TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Welcome to The Bark Park, a space built for the enjoyment of you and your dog under the following Terms and Conditions:

By making a booking with The Bark Park, you confirm that you have read, understood and agreed to these Terms and Conditions.

The person making the booking is responsible for ensuring that everyone attending as part of their booking is aware of and complies with these Terms and Conditions.

The Bark Park operates during daylight hours and opening times vary throughout the year according to the season.

Current available dates and times are displayed on our online booking system.

Sessions are available in 25 minute and 55 minute blocks.

A 5 minute changeover period is provided between bookings to reduce the risk of customers and dogs overlapping.

Your booking is for the session time shown on your confirmation. If you arrive late, your session will still end at the original scheduled time.

Please do not enter the field before your allocated booking time and please leave promptly at the end of your session.

Dogs must remain on lead in the waiting, parking and entrance areas and until they are fully inside the enclosed field.

Once inside, please ensure the entrance gate is properly closed and latched before allowing your dog(s) off lead.

When leaving, dogs must be placed back on lead before the gate is opened.

Please ensure the gate is properly closed when you leave.

The Bark Park is unmanned and customers are responsible for entering and leaving the field safely.

If you arrive before your booked session, please follow the signs and wait in the designated waiting area.

If the previous customer is still at The Bark Park, you must remain in the waiting area. Do not drive into the parking area until the previous customer has completely left.

Once the previous customer has left, you may drive into the designated parking area.

Dogs must remain on lead at all times outside the enclosed field, including in the waiting, parking and entrance areas.

If the previous customer has not left by the start of your allocated session, please remain in the waiting area and call us on 07353 093083 to let us know.

Please do not approach the previous customer or engage in confrontation. Contact us and allow us to deal with the matter.

The standard maximum is 4 dogs per session unless prior permission has been given by The Bark Park.

Customers must not bring more dogs than permitted for their booking without obtaining approval from us beforehand.

Professional dog walkers wishing to bring more than 4 dogs must contact us in advance and provide evidence of appropriate current business or public liability insurance covering the activity and number of dogs attending.

All dogs must be adequately supervised, must not be allowed to dig or damage the field, and all dog waste must be picked up and taken away.

Permission to bring larger groups may be withdrawn if we receive complaints or identify problems relating to supervision, dog waste, digging, damage or compliance with these Terms and Conditions.

You are responsible for the behaviour and supervision of your dog(s) throughout your visit.

Dogs must not be allowed to:

• dig holes
• damage fencing, gates, trees, equipment or other property
• interfere with wildlife where reasonably preventable
• create a danger to other people or animals

Any damage caused during your session must be reported to us as soon as possible.

If you or your dog causes damage to the field, fencing, gates, trees, equipment or other property, you may be asked to pay the reasonable cost of repairing or replacing the damaged item.

Customers whose dogs repeatedly cause damage, or customers who repeatedly fail to prevent digging, damage or other unacceptable behaviour, may be banned from using The Bark Park.

Children and any other people attending must be appropriately supervised.

Please bring your own dog waste bags.

All dog waste must be picked up and taken away with you. The Bark Park does not provide waste bins.

Please remove all litter, toys, food, treats and other belongings at the end of your session.

Repeated failure to pick up and remove dog waste may result in you being banned from using The Bark Park.

If you find dog waste, damage or another problem that appears to have been left by a previous customer, please report it to us.

There is no mains or running water at The Bark Park.

Customers are responsible for bringing sufficient fresh drinking water for their dog(s).

Water may occasionally be available at the park as a courtesy, but its availability, quantity and temperature cannot be guaranteed. Customers should therefore always bring their own water.

Any bowls provided at the park must remain on site.

The Bark Park is a natural outdoor field and the ground is uneven.

Customers should wear appropriate footwear and take reasonable care when moving around the field.

The park and surrounding area are home to wildlife. Rabbit holes and other changes to the ground can occur between inspections.

The field also contains mature trees and natural vegetation. Branches and other natural debris may fall, particularly during or following adverse weather.

