Frequently Asked Questions

Due to the way our working days are structured, we cannot facilitate these types of requests. However, if you would like us to look after your dog all day or for half a day, you are more than welcome to request multiple back-to-back dog walking sessions, e.g., a 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. walk, a 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. walk, or a 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and a 3 p.m. walk. That way, they would still be out of the home for half a day or the full day, depending on which option you selected. Please note that we do not provide our dog walking service on weekends or bank holidays. Alternatively, you may wish to take a look at our other service options, which are dog home visits or puppy visits. These services are available on weekends and bank holidays, subject to availability.

For dog walking, we will give you daily reports on how your dog is getting on for the first week or until you're happy that they are fully settled in. Once you are happy that they are fully settled in, we will stop providing daily reports. You will see how they get on each day on our social media stories, and you will always be welcome to ask any questions or request specific updates about your dog. For cat sitting, puppy visits, home visits, and pet sitting, we will not contact you following each visit. We reserve contact for access issues, if we need help with something, if we deem it necessary to notify you about something, or emergencies. We will upload pictures and/or videos on our social media stories, so you will see your pet on those each day, as long as they are not shy. ​ Due to the number of services we provide, it is impractical for us to provide every owner with daily reports. This is why we frequently post on our social media stories. We will, of course, contact you when it is necessary or if you specifically request a report occasionally, e.g., if your pet has been feeling unwell and you want to know how they are.

We do not offer overnight dog sitting or dog boarding services.

We have availability most days for dog walking. Monday through Friday, our walk times are 10am, 12:30pm, and 3pm. Our group dog walks are not available to book on weekends or bank holidays. All bookings are subject to availability. Our cat sitters and pet sitters are available 7 days a week, all year round, between 9am and 7pm for cat sitting, pet sitting, puppy visits, home visits, and pet taxi. All bookings are subject to availability.

Below are the following areas that we cover: However, for further clarity, we recommend visiting individual service pages to find out which services we provide in your area. In Manchester, we cover Manchester city centre, Ancoats, Beswick, Clayton, Castlefield, Northern Quarter, Deansgate, Hulme, Spinningfields, Green Quarter, New Islington, Miles Platting, Bradford, Ardwick, Chorlton*, Didsbury*, Withington*, and Whalley Range*. We cannot cover any other areas. In Salford, we cover Greengate, Chapel Street, Blackfriars, Middlewood Locks*, and developments along Oldfield Road*. We cannot cover any other areas. *Cat sitting, pet sitting, puppy visits, home visits, and/or pet taxi only.

We do not have the premises to facilitate a doggy daycare service. However, if you would like us to look after your dog all day or for half a day, you are more than welcome to request multiple back-to-back dog walking sessions, e.g., a 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. walk, a 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. walk, or a 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and a 3 p.m. walk. That way, they would still be out of the home for half a day or the full day, depending on which option you selected. Please note that we do not provide our dog walking service on weekends or bank holidays. Alternatively, you may wish to take a look at our other service options, which are dog home visits or puppy visits. These services are available on weekends and bank holidays, subject to availability.

In the unlikely event of an emergency, we will immediately call you or your nominated emergency contact person if you are unavailable. All our dog walkers are trained in canine first aid. If veterinary assistance is necessary, we will take your pet to your named vet or to the nearest one at the time.

Yes. Our business insurance provides cover for accidents and injuries to animals, public liability, and employer's liability.

We do not offer any discounts or packages.

We train our dog walkers, cat sitters, and pet sitters to provide a high standard of service every time. We are confident that you will not need to raise a concern or make a complaint. However, we recognise that you may deem it necessary to contact us about something. In this case, you must complete our complaint form. Upon receipt of your concern or complaint, we will investigate the matter and contact you to discuss it. We aim to resolve all concerns and complaints within seven working days, but it may take longer if our investigation or response takes longer than anticipated.

If we have availability, yes. However, you would need to complete our client registration process before any services could be agreed. Please submit your details and information about your requirements using our general enquiry form.

