GUIDE #5: RATES & POLICIES
Dog Walking Rates, Billing, and Service Policies
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How Citizen Hound structures membership and individual-walk pricing, processes payments, handles cancellations and temporary changes, and keeps controlling terms clear and current.
Policies at a Glance
Competitive pricing
Memberships generally create lower per walk comparisons to area standards.
Canine Concierge
Membership gives access to a suite of special services when clients need it.
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Automated Billing
Secure payment methods stay on file.
Clear Policies
Controlling terms remain easy to review.
IN THIS GUIDE:
1 How much does dog walking cost?
2 What does the membership cover?
3 How are additional walks priced?
4 Can pricing vary?
5 Are puppies charged differently?
6 When are service billed and due?
7 What payment methods are accepted?
8 Are processing fees charged?
9 Are invoices itemized?
03 Cancellations & Temporary Changes
10 What is the cancellation policy?
11 Can memberships pause to use Ad Hoc Walks temporarily?
12 Do unused walks become credits?
13 How is membership ended or suspended?
04 Special Charges & Controlling Terms
14 Are there holiday or rush fees?
15 What if a dog is unavailable at pickup?
16 How are refunds or corrections handled?
17 Which page controls current terms?
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Clear policies protect good relationships.
Rates, expectations, and changes should be understood before service begins.
01 RATES AND SERVICE PRICING
Understanding what each program includes and where current prices live.
1 How much does dog walking cost?
Citizen Hound maintains current pricing on its Rates page. Directing clients to the live page prevents an evergreen guide from displaying outdated figures and allows families to compare memberships, Ad-Hoc Walks, Outside Hours care, puppy services, and other current options.
2 What does the monthly membership rate cover?
Membership reserves an ongoing weekday position within Citizen Hound’s program rather than purchasing a detachable collection of walks that would be availability based. The model works much like tuition at a child’s daycare: the recurring payment supports the complete system required to keep a dependable place available. That system includes stable pack placement, professional staffing, route planning, transportation, management oversight, and both a primary and backup Pack Leader. It also supports the long-term relationships that allow Citizen Hound to understand each dog increasingly well over time. The membership rate remains the same when a dog occasionally misses a scheduled day. Unused membership walks do not accumulate as credits or transfer to another month.
3 How are additional and Ad-Hoc Walks priced?
Additional member walks and standalone Ad-Hoc Walks have separate published rates. A 1 Group member receives a discount when booking an additional walk, while Ad-Hoc clients pay individually for the walks they select rather than reserving a recurring membership position. Current prices are maintained on Citizen Hound’s live Rates page. Citizen Hound’s client platform displays available openings in real time. When clients see an appropriate opening, they can book it directly through the platform without submitting a separate request for approval. If no opening appears, that generally means the applicable packs or routes have reached their available capacity. These limits are operational and often legal, not merely administrative. In most cases, Citizen Hound cannot manually add another dog to a full pack without exceeding the permitted group size. The availability shown in the platform should therefore be treated as an accurate representation of the additional and Ad-Hoc service currently available.
4 Can pricing vary by neighborhood or a dog’s needs?
Citizen Hound generally uses its published rates throughout the standard service area rather than charging different prices by neighborhood. An address must still fall within the service area and fit a workable route. Some defined circumstances carry an additional charge because they require substantially more staff time, handling, training reinforcement, or client support. Most notably, dogs under one year old are subject to Citizen Hound’s monthly puppy charge unless they satisfy the published training requirement. Requests involving unusual logistics, specialized responsibilities, multiple dogs, or care outside Citizen Hound’s standard programs may also require a separate quote. Any additional charge will be disclosed before service begins.
5 Is there an additional charge for puppies under one year old?
Yes. Dogs under one year old require an additional charge of $100 per month. Young dogs typically require considerably more active supervision, handling, redirection, training reinforcement, and transition support than mature dogs. Their families also commonly need more frequent communication and guidance while establishing routines and reinforcing appropriate behavior at home. Citizen Hound will waive the additional monthly charge when the dog has earned two training graduation certificates. The certificates may come from any qualifying group class or private trainer; the training does not need to have been completed through Citizen Hound. The purpose of the requirement is not to direct families toward Citizen Hound’s training services. It is to recognize documented investment in the dog’s early education and the greater likelihood that the family already has a foundation for reinforcing consistent expectations outside the walking program.
02 BILLING & PAYMENT
How charges, invoices, and stored payment methods are managed.
6 When does Citizen Hound bill for service, and when is payment due?
Citizen Hound bills in arrears, meaning clients are charged after services have been provided rather than paying in advance. Charges for the previous calendar month are processed automatically on or near the first day of the following month. Payment is due upon receipt through Collar’s automated charging system. Clients must maintain a valid approved payment method in the platform and can review their invoices and completed transactions there. If an automatic payment fails, the client should promptly update the payment method or otherwise resolve the outstanding balance. Citizen Hound may pause service if a new month begins while the previous month’s invoice remains unpaid. Service can resume after the outstanding balance and payment issue have been resolved. Because processing times and calendar dates can vary slightly, the first of the month should be understood as the normal billing target rather than a guaranteed transaction date.
7 What payment methods does Citizen Hound accept?
Clients maintain an approved electronic payment method through Citizen Hound’s client platform. Available options may include a bank account, credit card, or another payment method supported by the platform. A valid payment method must remain on file while service is active. Clients are responsible for updating expired cards, replacing closed accounts, and completing any verification required by the payment processor. If an automatic payment fails, the client should promptly update the payment method or otherwise resolve the outstanding balance. Citizen Hound may pause service if a new month begins while the previous month’s invoice remains unpaid. Service can resume after the outstanding balance and payment issue have been resolved.
