Dog & cat careThe pet-sitting contract (template)

Template contract, provided for guidance and to be checked by a professional if needed. It has not been legally validated. The terms & conditions also apply.

Contract no.   made in two original copies.

1. The parties

2. Pet identification

For a third pet, attach an extra sheet. The “All about my pet” sheet from the welcome guide (routine, meals, fears and so on) is attached to this contract.

3. The service

Family boarding (in Dignac) Day care Home visits House-sitting

Payment method: bank transfer cash other:

Prices in euros, VAT not applicable (art. 293 B of the French Tax Code). The balance is paid by the end of the stay at the latest.

4. The sitter's commitments

• Look after the pet attentively and kindly, with respect for its wellbeing and the regulations.
• Feed it according to the owner's written instructions and make sure fresh water is always available.
• Provide the agreed outings and walks, on a lead outside enclosed areas, in safe places.
• Keep it safe: fenced garden, supervision, no more than two or three dogs at a time, and no cages or kennels.
• Give any prescribed medication according to the prescription and written instructions.
• Tell the owner straight away about any problem (health, behaviour, incident).
• In an emergency, take the pet to a vet (clause 6).
• Send news every day (the “daily postcard”).

5. The owner's commitments

• Give accurate and complete information about the pet's health and behaviour (aggression, escaping, illness, history).
• Show an up-to-date health record: ID, vaccinations and recent parasite treatments.
• Provide food, treats and consumables, a lead and harness, and any medication together with the prescription and written instructions.
• Repay any vet costs incurred for the pet, on presentation of receipts.
• Collect the pet on the agreed date and at the agreed time.
• Liability: under article 1243 of the French Civil Code, “the owner of an animal, or whoever is using it while it is in their use, is liable for the damage the animal has caused”. The parties agree that the owner remains liable for the consequences of any behaviour or health condition (aggression, escaping, damage, contagious disease and so on) that they failed to declare or declared inaccurately. [Wording to check: during the stay, article 1243 liability may be treated as passing to the sitter.]

6. Emergency vet authorisation

The owner authorises the sitter to have the pet examined and treated in an emergency or if it falls ill. The sitter will first try to reach the owner, then the emergency contact. She will go to the usual vet or, failing that, the nearest vet.

Amount above which the owner's approval is sought (except in a life-threatening emergency): €

No decision to put the pet to sleep will be taken without the agreement of the owner or, failing that, the emergency contact.

7. Cancellation, late collection and abandonment

• Cancellation by the owner: more than 15 days before the start, the deposit is refunded; between 15 and 7 days, 50% of the deposit is kept; less than 7 days before, the deposit is kept.
• Cancellation by the sitter (except in case of force majeure): the deposit is refunded in full.
• Early collection: the booked stay is still payable.
• Late collection: each day started after the agreed time is charged at the current rate, unless agreed beforehand.
• Abandonment: if neither the owner nor the emergency contact can be reached despite written reminders, after days after the agreed date the sitter may take the steps provided for by law (reporting to the authorities, handing the pet to an animal welfare organisation). All charges remain payable. Abandoning an animal is a criminal offence in France (art. 521-1 of the Penal Code). [time limit and procedure to check]

8. Insurance

The sitter holds professional liability insurance: [Assureur, n° de contrat]. The owner declares that they hold liability insurance covering their pet (e.g. home insurance):

9. Photos and videos of the pet

During the stay, photos and videos are sent to the owner only, privately. They can only be posted on Les Pattes d'Hestia's website and social media (TikTok etc.) with the consent below, and only after the stay has ended (so nobody can guess your home is empty). Posts never show the owner's face, their home or anywhere that could locate them, and are never geotagged. Consent can be withdrawn at any time with a simple email, and the posts concerned will be taken down as quickly as possible. Saying no has no effect on the care provided.

YES, I agree to posts after the stay ends, on these terms
NO, I do not agree to any posts

10. Personal data

The information in this contract is used only to arrange the care, keep the pet safe and meet accounting and legal obligations. It is never sold. It is kept for 5 years after the relationship ends (10 years for accounting records). You have the rights of access, correction, erasure, objection, restriction and portability: just write to . You can also complain to the CNIL (www.cnil.fr). See the privacy policy.

11. Disputes and mediation

If there's a disagreement, the parties will first try to settle it amicably. Failing that, the owner, as a consumer, may use the following consumer mediator free of charge: [Médiateur — site web]. French law applies.

12. Attachments

All about my pet sheet Copy of the health record / passport Prescription(s) Terms & conditions

Signed at on , in two copies.