If you'd like to make a new booking, please first check that we cover your area before getting in touch. To get rapid answers about our services, bookings, amendments, cancellations, and account servicing and billing, please thoroughly read all relevant sections of our FAQ page. Further information about our services can also be found on individual service pages. If you'd like to go ahead with making a new booking after thoroughly reading all relevant sections of our FAQ page, please complete a general enquiry form. We cannot process a new service enquiry until a general enquiry form has been completed. Providing us with the following information in your initial message will enable us to handle your booking more efficiently: - Information about your pet e.g, breed, age, and their personality -Details of your requirements, including how many days per week/which days ​ Once you have completed our client registration process, we will provide you with your client portal log-in details so that you can easily create and manage your pet(s) profile(s), update your personal information, and book and manage your services online.

We assign work schedules to our employees when services are booked. We are unable to cancel a schedule issued to our employees in the event of last-minute cancellations because doing so would be unfair to them and could negatively impact their personal lives. We may also have had to decline other client requests due to a reserved space.

If you're going to be at home on your dog's first day, we will collect them from you then. If you have to be at work and don't have a concierge to leave them with, or you have booked a sitting service because you are going away, the quickest and easiest way to get your keys to us is by handing them in to reception at our registered office: City Address 132 - 134 Great Ancoats Street Manchester M4 6DE Our office is located on the corner of Great Ancoats Street and Ducie Street, opposite Stocktons. It is the blue mailbox rental building. It is open between the hours of 9:30am and 3pm Monday to Thursday, 9:30am and 2:30pm on Fridays, and 10am and 12pm on Saturdays. Please be aware that our office is closed on Sundays and bank holidays. You must arrive at least two hours before the scheduled closing time if your service is scheduled for the same day or the following day. When you arrive, you must complete our short client key drop-off form. Alternatively, you may choose to contact us to arrange collection. However, please be mindful that we may not be available to collect them in time from you before your dog's first day/your departure.

Yes. We have many clients that use our services as and when required. We also have non-resident clients that live elsewhere, and use our services when they are visiting for leisure or work purposes. Once you have completed our initial client registration process, you can request services as many times as you like, whenever you like, using your client portal. You only need to complete our initial client registration process once.

We do not issue refunds for any cancelled services. We only issue credit notes in qualifying circumstances, e.g., if you have 5 walks per week and it is not possible to book another walk because our walks only run Monday to Friday, you have cancelled with more than 7 days notice, or if there has been an error on our part. All bookings, amendments, and cancellations must be made using your client portal only. Credit notes are valid for 6 months only, from the date of issue. When you receive a credit note, there is an automatic process that occurs. Depending on how much of a credit you have, it will be immediately applied to your next or next few invoices. We request that services are amended or cancelled with at least 7 days' notice. Any booked service or recurring booked service that is cancelled with less than 7 days' notice will be chargeable at the full rate. This means that if you have paid for the service, you will not receive a credit note. If you have not paid, we will charge for the cancelled service on your next invoice. The only exception we will allow is a change of time on the date of your booking, subject to diary availability. You may rebook a cancelled service that you have paid for if you cancel with more than 7 days' notice. However, you must add in the notes of the new booking that you have rebooked the cancelled service. If you fail to add notes to the new booking, you may be charged. If you cancel a service and do not rebook it, we reserve the right to retain 100% of the payment. We do not accept responsibility for rebooking any cancellations made by clients.

All amendments and cancellations must be made using your client portal only. If you need to change the date or time of a scheduled service, simply cancel and rebook. You do not need to message us to let us know what you have done. Please add notes to the new request instead. We strongly advise you to read our cancellation policy before making any changes to a booked service, as you may be charged for your new booking.

If you would like to make any changes to your dog's set dog walking days, please submit a change of set days request form. Please note that we can only process your request via this form, and you do not need to message us once your form has been submitted.

Your dog will mostly be walked by the same dog walker every day. There will be occasions where another one of our dog walkers takes your dog out. However, your dog should've met that dog walker before out on our group dog walks.

