Death or Serious Illness While in Our Care

​

At Castle Boarding, the welfare, comfort and safety of every rabbit and guinea pig entrusted to us is our highest priority. We understand how much your pet means to you, and we take our responsibility for their care extremely seriously.

Despite providing attentive care and taking reasonable precautions, rabbits and guinea pigs can sometimes become seriously ill or pass away unexpectedly. Small animals are particularly skilled at hiding signs of illness, and in some circumstances a serious condition may not become apparent until it is advanced.

​

If Your Pet Becomes Seriously Unwell

​

If we notice any concerning change in your pet's behaviour, appetite, appearance or general condition, we will assess the situation and, where appropriate, seek veterinary advice.

​

Where we believe veterinary treatment is necessary, we will make reasonable efforts to contact you using the emergency contact details provided at the time of booking. If we are unable to reach you promptly and we believe your pet requires urgent veterinary attention, we reserve the right to seek veterinary treatment in your pet's best interests.

​

Any veterinary treatment or associated costs will normally be the responsibility of the pet owner.

​

If Your Pet Dies While in Our Care

​

In the unfortunate event that your pet dies while staying at Castle Boarding, we will contact you as soon as reasonably possible using the contact details provided.

​

We will treat your pet with dignity, care and respect and will provide you with clear information about the circumstances surrounding their death, to the best of our knowledge.

​

Where appropriate, we may seek veterinary advice or assistance to establish the likely cause of death. If a post-mortem examination or other diagnostic investigation is requested, any associated costs will normally be the responsibility of the pet owner unless otherwise agreed.

​

If you have provided specific instructions regarding what you would like us to do in the event of your pet's death, we will make reasonable efforts to follow those instructions.

​

Responsibility and Liability

​

Castle Boarding takes reasonable steps to provide a safe, clean, comfortable and appropriately supervised environment for all animals in our care.

​

However, we cannot guarantee that an animal will not become ill, suffer an underlying medical event or die unexpectedly during their stay. This is particularly relevant to rabbits and guinea pigs, which can deteriorate rapidly and may have underlying health conditions that are not immediately apparent.

​

Castle Boarding will not be responsible for illness, injury or death resulting from an underlying, pre-existing or undiagnosed condition, natural causes, age-related causes or circumstances beyond our reasonable control, provided that we have acted with reasonable care and followed our normal care procedures.

​

Nothing in this policy is intended to exclude or limit any liability that cannot legally be excluded or limited.

​

Owner Responsibility

​

Owners must provide accurate and up-to-date information about their pet's health, medical history, dietary requirements, medication and any known conditions before boarding.

​

Owners must also provide accurate emergency contact details and, where possible, their preferred veterinary practice.

​

By booking with Castle Boarding, owners acknowledge that rabbits and guinea pigs can become seriously ill or die unexpectedly, even when appropriate care is being provided.

​

Our aim is always to provide your pet with a safe, comfortable and enriching stay and to treat every animal in our care as an individual.

​

Owner Contact Preferences in the Event of Death

​

We understand that receiving news that your pet has passed away can be extremely distressing, particularly if you are away from home. For this reason, we ask all owners to provide clear instructions regarding how they would like to be contacted should their pet die while in our care.

​

At the time of booking, owners will be asked to provide their preferred method of contact and an emergency contact where appropriate.

You may specify:

• Preferred contact method: telephone call, text message, WhatsApp message or email.

• Primary contact: the person you would like us to contact first.

• Alternative/emergency contact: a nominated person we may contact if we are unable to reach you.

• Contact instructions: any specific wishes regarding how or when you would like to be contacted.

​

Where reasonably possible, Castle Boarding will follow your stated contact preferences.

​

In the event of your pet's death, we will make reasonable efforts to contact you as soon as possible using your preferred method. If we are unable to reach you, we may proceed to your nominated emergency contact.

​

Owners should ensure that all contact information provided to Castle Boarding is accurate and up to date for the duration of their pet's stay.

​

By providing these instructions, you acknowledge that circumstances may occasionally prevent us from contacting you using your preferred method immediately. For example, telephone reception, internet connectivity or other circumstances outside our reasonable control may affect our ability to make contact.

​

If you have any specific wishes regarding what should happen to your pet following their death, these should also be communicated to us before the commencement of their stay. We will make reasonable efforts to respect and follow those wishes wherever practicable.