handlers. So, to be on the safe side, we will disregard any request or instruction that is not followed up with an email confirmation. Similarly, we’ll email you with confirmation.

We expect to be paid for all our services before we deliver them. In terms of boarding, all bookings need to be confirmed by payment of 50% of the total anticipated cost in advance and within 48 hours of the booking being made. The balance must be paid before your pet arrives for check-in.

If any scheduled payment isn’t made, we reserve the right to cancel the arrangements without any notice.

We aim to issue a relevant receipt for every payment. If we haven’t done so within 24 hours, let us know and we’ll organise it straight away.

For all boarding reservations of more 10 nights, an AED1,000 deposit will be required to cover incidentals such as food or unexpected bills from your chosen vet. Any unused portion of the deposit will be refunded at check-out.

Size Matters

You can choose from the following room categories for your pet’s stay with us: Little Gems (DIP only), Standard Suite, Deluxe Suite, Royal Suite, Presidential Suite (DIP only), Family Suite & Villa (DIP only).

Each room has been designed with dogs of certain sizes in mind, and to comply with international pet boarding standards and local municipal regulations.

Little Gems – Dogs weighing 8kg or less

Standard Suite – 10kg or less

Deluxe Single Occupancy – 20kg or less

Deluxe Double Occupancy – each dog must be 10kg or less

Royal Single Occupancy – 40kg or less

Royal Double Occupancy – each dog must be 30kg or less

Presidential Single Occupancy – above 40kg

Presidential Double Occupancy – any two dogs above 40kg

Presidential Triple Occupancy – any 3 dogs

Family Suite – any 4 dogs of the same family

We reserve the right to make the final decision on a room category based on each dog’s overall height, size, and weight.

Only dogs of the same family can stay in the same room.

Cancellations

If you cancel a boarding booking one month or less before your scheduled arrival (or don’t turn up at all) you forfeit your deposit and we may charge you 100% of the cost of the entire stay to cover the loss of business. If you cancel a boarding booking one month or more before your scheduled arrival, any funds already paid at that point will be credited to your MSH account for future use. The cost of any Daycare bookings that are cancelled within 24 hours of your scheduled arrival will be charged in full. This includes any pick-up/drop-off charges. The cost of any Training or Grooming bookings that are cancelled within 24 hours of your scheduled arrival will be charged in full. In every case, cancellations must be communicated by email to info@mysecondhomedubai.com. For obvious reasons, we cannot recognise changes to bookings or cancellations that are communicated in any other way.

Chips & Tags

The Veterinary Services Section of Dubai’s Public Health Department has ruled that all dogs and cats in the Emirates must have an implanted microchip and that all relevant information must be recorded on it.

Don’t confuse the microchip with the Dubai Municipality Tag – even though your dog must have them both. The chip is carefully and painlessly inserted into the animal’s neck by a vet. The Municipality tag is the little plastic disc that all dogs and cats must have with them always. 

All Dogs & Cats must have a valid passport with owner’s details. In case of any intra-family disputes among the owners the registered owner will have the right to assume ownership and control of a relevant pet that is in our custody. If there are any changes to the ownership, please inform us immediately by email from your registered email address. 

Talk to our Guest Services teams if there’s anything you are not sure about.

Food & Meal Times

We highly recommend that your pet sticks to its usual diet during its stay with us, and that you therefore bring with you enough of its regular food when you come to check-in. This will help any pet with a sensitive tummy to feel even more at home. If you do not bring your own food, we will feed your pets our in-house food (Taste of Wild Dry Food only – wet food is not included).

If you choose to follow our suggestion and provide your pet’s regular food, we can store, freeze, refrigerate and microwave it as requested. We ask that you pre-portion it in plastic bags. There is no charge for special food preparation, and you are also welcome to bring favourite treats from home. That said, please do not supply any treats that are made from rawhide or that may be considered a choking hazard. To be clear, in the absence of any specific dietary requests, we will offer our standard in-house food.

Ideally, we would like your dog to adjust to our mealtimes. Our guests have the option of being fed once, twice or three times each day.

We suggest that you limit the amount of food you provide your pet on the day of arrival because guests tend to get very excited when they reach the resort. Likewise, food and water should be limited for the first hour or two after your pet arrives back home. This will allow him or her time to settle down.

STAYING WITH US – OVERNIGHTING

We recommend bringing your pet’s own bedding to help with the settling-in. Should your pup not have a bed – or you forget to bring it, it’s not the end of the world as we have a small number of loan beds. It might be best not to bring small toys that could produce a choke hazard – or any with sentimental value as accidents do occasionally happen.

