Find Answers to Our Most Frequently Asked Questions.
Please keep in mind that while many dogs enjoy playing and tumbling around with other dogs, there are some that do not. Some dogs are nervous around new people. Some dogs can find open-play daycare to be too stressful and would prefer to be in the comforts of their own home/environment. How a dog reacts at daycare depends on their socialization experiences. We have several play areas for all types of energy levels to create a fun day for most dogs!
First and foremost, all of our interactions with your dog are based on having a relationship with your dog. To form positive, trust-filled social experiences for pups we need pet parents to commit to a set daycare schedule so the play groups aren't changing daily. Therefore, we require a set daycare schedule.
A system of Regular Attendance sees each enrolled dog attend recurring 2 or 3 days each week - The same days each week, arriving before 9:30am on an ongoing basis. A regular routine of learning, play and rest means your dog will never be over-stimulated or over-tired at Rockstar Pets or at the end of the day. Missed days can have a big impact on your dog's learning and overall health.
Monthly continuous memberships are automatically renewed on the first day of the calendar month and are for dogs attending enrichment at least two (2) days a week.* A valid credit card must be kept in the Gingr portal. *Senior dogs may be allowed to participate one day a week.
Monthly continuous membership plans expire at the end of each calendar month, and unused days do not rollover. Life can be unpredictable; however, payment is based on contract, not attendance. Our structure means our staffing schedule is in place, and we plan for your dog to attend every day he/she is scheduled. Members may request two changes for a different day per month. Upon emailed request, extra days may be added, if available, at any time. Excess changes may result in the cancellation of membership.
You can cancel a membership in writing through the Gingr portal or email info@rockstarpetschicago.com (after three months) 15 days before the renewal date. For example, a standing membership for September must be canceled by August 15th to avoid charges.
Once in attendance, dogs become part of the Canine Enrichment Program and can also be booked in for any Additional Days of Enrichment or Overnight Boarding, year-round, as is needed by the pet parents.
Enrichment requires a substantial reduction in the number of dogs in attendance for two reasons:
Providing the level of care to which we strive, and you expect, requires a ratio of one team member for every 12 dogs at most.
Our staff is extensively trained in dog behavior and body language, CPR, and receives continuing education for as long as they work at Rockstar Pets.
Of course! Please call or email us to schedule an appointment, so we can give you our full attention. We prefer to give tours on Saturdays when there are less dogs.
Each day's framework is based on three criteria:
Typical Schedule:
1. Membership is a commitment to attend our enrichment program on a set schedule at least twice per week.
2. Minimum 3-month commitment (auto-charged on the 1st of each month)
3. Hours: 7:00am to 6:00pm Monday - Friday. *Weekend enrichment hours differ and are mainly for boarding dogs, but special requests can be made.
4. Membership is not prorated for illness or holidays.
5. Monthly continuous membership plans will expire at the end of each calendar month, and unused days will not be rolled over.
6. Members may request two changes for a different day per month. Upon request, extra days may be added, if available, at any time. Requests must be made via email or in writing through the Gingr portal.
7. Memberships can be canceled in writing through the Gingr portal or an email to info@rockstarpetschicago.com 15 days before the renewal date. For example, a standing membership for September must be canceled by August 15th to avoid charges.
8. A continuous member may place the membership on hold only after the initial three-month term of membership. Each month your membership is on hold, you will be charged a $200 membership hold fee. Membership hold requests are limited to one (1) time per calendar year. Hold durations are 30 or 60 day periods. The request must be made in writing to info@rockstarpetschicago.com by the 15th of the preceding month.
Monthly continuous memberships are automatically renewed on the first day of the calendar month and are for dogs attending enrichment at least two (2) days a week.* A valid credit card must be kept in the Gingr portal.
Absences: Membership is not prorated for illness. Members pay the full monthly membership fee even if their dog is absent for one or more days. Rockstar Pets allows two ‘swap’ days a month to help because we know life is unpredictable.