To uphold the highest standards of privacy and security for all our clients and employees, we have a firm policy against the use of any GPS tracking devices, including Apple AirTags. It's important to note that tracking an individual without their explicit consent is not only a breach of privacy but also illegal in the United Kingdom. For clients whose dogs are fitted with GPS trackers, including Apple AirTags, we kindly ask that these be removed before their walks. Should a GPS tracker or Apple AirTag be inadvertently left on, our team will respectfully remove it and ensure it is placed in a conspicuous spot in your home for your retrieval. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in maintaining a safe and private environment for everyone. We reserve the right to use our company GPS tracking devices, should we deem it necessary.

We do not offer a discount for a second dog from the same household.

Our group dog walks are suitable for dogs of all ages, as long as they are fit, healthy and their booster vaccinations are kept up to date.

Effective immediately, all new clients registering for our dog walking services will be introduced to our updated rate of £16 per dog, per walk. This adjustment guarantees immediate access to our comprehensive suite of services, now in line with our revised pricing structure. For our valued clients with a weekly recurring direct debit, we will ensure a smooth transition of your invoices to reflect this new pricing. Your first invoice at the updated rate will be issued on 29th April 2024, with payment being processed on 2nd May 2024, covering all walks scheduled from the week commencing 7th May 2024. Likewise, for our clients who favour weekly recurring payments via credit or debit card, your invoices will also be updated to incorporate the new rate. Your revised invoice will be generated on 2nd May 2024, ensuring that your walks from the week of 7th May 2024 onwards are seamlessly accommodated within this new pricing framework. For clients who book on a weekly basis or as required, the new rate of £16 per dog, per walk will be reflected in your invoices for any walks booked for the week starting 7th May 2024 and thereafter. We have carefully planned these updates to facilitate a smooth and transparent transition to our new pricing, aiming to minimise any inconvenience. Our team remains committed to delivering the high-quality care and service you've come to expect.

We can arrange a meeting before your dog's first day, or you can wait to meet them on their first day; it's up to you. We do request that you be home on the start date to make sure your dog is comfortable coming with us and to give us keys and/or fobs. You will also need to show us where your dog's harness or collar is kept and tell us where they're allowed to go in the home when you aren't home. However, don't worry if you can't be there as you will have already added notes to your dog's profile in your client portal as part of our client registration process.

We walk in the rain, snow, and shine. However, in extreme weather, we will cancel walks and notify you. This is typical when the temperature is forecast to exceed 28 degrees or there is a storm forecast with extreme high winds. You will not be charged if we cancel in this instance. However, we will offer an alternative service, such as a home visit, if required. On hot days, we walk in the shaded areas of parks as much as possible, and/or we go to parks where we know there is a river or a lake for dogs to keep cool. We also restrict running around and make sure there is plenty of drinking water available.

We take our groups to large parks in Manchester and Salford.

Our groups are kept to a maximum of six per dog walker. Groups are carefully selected with breed, age, sex, and personality in mind.

We only offer group dog walks.

For safety reasons, your dog will need to wait a minimum of two weeks before she can resume her walks with her dog walker. Depending on your dog's recovery time, it could be up to a month before she can come out again. We are aware that vet advice is that they can be walked on the lead. However, lead walks are not suitable for our walks when there is the potential for your dog's healing process to be affected. Your dog may attempt to pull in order to play with other dogs, and other dogs may attempt to play with your dog while they are on the lead. The last thing we want is for any stitches to be pulled out when trying to play.

Monday to Friday, our walk times are approximately 10am, 12:30pm, and 3pm, and are subject to traffic conditions on the day. What time your dog will be walked will be dependent on availability and/or where you live. Our group dog walks are not available to book on weekends or bank holidays.

This shouldn't be anything to worry about as long as your dog has their annual booster vaccinations. There are many products on the market that provide effective protection against worms and fleas. If you keep on top of their treatment every month you shouldn't have any issues.

A female dog in season attracts unwanted attention from numerous male dogs in the park and often causes the male dogs to fight. There is also a risk that the female may stray to seek a mate. We would have to temporarily suspend your dogs' walks until their season has finished and they no longer give off the scent that attracts male dogs. This is usually a few weeks, but in some cases it can be up to a month.