Check-in is open between 8am-noon. Whatever time you arrive; you’ll be charged for that night.

On check-out day, if you pick-up before 2pm you will not be charged for that day. It is always worth asking us for a late check-out if you need one because we understand circumstances can change for all sorts of reasons. Should you be unable to meet the check-in or check-out times, please contact us so we may make an alternative plan.

We offer a complimentary Pick-Up and Drop-Off service in a shared taxi for all pets staying 5 nights or longer. This service operates between 6am and 9am as well as 4pm and 8pm. If you choose a complimentary Drop-Off, there will be no charge for using this service after 2pm. If you’d prefer your dog to be dropped-off earlier than 2pm, the Private Delivery Rate will apply.

We designed our facilities to consider homes with more than one dog. Up to four dogs from the same family can share a room or suite at our DIP facility if they will be happier doing so. Size restrictions mentioned earlier apply).

All dogs that stay with us for 5 nights or more are treated to a complimentary basic bath before they leave us. If you feel they deserve any additional pampering, say the word and we’ll add the cost to your bill.

VISITING US – DAYCARE

As with every luxury hotel, Guest Services in our reception areas must be your first stop when you are arriving to drop-off for Daycare. We know you’d be alarmed if we didn’t have rigorous safety and security procedures so, please be patient – our check-in teams may make mistakes if you try and rush them. Make sure you book at least 24 hours ahead to avoid disappointment and we must insist that both you and your dog are attached to the end of a leash when you arrive at Reception.

Unlimited filtered water is readily available throughout your dog’s Daycare visit, but we don’t feed Daycare guests unless arrangements have been made in writing and in advance. Remember to bring your pet’s usual food with you.

Daycare provides your pets with social and physical activities that are supervised by trained handlers. In addition, the pets can rest in their groups according to the schedule. We don’t recommend individual rest times as separated pets may then suffer unnecessary anxiety. However, if you feel very strongly that your dog needs time-out on its own, we’d need written authority – and even then, could only offer private time if we had an available room. Though our boarding guests spend only a small amount of time in their rooms during the day, the room is theirs and can’t be shared with Daycare guests.

Daycare Reception is open between 8am-8pm daily in DIP and 7am-7pm in Al Quoz. If you need your dog to arrive or leave outside these hours, please make use of our Pet Taxi service.

If you can’t collect your Daycare dog by 8pm and haven’t organised a drop-off, we’ll organise a nice room and an equally nice bill for a night’s stay.

VISITING US – DOG PARK

Our amazing Dog Parks can be pre-booked by our Members for one-hour playtime slots, subject to availability.

When you arrive for you pre-arranged slot, please keep your dog on its leash until you’re both inside the Park’s perimeter fence.

Leashes can be removed once you’re beyond the perimeter fence upon arrival and then again before you open the perimeter fence gate at the end of playtime. Dog Park users tend to get very excited prior to arrival, so please don’t loiter around the Park entrance any longer than necessary.

While it’s fine to bring silent toys into the Dog Park, we’d rather you didn’t bring ones that make a noise (such as a squeak) as it can cause other dogs to display unacceptable behaviour. 

No food or treats of any kind may be given to pets in the Dog Park.

From time to time, we need to close the Dog Park so that training classes can take place. If there’s a clash between closure for Training and your preferred visit slot, you’ll be alerted when you get in touch to book.

We also close the Dog Park during Special Member Events – notably those that are restricted to certain breeds. These are usually in the evening at weekends. They’re heavily publicised to make sure everyone has sufficient advanced warning and again, you’ll be made aware when you get in touch to book your Dog Park slot.

Each dog’s safety and welfare is entirely the Member’s own responsibility when it’s in our Dog Park and we can’t accept liability whatsoever for any injury it may incur while using the Park. Use of the Park is entirely at the Member’s own risk as the Member will be asked to absolve us from any liability as a condition of becoming a Member. This particularly applies to the Park’s agility equipment, which is provided to enhance the dog’s enjoyment and is not designed for humans. Again, use of it is entirely at the Member’s own risk.

Please do not leave your dog unsupervised during a Park visit. Keep a leash in your hand or bag and make sure you are always within sight and voice range. If you struggle to stay in control, let us know and we will assess the situation accordingly.

We must insist that there is at least one human accompanying every three dogs to our Parks. To be clear, if you’re bringing four dogs, you must bring a second responsible adult with you. If you have 7 dogs, you’ll need two adults with you.