Holidays: Rockstar Pets is closed on major holidays and members do not receive a refund, credit or other allowance for holidays.
You commit to a set schedule and sign up for a plan. The number of days your dog attends will vary monthly. We process our monthly plan charge on the 1st of each month. Like child daycare, you pay for your dog's spot, not his attendance. You can expect to pay for sick days even if your dog is absent for one or more days. However, we allow two ‘swap’ days a month at our discretion. We do not makeup holidays that we are closed.
Assessments are not a test; meaning, they are not pass or fail. On assessment days pups are assigned a team member to walk them through their day and arrange play partners. Assessments allow us to collect information on your pup. The information helps us determine if your dog will thrive in this environment. Our environment is not for every dog. Based on your pup's assessment we will help determine the best weekly schedule for your pup. Assessments cost $60.00.
Our goal is to find out who your dog is. What do they know? What do they not know? Is enrichment something they are ready for and need?
We require up-to-date vaccinations and screenings before we schedule your pup for an evaluation. We evaluate all pups. So, before we schedule your pup for an evaluation we would need to have vet records showing:
- Distemper
- Bordetella
- Rabies
- Fecal/Giardia test with negative results (every 6 months)
- Dogs must be spayed or neutered unless younger than 6.5 months of age (earlier if issues in group arise)
- Your vet can email us a summary if you make a request
- Rockstar Pets requires at least two assessment days which must be scheduled during the week (full days of daycare) and then your pup enters a 3 month trial period
- Rockstar Pets requires a completed Membership Request Form
- Rockstar Pets requires a completed Owner Agreement and Terms and Conditions agreement found in the Gingr portal.
- Titer protection may be substituted for the distemper and parvovirus vaccinations.
- Puppies must have received second series of vaccinations (Distemper, Bordetella) and have a clean fecal exam in order to start Puppy Basics
- All dogs must have a snap collar with a name tag, a rabies vaccination tag and be microchipped.
- Chicago residents must have a current city dog license sticker on their rabies tag.
- Dogs must have basic training and respond to their name and simple commands like sit, stay, leave it, etc.
- We encourage Frontline (or similar) monthly flea and tick preventative medication. Just remember it should be put on 24 hours before your pet comes to play.
- Out of respect for our neighbors, we cannot have dogs who excessively bark.
Members pay $30 per night (for a standard kennel) for overnight stays on their regular enrichment days. On non-typical days, members will be charged $57 for enrichment plus the $30 boarding fee.
For example, suppose you purchase a membership for your dog to attend enrichment on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but your pet is boarding from Tuesday to Friday. In that case, you will pay for the additional enrichment days of Wednesday and Friday plus the $30 nightly boarding fee (5x5' kennels and suites are available for an upcharge).
We don't charge for enrichment on your dog's checkout day if your pup is picked up by 9:30 am. Any check out after 9:30 am, will incur a $60 enrichment charge unless your dog's regular enrichment day.
Please bring your dog’s regular food, pre-measured and separated in Ziploc-type bags for each meal, as well as any treats that will assist in making their stay as comfortable as possible. If you don't have time to pre-measure your pup's food we can do it, but there is a $5/day charge for our employees to do it. RSP provides beds, water and food bowls for our guests.
Feel free to bring a Kong or favorite chew toy. No squeaky toys please. RSP is not responsible for any lost or damaged items. Please do not bring food bowls. If you do not wish to provide food, it is available at a fee of $2.50 each meal, per day.
We choose better practices for our team and our dogs, so we have decided to close at 6:00 pm. This change has been under consideration for a while and was not made lightly. Closing at 6:00 pm helps the boundaries between work and personal time strengthen. Like most companies with a healthy culture, we are interested in whether our employees care for themselves. Employees benefit when companies shorten working hours. We want our team to have enough time to do laundry, grocery shop, and spend time with their family and animals.
We get it, stuff happens. We offer a grace period of 10 minutes. If you arrive after the 10-minute grace period, even with a phone call, you will be charged $12.00.