8 Are payment-processing fees charged?
Bank payments made through ACH may be available without an additional processing fee. Credit-card and digital-wallet payments may include a processing charge. Because payment options and processor charges can change, clients should review the amount shown when establishing or updating their payment method. Citizen Hound’s current Rates and Policies pages contain the controlling information.
9 Are Citizen Hound’s invoices itemized?
Yes. Clients can access invoices in their platform, review charges associated with memberships, Ad-Hoc Walks, additional walks, Outside Hours care, and other company services through the client platform. Clients should review unexpected charges promptly and contact management with the service date, charge, and any relevant scheduling information. Clear details allow Citizen Hound to compare the invoice with booking and payment records efficiently.
03 CANCELLATIONS & TEMPORARY CHANGES
How the program handles travel, lower-use months, and changing plans.
10 What is Citizen Hound’s cancellation policy?
Cancellation requirements depend on the type of service. Membership walks generally require at least three hours’ notice, while Ad-Hoc Walks generally require at least twelve hours’ notice. Clients should submit cancellations through the client platform rather than relying solely on an informal message to a Pack Leader. A timely cancellation removes the dog from that day’s operational schedule, but it does not convert an unused membership day into a refund or future credit. Because notice requirements may change, Citizen Hound’s live Policies page controls.
11 Can a membership be switched to Ad-Hoc pricing for one month?
Citizen Hound may allow a member to switch temporarily to Ad-Hoc pricing during an occasional calendar month in which substantially less service will be needed. The membership is turned off for that month, approved walks are billed individually, and the regular membership is scheduled to resume automatically the following month. The change is not retroactive. Citizen Hound must receive notice before the first day of the month in which Ad-Hoc pricing will apply. The option may not be used during consecutive months. This provides flexibility that clients frequently report was unavailable through other providers using similar monthly program structures. Families expecting an extended or recurring reduction in service should discuss their longer-term needs with management.
12 Do unused membership walks become credits?
No. A Citizen Hound membership is not a bank of individual walk credits. It reserves a recurring place within the company’s staffing, pack, transportation, route, management, and backup systems. The monthly cost therefore does not change whenever a dog misses a scheduled day because of travel, illness, an appointment, or another household decision. Unless a current written policy expressly provides otherwise, unused days do not roll forward, transfer, or accumulate.
13 How can a family end or suspend membership?
After the trial period, clients must provide at least 30 days’ notice to end or suspend membership. This notice allows Citizen Hound to adjust staffing, routes, pack composition, transportation, and backup assignments responsibly and to communicate with other families who may be waiting for an opening. Families should notify Citizen Hound as soon as they become aware of a likely change, even when the timing is not yet certain. Citizen Hound recognizes that events such as purchasing a home, moving, changing jobs, or returning to an office can involve shifting timelines—and that plans sometimes change or fall through entirely. Preliminary notice does not need to wait until a home purchase closes or every detail becomes final. Early communication gives Citizen Hound time to plan fairly, stay in contact with prospective clients, and avoid promising or withholding a pack position based on information received at the last moment. Families can continue updating management as their plans become clearer. The initial trial period is treated differently. A family may determine during the first month that the program is not the right fit without becoming subject to the standard 30-day notice requirement. Removing future walks from the calendar does not, by itself, end or suspend the underlying membership; clients must communicate the change directly to management.
04 SPECIAL CHARGES & CONTROLLING TERMS
Policies for exceptions, corrections, closures, and unusual circumstances.
14 Does Citizen Hound charge holiday or last-minute fees?
Citizen Hound does not generally impose a separate last-minute fee merely because a request is made close to the desired service date. However, short-notice requests remain subject to availability, and late cancellations may still be chargeable under the applicable cancellation policy. Citizen Hound closes on specified major holidays and may publish full or limited-service dates in advance. Current closure dates, special arrangements, and any applicable charges should be confirmed through the live Rates and Policies pages.
15 What happens if a dog is unavailable when the Pack Leader arrives?
Clients are responsible for ensuring that their dog is available and ready for service at the expected pickup time or for cancelling the walk within the applicable notice period. The Pack Leader will follow the household’s approved access instructions and make a reasonable effort to locate the dog and contact the client when something appears wrong. Because group service operates on a coordinated route, the Pack Leader ordinarily cannot wait indefinitely or return later. A missed pickup caused by the dog being unavailable, inaccessible, or unprepared may still be treated as scheduled service. If this occurs five times without an appropriate cancellation, Citizen Hound may require the service arrangement to be renegotiated. This may include establishing more reliable access or pickup procedures, revising expectations, or reconsidering whether the existing arrangement remains workable within a shared route-based program.
16 How are billing questions, refunds, or corrections handled?
Clients should contact management promptly when a charge appears incorrect. Citizen Hound reviews the relevant bookings, cancellations, membership settings, invoices, and payment records before determining whether a correction is required. When a verified billing error has occurred, Citizen Hound corrects the account or initiates the appropriate refund. The time required for refunded funds to appear may depend on the client’s bank, card issuer, and payment processor.
17 Which information controls if a rate or policy changes?
Citizen Hound generally sends at least one—sometimes two—policy-update emails each year. These communications explain changes to rates, procedures, service terms, or other operating policies and identify when the updated terms will take effect. Citizen Hound does not begin enforcing a changed policy until the change has been announced to clients by email and reflected in the company’s online materials and client platform. This gives families an opportunity to review the new terms and ask questions before they become effective. Once announced and published, Citizen Hound’s current Rates page, Policies page, client platform, and applicable service agreement control. Clients should maintain a current email address and review policy communications when they are received.
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