Waste management is down to you – there’s no shortage of poo bags around the Park. Please make sure you tie the bag before throwing it in the dustbin.

Should your dog have an upset tummy or vomit, please notify a staff member immediately and we will help you to attend to the matter with additional cleaning equipment.

If your normally well-behaved friend lets you down and starts showing signs of aggression, put him or her on the leash straight away until things become calmer. Should the bad behaviour continue, ask for help from a Handler. If things don’t improve, we will have to ask you to come back another day.

My Second Home resorts are non-smoking facilities, and we would appreciate your help to keep them that way. External smoking areas have been designated away from the animal areas.

For the safety of guests of all species, children under 12 years old are not permitted in the Dog Parks.

CATTERY (DIP ONLY)

All cats must be registered with us before they arrive to stay.

All relevant vaccinations must be up to date and he or she must be wearing its municipality ID tag.

We have Deluxe Suites for single occupants and Presidential Suites for up to two cats from the same family.

GROOMING

All our grooming facilities are available to all pets with valid annual vaccinations.

Pets that are not registered with MSH will be required to fill in a registration form – or at least their owners will.

We can’t accept female dogs that are in season.

You must make us aware of any skin conditions – and bring along a medical report so that we can ensure that the condition is neither contagious nor infectious. If you can’t do so, we won’t be able to accept your dog for grooming until he or she has recovered fully.

Although our groomers are highly skilled and experienced, we can’t take responsibility for any injury, allergic reaction or illness sustained during grooming – unless it’s clear that we’ve done something wrong.

Banned Breeds and pets with aggression issues must wear a muzzle when they arrive for grooming. In the unlikely event that your pet displays unacceptable or dangerous behaviour during grooming, the groomer may feel it necessary to end the session early. If that happens, the full fee will be payable even if the procedure has not been completed.

The welfare of your pet remains your responsibility during the grooming process, so it’s important that you send us an email in advance detailing any relevant behavioural information, medical conditions, or unusual coat conditions. Medical reports must also be sent if you think they will help us provide the high-quality service upon which we pride ourselves.

Please note that severely matted dogs may not necessarily end up looking the way you want them to at the end of the grooming session. The groomer will contact you if matting is severe and discuss options. Once you give the groomer to go ahead, the outcome cannot be contested. If your dog arrives severely matted and we can’t get hold of you to discuss options, we will not proceed with the grooming treatment, but you will be charged for the service in full.

Non-Member pets will rest in our grooming cubicles after the grooming treatment until you arrive for collection.

Member pets will be given a chance to wait for you in Daycare after their treatment, unless you instruct us otherwise by email to info@mysecondhomedubai.com.

We expect to be paid in full for all grooming services before your dog leaves the parlour and can only accept bookings subject to availability.

PARKING AND COMMON AREAS

The use of our parking and common areas is entirely at your own risk.

Your dog must be either on a leash or in a pet carrier when he or she is in our parking area, reception, shop, grooming parlour or on our stairs.

TAXI SERVICE

Pick-Ups and Drop-Offs are managed by our Driver and Handler Teams. Call or email us 24 hours before you need our help. This service is subject to availability and will be confirmed by SMS or WhatsApp from our side.

If you will not be at home when our team arrives, you may make special arrangements to give us access to your property to safely collect or deliver your pets. Although we carefully screen all our drivers to make sure we can rely on their integrity and honesty, we will ask you for written confirmation of your authority for our colleagues to be issued with a key to your home. In the highly unlikely event your keys are lost or stolen whilst in our possession we will contact you straight away and accept full liability for the reasonable cost of replacing the relevant locks. That will be the extent of our liability.

Although our popular Pick-Up and Drop-Off service can be booked by email or phone, many members choose to buy a monthly package. If you prefer to pay as you go, make sure you do so beforehand because we prefer our Teams to focus on their precious cargo rather than collecting cash.

To keep driving time and costs down, our schedulers try to calculate Pick-up and Drop-Off times to consider routes, traffic, and groups of dogs from the same or neighbouring communities. Schedules can easily be impacted by unforeseen complications – notably Dubai traffic, so please be patient if they run a little late.

When requesting times for Pick-Up and Drop-Off, make sure you give us a 1-hour window. Once the day’s schedule has been completed, we will give you the time within a 20-minute window. For safety purposes, pets being transported in our larger Vans will travel in specially designed and secured transport crates that are fitted inside each vehicle.