While we take every precaution possible to ensure that all of the dogs in our care are healthy and safe, you must recognize that incidents will happen whenever dogs socialize together and that we take no responsibility regarding these incidents. Rockstar Pets is not liable for injuries or illness that any animal may incur while in our care. If your dog is injured while in our care for any reason, and requires outside medical attention, we will take your dog to MedVet Medical. Our first priority will always be the care of your dog and therefore getting them to a top hospital quickly will be our first step.
Daycare cancellation policy:
Monthly continuous membership plans expire at the end of each calendar month
and unused days will not be rolled over. We understand life can be unpredictable; however, payment is based on contract not attendance. Our structure means our staffing schedule is set in place and we plan for your dog to attend every day he is scheduled. Members may request 2 changes for a different day per month. Extra days may be added, if available, at any time. Excess changes may result in cancellation of membership.
Non-Holiday Boarding Cancellation Policy:
A $85 deposit is required for all boarding reservations. If you cancel your non-holiday boarding reservation less than 24 hours before your pet’s scheduled arrival time, the cost of one night’s boarding will be withheld from your deposit. The credit card on file will be charged one boarding night for a no-show. If you give more than 24 hours notice your deposit will remain as a credit on your account.
Holiday Boarding Cancellation Policy:
If you cancel your holiday reservation by the deadline, you will be left with a credit on your account. When we cancel a reservation in the system the deposit becomes a credit. If you prefer the deposit to be refunded we can do that - it won't happen immediately because it needs to be done manually.
If you reduce the number of boarding nights by the deadline, the original $85 deposit would be applied at check out. After the deadline, the deposit is non-refundable.
Enrichment:
We are only open for boarding dogs on the following holidays -no enrichment daycare:
On the above holidays the boarding dogs are provided enrichment.
Boarding:
Boarding is only available to dogs in our enrichment program. On holidays, we are open 9:00AM - 12:00PM or 5:00-7:00PM for boarding pick ups and drop offs. Due to the high demand/bookings and increased staffing, rates do increase $10 per night around the holidays.
Other Holiday Requirements:
1. You pay for the days that you reserve. If you change your drop off or pickup dates to shorten your pup's stay after the deposit deadline you will still pay for the days that you reserved the kennel.
2. An $85 deposit is required for all boarding reservations. If you cancel a holiday boarding reservation less than 2 weeks from your pet’s scheduled arrival time, you will forfeit your entire deposit. See holiday deadline dates on our Holidays page. When you check out from your boarding reservation, the deposit amount will be deducted from your invoice.
3. We do not offer drop offs or pickups on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day.
We think that cats rock too – so much so that we travel to them! RSP’s in-home cat sitting service includes feeding, play sessions, litter box maintenance and administering of medication (only doctor prescribed and the occasional medicinal cat nip – no illicit activity on our watch). We can also collect your mail and water house plants (30 minute visit). We mainly service the Wicker Park, Bucktown, Logan Square and Avondale areas.
Due to the nature of our service, we cannot offer guaranteed visit times on single visit days. Instead we offer a 2 hour window. However, we will do our very best to accommodate your requests.
Last minute (less than a week's notice) will have less of a chance of getting accepted. If you pet needs medication or has to be seen 2 times/day, we suggest you give at least 1-2 weeks notice. Holiday visits should be requested as early as possible (suggest 2-3 weeks notice).
Twice daily clients get prioritized with their preferred timing, as do kitties on medications and those who only eat wet food. If you have concerns, please ask!
Visits Can Be Scheduled:
*We do not schedule visits further apart than every other day. We do, however, feel comfortable sharing service with friends or neighbors who visit as well.
- Cancellation Policy: For any visit canceled with less than a full 24 hours notice from the start of the visit time window, payment is required in full.
ADDITIONAL SERVICES / FEES
- Errand run: $25 plus the cost of supplies
We all have hectic schedules and we understand if you run out of something. If we need to go out and purchase something for your cats while you are gone, this fee will be assessed.
