Your name is "Anchors Away." How did you pick that name?

We started in the city of Anchorage, KY, which has a bit of a nautical theme and serve as your home anchor when you're away. Whether our clients hop on a boat or an airplane, we want you to completely trust things are cared for -- with your home and your pets. We are anchored in trust and transparency.

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What types of pets do you care for and accept as clients?

We care for all sorts of pets! Dogs, cats, pocket pets, fish, birds and some reptiles. Our main clientele are dogs and cats but we are always up for a new adventure and always willing to learn!

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In what areas of Kentucky do you offer your services?

We currently cover Anchorage, WIndy Hills, Indian Hills and Norton Commons in the Louisville Metro Area. We are always looking to help out in new places, so if you are a homeowner, pet parent -- or a pet sitter who wants to join our team -- let us know and we'll see what we can figure out. If we can't do it, we have a large network that probably can step in.

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In what areas of North Carolina do you offer your services?

We currently cover Asheville, North Asheville, Beaver Dam, Weaverville, Haw Creek, West Asheville, and the Biltmore area. We are always looking to help out in new places, so if you are a homeowner, pet parent -- or a pet sitter who wants to join our team -- let us know and we'll see what we can figure out. If we can't do it, we have a large network that probably can step in.

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How do we get started, what's the process?

If we look like a fit, please use the contact form on this site to send us a message, send us an email or give us a call. We require a free consult (a "Meet & Greet") before we work with any client. This allows us to find your home, meet you and your pets and have them meet us. It makes sense to have the consult in relatively close time range to the start of us working together, so everything is fresh in everyone’s minds. However, that does not mean that you should wait until the last minute to contact us. Call today and we'll work together to find a good time.  If you are planning to be away for a while we might suggest a couple of short visits, before the longer trip you’ve scheduled, so that we can develop a rapport with your pets.

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How do we pay you?

We accept all major credit cards but will take checks and cash as well. To work with us, you will register on a web and mobile-based application, called Time To Pet, that stores all necessary information about you and your pets. We will also communicate, schedule and invoice through the Time To Pet App. It tracks our activities, service time and allows us to invoice and accept payment. It offers total transparency and tracks everything. Clients have found it very useful to register their card and pay through this same App. 

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What happens at the Meet & Greet?

The free consult allows us to find your home, meet you and your pets and have you and them meet us. After your pets have given us the “ok," you can show us where and what they like to eat, walk, do their business, and location of supplies and other equipment. For live-in pet sitting, you can show us where we will be sleeping, location of washer/dryer and any other helpful information we may need to know about your home and pets for the duration of our stay. We like to know how they like to play and if they have any favorite toys and treats, where they sleep, where they eat and their general routine. You can also tell us all the wonderful character traits that make your pet(s) the incredible unique beings they are!

Once we’ve completed our consult, you can book us at will through the Time To Pet app.

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How long does a Meet & Greet last?

The Meet & Greet consultation usually lasts about a half hour. It depends on a lot of things, and we do not put a time limit on it. We want to make sure you don't worry about a thing when you're away. 

 

Is there paperwork or an agreement?

Agreements, yes. Paperwork, no. We will send you an invitation to sign up on the Time To Pet App. Agreements and other necessary documents can be signed electronically. We will cover everything when we meet, and if you feel more comfortable doing paper copies, we will complete the online work for you and upload any necessary paper copies to your profile. 

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We refer to your and your pets' profiles for each and every visit. We reference it for access and feeding instructions and other such information. It serves as assurance that everything is communicated exactly right, in a single place. No hunting for messages or instructions in texts, emails, voicemails or drawers. 

This documentation also serves to show authorities that we have permission and an appointment to be at your home, should that ever become necessary (an alarm doesn't work, or a neighbor doesn't know we should be there).

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Do you need a copy of my house key?

Yes! And codes to any gates or doors we need to navigate. Once we have booked the Meet & Greet, it’s a great idea to make sure you have a copy of your house key made and ready. Please make sure the key works. 

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We will tag each key with a code special to you. We never put pet or client names or addresses on keys. If a key is lost, no one will know what it’s for. When we come back from a service, each key is placed back into its secure and locked location. We never attach your house keys to our own key rings and are always locked away after each visit.

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You can also opt to hide the key in a certain location on your property, give us a garage code to access your home or a door code should you not use a key to enter. 

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Are you Insured?

