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Our Emergency Commitments And Costs

How Our Emergency Service Works

If we ever encounter a life-threatening situation with your pet , our priority is your pet’s immediate safety.

  • Our trained sitter will provide basic first-aid care and move your pet to a safe place while taking all necessary vital steps to prevent further danger.

  • We will call you straight away.

    • If you do not answer, we will contact your second or emergency contact listed in your client information.

  • If no one is reachable, we will proceed with the vet you have provided in your form.

     

  • If the clinic is closed or does not respond, we take full responsibility for your pet’s safety and will transport your pet to the nearest open veterinary hospital for urgent care.

    Throughout the process, we keep you updated as soon as it is safe to do so. Your pet’s wellbeing is our top priority.

What Counts as an Emergency (General)

  • Difficulty breathing

  • Severe bleeding or injury

  • Sudden collapse, seizures, or unresponsiveness

  • Choking or ingestion of a harmful substance

  • Continuous vomiting or diarrhea with weakness

  • Signs of extreme distress, shock, or severe pain

  • We will:

    • Respond calmly and responsibly to any signs of distress

    • Attempt to contact you and/or your emergency contact immediately

    • Follow your pre-approved vet instructions and use your nominated clinic where possible

    • Keep your pet safe and monitored during transport

    • Provide a clear incident summary after care

  • We cannot:

    • Provide medical diagnosis or treatment (we are not veterinarians)

    • Guarantee prevention of illness, injury, or unexpected health events

    • Administer medications not listed in your care instructions

    • Take responsibility for pre-existing conditions or undiagnosed health issues

    • Delay emergency transport if your pet is in critical danger

    • Stay with pets that require overnight or extended hospitalization.

    • Stay with your pet once they are admitted to the veterinary clinic, as ongoing care and responsibility transfers to the veterinary team.

How Emergency Costs Are Charged

If your pet needs urgent care, we act quickly and responsibly. There are two parts to our emergency assistance — the veterinary care itself, and the time we spend supporting your pet through the process.
We keep this process transparent and straightforward. Here’s how each part works:

1. Emergency Deposit (Refundable)
2. Emergency Support Hourly Fee (Sitter Time Cost)

  • We require a refundable Emergency Deposit of $500 for all bookings where the pet owner will not be home overnight or is unable to be reached during the visit.

    This amount is based on the standard emergency consultation cost at specialist emergency hospitals, where the initial emergency assessment alone is approximately $325, before any diagnostics, treatment, medications, or hospital care are provided.
    (Reference: SASH — Small Animal Specialist Hospital, Emergency Department Fee Structure)

    Because emergency veterinary care can progress quickly and costs can increase depending on the treatment required, the $500 deposit helps ensure that your pet can be seen and stabilised immediately without any delay caused by payment processing.

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    • The deposit is 100% refundable if no emergency occurs.

    • If emergency treatment is required, costs are deducted from the deposit.

    • If the vet invoice exceeds the $500 deposit, the vet will charge the owner directly for the difference.

    • Any remaining balance is refunded once the vet invoice is finalised.

    • The deposit allows us to act immediately in your pet’s best interest.

    • This ensures no delay in emergency care while awaiting payment approval.

  • The Emergency Deposit is the owner’s money, held for the following emergency expenses only:

    • Veterinary admission and consultation fees

    • Diagnostic testing (e.g., blood tests, x-rays)

    • Emergency treatment or stabilisation

    • Medications prescribed during emergency care

    • Transport to the vet clinic (fuel or taxi/rideshare only)

  • The emergency deposit is not required for short same-day visits where the owner:

    • Will be returning home the same day, and

    • Is reachable by phone throughout the visit.

    If the owner cannot be contacted, or if the situation is urgent and requires immediate veterinary care, the emergency deposit policy will automatically apply, and the owner will be responsible for all vet and transport costs.

  • Emergency support is charged at 20% above your standard hourly service rate.
    This rate applies only to the time spent managing the emergency after the scheduled visit has ended and continues until the pet is either safely returned home or admitted to the veterinary clinic for ongoing care.

    Example:
    If your standard rate is $60/hour, the emergency rate becomes $72/hour.
    If emergency assistance lasts 2 hours, the total service fee would be $144, excluding any veterinary, medication, or transport costs.

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