Frequently Asked Questions

Happy Tails is proudly local to Austin! We primarily serve Central Austin, North Central Austin, Northwest Austin, and West Austin/Westlake.

Because availability can vary by neighborhood and service type, reach out with your address and we’ll be happy to confirm whether you’re within our current service area.

Very much so! Happy Tails was born and raised right here in Austin.

We’ve intentionally remained an Austin-focused company because we believe great pet care is personal. Growing too far and too fast can mean losing the relationships, consistency, and customer service that matter so much to us.

Our clients and their pets become part of the Happy Tails family — never just another number on a schedule.

Most importantly, it gives your pet an opportunity to meet us while you’re there so we can begin building trust before their first scheduled service.

Our Pet Care Specialists are employees of Happy Tails Pet Care — not independent contractors.

This allows us to carefully select, train, support, and maintain consistent expectations for the people representing Happy Tails and caring for your pets.

We take the responsibility of entering your home and caring for a beloved member of your family very seriously.

Austin’s roads can be busy, and distracted drivers and cyclists are an unfortunate reality. Our high-visibility gear helps make our Pet Care Specialists — and the dogs walking beside them — easier to see.

We also practice defensive walking, use sidewalks whenever possible, stay alert to our surroundings, and avoid unnecessarily busy streets and intersections.

We want every dog to come home happy, healthy, and safely exercised!

We don’t replace a professional dog trainer, but we LOVE helping maintain the training you’ve already invested in.

Consistency matters. If you or your trainer use specific cues, hand signals, leash techniques, door manners, crate routines, or other established behaviors, we’ll do our best to reinforce those same expectations during our visits.

We also offer Training Reinforcement Walks for dogs who have completed or are actively working through professional training.

Our goal is to help protect the investment you’ve made in your dog’s training by keeping those skills consistent in everyday life.

If we notice something concerning, we’ll contact you immediately.

For urgent situations, we’ll act in your pet’s best interest while making every reasonable effort to reach you or your designated emergency contact.

This is also why detailed, up-to-date pet profiles and veterinary information are so important.

Whenever we can, YES!

One of the things our longtime clients appreciate most about having a Happy Tails team is knowing they have people to call when life doesn’t go according to plan.

Last-minute requests are always subject to availability, but we’ll do our very best to help.

To ensure your pet’s visit isn’t delayed by leasing-office hours or building access issues, we require reliable, independent access to your building and home.

This may include a dedicated key or fob, secure lockbox, concierge authorization, or approved keyless-entry method.

We’ll work with you to determine an appropriate access plan before services begin.

Payments and invoices are securely managed through our pet-care scheduling software, Time To Pet.

We’ll explain the current billing and payment options during onboarding so you’ll know exactly what to expect.

Yes. Happy Tails provides pet care 365 days a year, including holidays.

Holiday services include an additional fee that helps us provide extra compensation to the Pet Care Specialists who give up time with their own families and loved ones to care for yours.

Current holiday dates and fees are provided when services are requested.

Of course — and it’s always appreciated, but never expected!

If one of our Pet Care Specialists has made your life a little easier or your pet especially happy, gratuity can be left directly for them or added through our pet-care software.

When you reserve pet care with us, we reserve that time specifically for your pet. This often means turning away other clients who request care during the same time period. With less than 48 hours’ notice, we’re typically unable to refill that reserved time — even though we’ve already committed our team’s availability to you.

Our 48-hour cancellation policy helps protect the time we’ve reserved for your pet and our Pet Care Specialists.

We completely understand that plans change! Cancellations made at least 48 hours before the scheduled service are not charged. Services canceled within 48 hours are charged as scheduled.