Yes. We would just monitor their behavior, as sometimes non-neutered males can cause issues. If we deem their behaviour to be a problem at any point, we will consult with you.

Pick up and drop off times may vary from day to day depending on which dogs we have booked in and where we are going. This is also because we use a route planner application that automatically plans our routes based on realtime traffic conditions.

For safety reasons, your dog will need to wait two weeks before he can resume his walks with his dog walker. We are aware that vet advice is that they can be walked on the lead. However, lead walks are not suitable for our walks when there is the potential for your dog's healing process to be affected. Your dog may attempt to pull in order to play with other dogs, and other dogs may attempt to play with your dog while they are on the lead. The last thing we want is for any stitches to be pulled out when trying to play.

It is a requirement that you be at home on your dog's first day when we collect them. This is so that we can all meet and make sure your dog is comfortable coming with us. You will not need to be at home when we drop them back off at home. However, you will need to provide us with keys if you are going to be at work or out at any time after the initial meeting. It is not suitable for us to collect keys from concierge desks each time. Concierge desks can be very busy at times, and sometimes there isn't anyone available. This can have a domino effect on our day and cause us to be late for our walks. For peace of mind, we want to reassure you that all keys and fobs in our possession are specially coded and securely stored.

We can take anxious dogs on our walks as long as they are comfortable coming with us. We will keep you updated on how your dog is getting on after each walk until they are fully settled in. An anxious dog may take a couple of weeks or even a month to fully settle, depending on the frequency of their group dog walks. We always recommend that anxious dogs come out with us at least twice per week so they can get used to us and their new routine. Once per week or infrequently is simply not enough.

We do not provide our dog walking service on weekends or bank holidays. Our walks are only available to book Monday to Friday.

If we find an imbalance within a group and it is causing a problem, we will consult with you. We would look at changing groups if deemed necessary.

Yes, as long as it is easy for us to get to. We would just ask you to meet us with your dog on a street nearby due to parking restrictions.

In our pursuit of transparency, it's important to share the broader context prompting this adjustment. Beyond the widely felt impacts of the cost of living crisis and inflation, we've encountered significant increases in our operational overheads. Notably, bank processing fees have risen, directly affecting our transaction costs. Additionally, in our commitment to fair and ethical employment practices, we have proudly become an accredited Living Wage employer. This milestone reflects our dedication to offering competitive rates of pay to our valued employees, ensuring we attract and retain the best talent to care for your pets. These factors combined necessitate a revision in our pricing to sustain the quality, reliability, and integrity of our services. We firmly believe that investing in our team's well-being directly translates to the exceptional care your dogs receive, embodying our ethos of responsible and compassionate pet care. Moreover, our operational landscape has been significantly impacted by the transportation challenges arising from Manchester City Council and Salford City Council's ambitious plans to achieve zero carbon status by 2038. Part of this green initiative includes the introduction of new bus gates, extensive road closures, and the reconfiguration of lanes to support cycle paths and lanes. While these measures are commendable steps towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly urban environment, they have inadvertently led to increased route lengths and more time spent in traffic for our team. This shift towards greener cities, though beneficial in the long term, has in the short term affected our scheduling flexibility and increased our fuel consumption and vehicle maintenance costs, directly influencing our operational expenses. Understanding these broader environmental goals and their immediate impact on our services is crucial. These changes, while aligning with a commendable vision for a sustainable future, necessitate adjustments in our logistics and pricing to ensure we continue to offer the high-quality, reliable service your dogs deserve.

If you need to change the location of where your dog is picked up and/or dropped off on a particular day, please simply cancel the service in your client portal, request it again for the same date and time, and then provide notes in the new booking about the location(s). You do not need to message us once you have done this. We will see your notes in the new booking. If you need to change the permanent location of where your dog is picked up and/or dropped off, please update the "Visit Routine" section in your client portal. You do not need to message us once you have done this. We will receive a notification about your update.