Finally, please bear in mind that our Pick-Up and Drop-Off service is a meticulously planned transport facility and can’t be used for pet-sitting. The Team has a tight schedule and will respectfully decline requests to spend additional time in your residence feeding and tending to your pets.

THE SMALL PRINT

Should your account remain inactive for a period of 12 months, your membership will be cancelled, and you will be required to go through the process from the beginning, including paying the Membership fee again.

We reserve the right to refuse access to any of our facilities or services by any animal at any time without warning or reason.

We do not take responsibility for any damage or injuries caused to any animals in our care unless they are clearly caused by our negligence.

You are responsible for how your dog behaves while he or she is staying with us and agree to indemnify My Second Home and our staff from liability arising from any damage or injury caused by your dog.

Dogs like to play and sometimes get a bit rough. It is in their nature. We pride ourselves on the vast area of open free play space we offer and although we have Handlers close by, there may be occasions when some guests become a little over-zealous. It is important to understand and accept that when dogs play in groups, they may sustain minor nicks, bruises, and scratches. If this happens, we will notify you immediately and provide whatever treatment is necessary at your cost.

It is imperative to note that dogs, much like any living organism on this planet, have aggression as a natural part of their behavioural repertoire. As humans we need to understand this and that should a dog be startled or in a heightened state of arousal, it is possible for a human to get bitten, scratched or knocked over. Depending on the size of the dog/s, humans also stand a chance of being injured by a dog or dogs. Bearing this is mind, you are fully responsible for your own safety, and we do not take any responsibility for any injuries sustained.

And finally, like animals, humans are not always predictable – but we insist that you show respect to fellow users of the facility.

Any rude or disrespectful behaviour will not be tolerated, and although we do not take responsibility for insult or injury caused by it, we do reserve the right to end your visit to the facility if your behaviour becomes unacceptable.

In signing our House Rules, you confirm that you have read, understand, and agree to abide by them. You also appreciate and accept that the rules may change from time to time. You take full responsibility for you dog while he or she is staying or playing at the facility. We will produce two copies of your contract with us, and each copy must be signed for the contract to become effective. 

INJURY RELEASE

In signing the Injury Release you will represent that you are the legal owner of the named dog(s)/cat(s). You’ll say you understand and agree that during normal  play, your dog(s)/cat(s) may sustain injuries. 

The Release will also commit you to agreeing that you will assume all risks, dangers, and responsibility for injuries to your dog(s)/cat(s) or caused to another dog by them while at an MSH resort.

You will also commit to agreeing that neither MSH nor any of its employees, staff, or volunteers will be liable for any illness, injury, death, and/or escape of your dog(s)/cat(s) provided that reasonable care and precautions are followed, and you will release MSH staff or volunteers of any liability of any kind whatsoever arising from or because of your dog(s)/cat(s) attending MSH.

PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO RELEASE

The release will ask you to agree that your dog(s)/cat(s) may from time to time be included in photography or video footage while attending MSH resorts. In the event that they are, you will commit to agreeing for MSH to use images/names/likenesses of your dog(s)/cat(s) in any form, for use at any time, in any media, marketing, advertising, illustration, trade or promotional materials without compensation, and you will release to MSH all rights that you may possess or claim to such image, likeness, recording, etc.

DOG’S/CAT’S HEALTH

The Release will ask you to agree that your dog(s)/cat(s) is/are healthy and will always while attending MSH have current stipulated vaccinations. You will commit to not allowing your named dog(s)/cat(s) to attend MSH if you know that during the previous 30 days, it has contracted or is suffering from any condition that could potentially jeopardise the health of other dogs or people. You will also agree that you will not hold MSH responsible if your dog(s)/cat(s) contracts any dog-dog cat-cat transmitted illness while attending an MSH resort.

PERSONAL PROPERTY

The Release will ask you to agree that you are solely responsible for any harm, including to any other pet(s), to the employees or visitors to MSH, or to the equipment, facilities, or other property of MSH caused by your dog(s)/cat(s), and that MSH shall not be responsible or liable for any lost or damaged personal property belonging either to you or your dog(s)/cat(s).

VETERINARIAN LIABILITY AND CARE

 

Finally, the release will ask you to agree that MSH can obtain medical treatment for your dog(s)/cat(s) if he/she appears ill, injured, or exhibits any other behaviour that would reasonably suggest that he/she may need medical treatment including anaesthesia. You will agree to be fully responsible for the cost of any such medical treatment and for the cost of any transportation for the purposes of such treatment, and you will give permission to MSH to use your appointed vet or the nearest 24-hour vet hospital for required treatment.