We regularly check and maintain the field, but the condition of a natural outdoor environment can change between inspections.

Customers must remain observant while using the field.

If you notice a hole, damaged fencing, fallen branch or anything else that you believe may present a hazard, keep yourself and your dog(s) away from the affected area and report it to us as soon as possible so that we can inspect and deal with it.

The perimeter fencing is a minimum of approximately 6 feet high.

The field is enclosed, but customers are responsible for assessing whether the fencing is appropriate for their individual dog(s).

No outdoor dog field can guarantee that every dog will be unable to escape in every circumstance.

Dogs that are determined jumpers, climbers, diggers or escape artists must be appropriately supervised.

Customers are responsible for the health and welfare of their dog(s).

Dogs attending should be appropriately vaccinated and treated for fleas, ticks and worms.

Dogs must be microchipped where legally required.

Kennel cough vaccination is recommended.

Dogs that have experienced vomiting, diarrhoea or symptoms of an infectious illness within the previous 48 hours should not attend.

Customers are responsible for deciding whether their dog is fit and well enough to use the field.

Customers are responsible for complying with all laws and legal requirements applicable to their dog(s).

Any dog legally required to wear a muzzle must wear one as required by law.

Nothing in these Terms and Conditions overrides any legal requirements applying to an individual dog.

The Bark Park is an outdoor facility and operates in varying weather conditions.

Customers are responsible for checking the weather and deciding whether conditions are suitable for themselves and their dog(s).

We do not provide refunds, cancellations or amendments because of rain, heat, cold, wind, mud or other weather conditions.

Weather related amendments are not permitted.

This is because weather generally affects all customers booked for the same period, meaning a session released because of weather is unlikely to be rebooked by another customer.

Maintaining a consistent weather policy allows us to keep our prices affordable while continuing to maintain and improve The Bark Park.

If we decide that The Bark Park itself needs to close because of weather or safety conditions, the provisions relating to cancellations by The Bark Park will apply.

Bookings are non refundable as standard.

However, in exceptional circumstances, The Bark Park management may agree to a discretionary refund.

To be considered for a discretionary refund, the request must:

• be made within 48 hours of the booking being made, and
• be made no less than 48 hours before the booked session is due to begin.

Both conditions must be met.

Requests made outside either of these time limits will not normally be considered for a discretionary refund.

Agreeing to a discretionary refund on one occasion does not create an entitlement to a refund for another booking or circumstance.

This discretionary policy does not restrict any refund or other remedy to which a customer is entitled by law.

If The Bark Park cancels a session, Section 17 applies instead.

Customers cannot currently amend bookings themselves through the website.

All amendment requests must be sent by email. Amendment requests sent by text message, WhatsApp, social media or any other messaging platform will not be accepted or treated as notice of an amendment request.

Your email must provide:

• the date and time of your existing booking
• the new available date and time you would like your booking moved to, or a provisional date and time if you have not yet decided on a final date

Amendment requests must be made more than 12 hours before the booked session and are subject to availability.

A request that does not include a new or provisional date and time is incomplete and will not reserve or extend the amendment period.

The amendment must be processed before the booking reaches the 12 hour cut off. Customers are therefore responsible for emailing their complete request with sufficient time for it to be processed during our customer service hours.

Our normal customer service hours are:

Monday to Friday
8:00am to 6:00pm
excluding Bank Holidays.

Messages can be sent outside these hours but may not be read or processed until customer service reopens.

Customers are responsible for allowing sufficient time for an amendment request to be received and processed before the 12 hour cut off.

Sending a message outside customer service hours does not pause or extend the 12 hour amendment period.

If the amendment cannot be processed before the booking enters the 12 hour period, the original booking will remain in place.

We may occasionally need to close the field or cancel a booking because of essential maintenance, damage, safety concerns or other circumstances affecting the operation of The Bark Park.

If we cancel your booking and cannot provide your booked session, you will be offered either:

• an alternative available date and time, or
• a full refund for the affected booking.

