Hospital Policies

At Happy Paws Veterinary Center, we are committed to delivering exceptional care while maintaining a respectful, organized, and efficient environment for all patients and clients. Below you will find our hospital policies to help you prepare for your visit.

No-Show and Cancellation Policy Wellness and Sick Appointments
We understand that unexpected events can happen. However, to ensure we can serve all of our patients, we kindly ask that cancellations or rescheduling requests be made at least 24 hours prior to your appointment.

• No-Show Policy: If you fail to cancel or reschedule in advance and do not show up, a non-refundable exam deposit will be required to book future appointments.

• Late Arrivals: Clients arriving more than 10 minutes late will need to reschedule, so we can maintain timely care for all patients.

Surgical and Dental Procedures Policy
Please drop off your pet at 8:00 AM on the day of the procedure and arrive on time, as we have limited availability on surgery days and our medical team schedules procedures carefully throughout the morning.

To reserve your pet’s surgery or dental procedure, a $100 deposit is required at the time of booking. This deposit secures your pet’s procedure date and allows us to dedicate the necessary time and medical staff for their care. If you need to cancel or reschedule your pet’s procedure, we kindly ask that you provide at least 24 hours’ notice. Appointments canceled with less than 24 hours’ notice, or missed procedure appointments, will result in forfeiture of the $100 deposit. A new deposit will be required to schedule another procedure appointment.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work to provide safe and timely care for all of our patients.

Payment and Financial Policies
Payment is due at the time of service. We accept the following forms of payment:

• Debit

• All Major Credit Cards (3% surcharge will be added)

• Cash

• Cherry (Explore Payment Options with Cherry)

• CareCredit (Apply at www.carecredit.com)

Please note that we do not accept personal checks. If you have any questions about services or costs, our front desk team will be happy to assist you.

Rabies Vaccination Requirement
To protect all pets, staff, and visitors, a current rabies vaccination is required for all elective procedures. In compliance with Rutherford County regulations, all dogs and cats over three months of age must be vaccinated against rabies. If your pet is due, please let us know at the time of scheduling.

Prescription Refill Policy
At Happy Paws Veterinary Center, we want to make managing your pet’s medications as easy and convenient as possible while ensuring that every prescription is appropriate for their ongoing care. Please allow a minimum of 24 hours for all medication requests, including new prescriptions, refills, and written prescriptions. All medication refills must be reviewed and approved by Dr. Parks to ensure your pet’s medications remain safe and appropriate. Refills can be requested by calling (615) 603-7192, through our Patient Portal, or through our online pharmacy. To help us ensure the safety and accuracy of your pet’s prescriptions, we are only able to approve online prescription requests submitted through our authorized online pharmacy. We are unable to approve prescriptions requested through outside or third-party online pharmacies.

Safety and Courtesy
For everyone’s safety, all pets must be on a leash or in a secure carrier while inside the clinic. This helps us maintain a calm and safe environment for all patients.

Drop-Off Wellness & Sick Appointment Policy

Drop-off appointments are available on a limited, approval-only basis for existing Happy Paws Veterinary Center clients. Pets must have been seen within the past year and be current on rabies vaccination. Drop-offs are scheduled at 8:00 AM and late arrivals may result in forfeiture of the appointment. Pets with aggressive or high-stress behaviors are not eligible. Clients must sign a drop-off consent and treatment estimate at check-in and remain reachable by phone throughout the day, as no additional services will be performed without approval. Most pets are ready for pickup between 2:00–4:00 PM, payment is due at pickup, and pets not picked up by 5:00 PM may incur hospitalization charges per clinic policy.

Courtsey Guidlines

At Happy Paws, we are committed to treating our clients and their pets with courtesy, compassion, and professionalism. We will communicate recommendations, procedures, and costs as clearly as possible, listen to your concerns, and make every reasonable effort to provide timely and appropriate care. We strive to maintain a safe, welcoming, respectful, and professional environment where clients and team members can communicate openly and work together in the best interest of each patient.

In return, we ask that clients communicate respectfully with our team and understand that profanity, yelling, threatening behavior, or other disrespectful communication are not tolerated. We ask that clients follow hospital policies and procedures, including appointment scheduling, pet safety requirements, prescription refill procedures, and payment policies. We also ask that clients arrive on time, provide timely notice of cancellations or rescheduling needs, and clearly communicate their questions and concerns. If these guidelines are not upheld by either the client or our team, the concern will be escalated to the Practice Manager for further assistance and resolution. If a conversation becomes disrespectful, includes profanity, yelling, or threatening behavior, the team member may end the phone call or in-person interaction and immediately involve the Practice Manager. The Practice Manager will determine the appropriate next steps and, when appropriate, continue the conversation with the client.