Yes. We are insured through "Business Insurers of the Carolinas." We will bring a copy of the policy to the Meet & Greet. 

 

Do you have a cancellation policy?

Yes! As a business who books up quickly, this is imperative. Cancellations must be received 72 hours before the start date of any scheduled visits. If your cancellation falls between 72 hours and 24 hrs you will owe 50% of the total fee for the scheduled booking. Less than 24 hrs before scheduled start, the full fee will be due. *Please note, this policy may vary by location. Your local Anchors Away will walk you through their policy.

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Do you ever walk pets off-leash?

No. We are a business; we are insured, and we always comply with local and state laws. Our insurance policy is strict and we adhere to it in order to maintain coverage. Dogs must be leashed at all times. This is also a safety concern. Your dog will always behave differently with us than with you. We take no chances and want to keep everyone safe.

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Do you offer Live-In pet sitting where you stay the night?

Yes! This service books quickly and we typically need a month advance notice for this, sometimes two, so book as soon as you know you have a need.

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Do you have employees or independent contractors?

We have a strong network of pet care providers. If we can't attend to your needs personally, we will introduce an employee, contractor or a colleague. Our clients will have met and 'approved' anyone assigned to take care of their home and babies. You’ll always know who is entering your home and caring for your pets.

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When is payment due?

Payment is due before services are rendered. You will receive an invoice via the Time To Pet App. Simply click to pay with your card on record. *Please note, this policy may vary by location. Your local Anchors Away will walk you through their policy.

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Can I schedule through your website?

Yes, you can either visit your client portal on anchorsawayhomecare.com (the Client Login link) to schedule services or use the Anchors Away Time To Pet App. We're also happy to schedule services for you, just send us a message.

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How do I know you came and completed the job?

The "Visit Report" on the Time To Pet App will show you when we arrived and when we left, and if it's a dog walk, our path will be tracked by GPS and available for you to view. The Visit Report also includes whether they went #1 or #2, if they ate, any issues or accidents, observations made on their behavior, and occasional photos of our adventures. This gives you peace of mind that everyone is doing well and that we did what we promised to do.

 

Can I request specific times for you to arrive?

We do the best we can. We always give a time window. Pet Sitting and Dog Walking can be unpredictable. There are times when we have to clean up an accident or a cat tipped over a plant, or maybe the dogs had a garbage party after a client left for work. This may cause our day to run off schedule. Things happen and we don’t leave a visit until the issue is taken care of, best as possible,, knowing the pet is left in a safe and comfortable environment. These are exceptions, but we ask that you understand it may not be possible to arrive at the exact time you prefer. 

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Do you take pets with behavioral issues or those requiring complex medical treatment?

We do not take pets that have severe behavioral issues, such as a history of biting or show aggression towards other pets or people within the home. We are not trained or equipped. We also do not take clients whose pets are extremely ill. There are folks who specialize in veterinary home care while you are away. Some do IV fluids and complex medication applications. We do not offer this type of service. If you need help finding someone who specializes in this type of care, we always suggest speaking to your Vet. They usually have Vet techs who can offer this type of care, or they can point you in the right direction.

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What if there is an emergency with my pet?

We will always make every effort to contact you in the event of a medical emergency. If the situation is dire, we may call you from our car while driving your pet to your designated regular Vet or to your designated emergency Vet (in off-hours). Preferably, we can reach you and collaborate on a plan. We encourage our clients to call their Vet before leaving town, let them know we are caring for your pets, provide them with our contact information, and leave a credit card on file for emergencies. We have a "Vet Release Agreement" that covers this type of event.

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So, what's this "App" where everything happens? Is it safe and secure?

The name of the App is "Time To Pet" and it is available on app stores. It runs on your mobile devices and on the web. In terms of security, this is what Time To Pet themselves say ("your data" in this context includes clients' data):

 

We take data Accessibility, Security, and Integrity very seriously. We treat your data as if it was our own and have taken multiple precautions to guarantee your data is safe and always available.
Your data is always stored and transmitted in an encrypted format, and we have strict policies and systems in place to ensure only the correct people have access to your data (i.e. you and your staff). Time To Pet also provides a real time, always available backup of your entire company and its data. To ensure the integrity of your data the backup server is read only. 
Your company data is backed up multiple times a day, encrypted and stored in a separate data center in a different region of the country. Both of these are in addition to the Time To Pet backup server that provides an almost real time backup of your data. In other words, your data is securely backed up in three separate locations.