This is separate from a customer cancellation or a customer's decision not to attend.

The Bark Park is a natural outdoor environment.

Customers are responsible for assessing the field on arrival and throughout their session and deciding whether the conditions are appropriate for themselves and their dog(s).

You must remain observant and take reasonable precautions appropriate to your dog, its behaviour and the conditions at the time.

You are responsible for supervising your dog(s) and taking reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable accidents, injuries, escapes, damage or other incidents.

If you identify something that you believe could present a hazard, you must keep yourself and your dog(s) away from the affected area and report it to us as soon as possible.

You should not continue to use an area that you reasonably believe to be unsafe.

The Bark Park will not accept responsibility for an incident, injury, loss or damage where The Bark Park was not at fault and the incident arose from circumstances within the customer's reasonable control or responsibility.

This includes incidents resulting from:

• the behaviour or actions of the customer's dog(s)
• inadequate supervision or control of a dog
• failure to take reasonable care
• failure to take reasonable precautions appropriate to the individual dog
• continuing to use an area after identifying an obvious potential hazard
• failing to report an identified hazard that could reasonably have been avoided
• failure to follow these Terms and Conditions
• the normal and reasonably foreseeable risks associated with using a natural outdoor dog exercise field

Customers are responsible for assessing whether the field, fencing, ground conditions and other facilities are appropriate for themselves and their individual dog(s).

Nothing in these Terms and Conditions excludes or restricts The Bark Park's liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or restricted.

That final sentence is important. Section 65 of the Consumer Rights Act specifically prevents a trader from excluding liability for death or personal injury resulting from its negligence. 

Please report anything you notice that may require our attention, including:

• significant holes or burrows
• damaged or loose fencing
• problems with gates or latches
• fallen or dangerous branches
• damaged equipment
• damage caused during your session
• other significant hazards or safety concerns

Please call or message us on:

07353 093083

Conditions in a natural outdoor field can change between inspections. Prompt reporting allows us to investigate and deal with problems as quickly as possible.

If you identify a potential hazard, please keep yourself and your dog(s) away from it until it has been dealt with.

The Bark Park is a non smoking area.

Fires, barbecues, camping stoves, naked flames and cooking equipment are not permitted unless specific prior permission has been obtained from The Bark Park.

Any permission applies only to the particular occasion agreed and does not provide general permission for future visits.

The use of drones requires prior permission from The Bark Park.

Any permission relates only to use within The Bark Park and does not constitute permission to fly over surrounding land or property.

The drone operator is entirely responsible for checking and complying with all applicable aviation laws, airspace restrictions, privacy requirements and filming restrictions.

Permission from The Bark Park does not override any applicable legal or regulatory restriction.

We reserve the right to refuse or cancel future bookings where a customer seriously or repeatedly fails to comply with these Terms and Conditions.

This includes:

• failing to supervise dogs appropriately
• leaving dog waste
• allowing dogs to dig
• causing or failing to report damage
• bringing more dogs than permitted
• unsafe or inappropriate behaviour
• entering before the allocated booking time
• remaining beyond the allocated session and interfering with the next customer's booking
• confronting, threatening or behaving inappropriately towards another customer

Customers may be asked to pay the reasonable cost of repairing damage caused by themselves or their dog(s).

Repeated or serious offenders may be banned from using The Bark Park.

The Bark Park reserves the right to update or amend these Terms and Conditions from time to time to reflect changes to our facilities, booking procedures, operating requirements, safety requirements, policies or applicable law.

Customers are responsible for familiarising themselves with the current Terms and Conditions and are encouraged to review them before attending The Bark Park, as they may be updated from time to time.

Where changes are relevant to an existing booking, customers should review the updated Terms and Conditions and contact us as soon as possible if they have any concerns or do not agree with a change.

We will not use changes to these Terms and Conditions to remove or restrict any statutory rights or contractual rights that a customer already has under an existing booking.

Nothing in these Terms and Conditions affects your statutory rights.