The safety and wellbeing of every dog in our care is always our top priority. We provide training on security, canine first aid, canine behaviour, and canine communication. All training is provided by Scott, our Company Director. Our dog walkers are carefully selected following our two-stage interview process, and we carry out a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check before they start working with us.

With owner permission, we walk all dogs off the lead, providing their recall is satisfactory. If your dog's recall isn't great, we can help to improve this. However, your dog will be walked on the lead until we are comfortable with their progress.

Our group dog walks are not suitable for an aggressive dog to be on. We want every dog on our group dog walks to enjoy themselves.

Due to the way our working days are structured, we cannot facilitate these types of requests. Our maximum cat sitting visit time would be one hour, if requested.

We do not offer overnight cat sitting or cat boarding services. We have many clients who go away for one to two weeks, and sometimes longer, that book our cat sitting service, and their cat(s) tolerate their owners time away very well.

If you think our visits will take longer than 15 minutes because you have multiple cats, or if you would like a longer visit, e.g., if you would like us to spend more time with your cat(s) you are welcome to request back-to-back cat sitting visits in your client portal. For example, if you'd like us to visit for 30 minutes, please request an 09:00–09:15 and an 09:15–09:30 slot. However, please remember that all requests are subject to availability, and depending on how busy we are, we may only be able to accommodate a 15-minute visit. Our maximum visit time would be one hour, if requested.

If you think our visits will take longer than 15 minutes because you have multiple pets, or if you would like a longer visit, e.g., if you would like us to spend more time with your pet(s), you are welcome to request back-to-back pet sitting visits in your client portal. For example, if you'd like us to visit for 30 minutes, please request an 09:00–09:15 and an 09:15–09:30 slot. However, please remember that all requests are subject to availability, and depending on how busy we are, we may only be able to accommodate a 15-minute visit. Our maximum visit time would be one hour, if requested.

Due to the way our working days are structured, we cannot facilitate these types of requests. Our maximum pet sitting visit time would be one hour, if requested.

We do not offer overnight pet sitting or pet boarding services. We have many clients who go away for one to two weeks, and sometimes longer, that book our pet sitting service, and their pet(s) tolerate their owners time away very well.

If you think our visits will take longer than 15 minutes because you have multiple puppies, or if you would like a longer visit, e.g., if you would like us to spend more time with your puppy(ies), you are welcome to request back-to-back puppy visits in your client portal. For example, if you'd like us to visit for 30 minutes, please request an 09:00–09:15 and an 09:15–09:30 slot. However, please remember that all requests are subject to availability, and depending on how busy we are, we may only be able to accommodate a 15-minute visit.

Due to the way our working days are structured, we cannot facilitate these types of requests. Our maximum puppy visit time would be one hour, if requested.

If you think our visits will take longer than 15 minutes because you have multiple dogs, or if you would like a longer visit, e.g., if you would like us to spend more time with your dog(s), you are welcome to request back-to-back dog home visits in your client portal. For example, if you'd like us to visit for 30 minutes, please request an 09:00–09:15 and an 09:15–09:30 slot. However, please remember that all requests are subject to availability, and depending on how busy we are, we may only be able to accommodate a 15-minute visit.

Due to the way our working days are structured, we cannot facilitate these types of requests. Our maximum dog home visit time would be one hour, if requested.

We are only insured to transport pets in our pet taxi. As we do not hold a private hire operator licence, by law we are not permitted to transport people. Therefore, you would need to make your own way to the desired destination.

Please note that our pet taxi service is exclusively for pets. We are only insured to transport pets. As we do not hold a private hire operator licence, by law we are not permitted to transport people. Therefore, you would need to make your own way to the desired destination. Same-day pet taxi trips are possible if we're available. If you are not an existing client, you will need to complete our client registration process before you can book a journey. Please submit your details and information about your journey using our general enquiry form, and we will send you our client registration forms. Our client registration process is very quick and easy to complete. If you are an existing client and need to book a journey for today, please call us immediately on: 07401 134624.

If you have a direct debit mandate set up with us, when an invoice is generated, our system automatically communicates with your bank to collect the payment for that invoice on the due date. If you settle an invoice by credit card or debit card with less than two working days notice of the due date, the payment will still be collected. This is unfortunately beyond our control, as banks require at least two working days notice to cancel a scheduled direct debit that is generated from our system. If you find yourself in this scenario, please call us, and we will discuss how we can rectify it for you.

This is because we use separate third-party software for our booking system and invoicing system. It is not yet possible to link the two systems together. However, we are working on it and hope to have everything in one place for you soon.

We send out invoices via email. All services must be paid for in advance, with the exception of clients who have a direct debit set up to book services and/or book additional services at short notice. To help you understand, we require payment for services in advance, like many other companies, such as mobile phone companies and TV/broadband companies. Credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay We accept credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. A secure payment can be made by clicking the "Review and pay" button at the top of an invoice email. ​ Direct Debit The easiest way to pay an invoice is by setting up a direct debit. It takes away the stress of remembering to pay. Our invoicing system automatically arranges to collect payment for each individual invoice sent to you on the invoice due date. If you are an existing client, this can sometimes be after you have had your service if you booked at short notice. If you have set up regular weekly services, e.g., three dog walks per week, you will receive your invoice on Mondays and your payment will typically be taken on Thursdays, which pays for services the following week. We do not collect any payments unless an invoice has been sent to you. Notification emails are always sent at least three working days in advance of any payment due to be made. You do not have to have regular services set up to use this option. A direct debit is easily set up in less than a minute using a simple form we send via email. We do not accept cash, cheques, or bank transfers.

You can only register for a client portal once we have confirmed that we can provide your services and when you have completed our client registration forms. If you would like to make a new booking request, please first check that we cover your area and then complete a general enquiry form. If we can facilitate your booking request, we will provide step-by-step instructions on how to register as a client and how to set up your client portal.

If your email address not recognised when trying to reset your password, please use your 10 digit account number instead. You will find your account number in a service request email, service confirmation email, or on one of your invoices. If your problem persists, please email us at: hello@charlie-n-friends.co.uk.

Occasionally, our system encounters server errors that are beyond our control. However, they are usually resolved very quickly. Please wait a few moments, then attempt to submit your forms again. If the issue still persists, please wait a few more moments, then press the submit button again a few times, leaving a few seconds between each press. If the issue still persists after multiple failed attempts, please try using an alternative browser, such as Safari, Google Chrome, or Firefox. If you have tried all of the above steps and are still receiving an error message, please clear your internet history, cache, and cookies. This usually resolves 99.9% of cases. If you are unsure of how to clear your internet history, cache, and cookies, please visit your manufacturer's website or use a search engine to find out how to do this. If you have tried all of the above steps and are still receiving an error message, please contact us, and we will investigate the error. Please also ensure that you provide us with a screenshot of the error message that you have been receiving.

In the first instance, please log in to your online banking and check your pending transactions to see if the payment is showing. If your payment is showing, it means that your payment has gone through and you do not need to take any further action. If you have checked your pending transactions and the payment is not showing, please attempt to pay again. The error will most likely be caused by a server issue, which is normally resolved in a matter of minutes. However, server issues can sometimes take a little longer to be resolved. Please attempt to pay again later the same day if you have not been successful after three attempts. If you have attempted to pay later the same day and are still receiving an error message after attempting to pay again three times, please clear your internet history, cache, and cookies. This usually resolves 99.9% of cases. If you are unsure of how to clear your internet history, cache, and cookies, please visit your manufacturer's website or use a search engine to find out how to do this. If you have tried all of the above steps and are still receiving an error message, please contact us, and we will investigate the error. Please also ensure that you provide us with a screenshot of the error message that you have been receiving.

We aim to post our stories immediately after our dog walks or while we're visiting pets. However, they are not always in real time. Some videos and pictures have to be sent to Scott, as he is the only employee that has access to our Instagram and Facebook accounts. He can only upload them when he is available, and it is safe for him to do so; this includes the ones he's taken himself.

Absolutely, yes, we can! As you may already know, all stories on Instagram are archived after 24 hours. If you would like any videos or pictures sent from a past date, please just ask.