This addendum is mostly a compilation of common-sense items. Most
"dog people" would follow these without even thinking about it. However, we have
discovered with human rentals, to take nothing for granted. (For instance, it
never occurred to me to leave a note saying, "If you spill coffee all over the
kitchen cabinets, please clean it up." But lo and behold, somebody did spill
coffee everywhere and didn't clean it up, and all the cabinets were stained
beyond redemption and had to be repainted and reglazed!) We don't want to scare
anyone off- this is a fabulous place for dogs and their humans (Jackie adores
it here and caring for him here is a breeze), but we'd rather err on the side
of giving too much information and advice versus not telling you everything we
can possibly imagine! So, we've compiled this list especially for those
bringing the 4-legged family member.
1. Piddle Pads / Incontinence: If your dog uses piddle pads or is
incontinent, PLEASE keep contained and clean. If your dog damages a rug/carpet
and/or rug pad, notify the owner and you agree to pay all additional costs to replace
(or clean if possible) the rug/carpet and/or rug pad.
2. A note about fleas: You may want to discuss your current flea
prevention with your veterinarian and tell him or her that you are vacationing
at North Topsail Beach, North Carolina, and get professional advice for your
dog.
3. Leash: Please keep your dog on a leash around town.
a) We want to be good neighbors, and while most people adore dogs,
there are some folks that are scared to death of them, and even your
friendly, lovable, wouldn't-hurt-a-fly canine can be frightening to those
folks,
b) Please don't leave the dog in the yard unattended. Please keep an
eye on him/her when they are out there playing or what have you---please
don't leave them in the yard alone whilst you go out.
c) There are gentlemen (and a lovely lady supervisor) from the landscaping firm that come in to the
yard to take care of the garden and yard. You never know when they might be
there, so keeping an eye on the dog in the yard helps avoid unexpected
encounters (but the yard men/lady are very very nice).
4. Waste: Please clean up after your dog during the stay, whether you are in the yard or on a walk.
We provide plenty of blue doggie waste bags in small plastic capsules that
fit right in your pocket for your use while you are here. The yard is mostly
mulch, pretty grass, and flowerbeds. Obviously, please keep the dog
out of the flowerbeds, but dogs seem to take to both defecating and
urinating in the mulch or grass very well. It is also easy to clean up
that way.
You should always put out the accumulated pile of used blue bags for the
trash man the night before he is due, all small bags bound up in another garbage bag in the trash
container. Anyway, the schedule for trash pick-up is in the kitchen in
Idyll-by-the-Sea Two (By the way, there are plenty of White Hefty Cinch Garbage Bags
under the smaller kitchen sink. You should place any used blue bags in one of the
larger white trash bags before leaving them out for trash pick-up). The
garbage cans are located on the side of the house in southern garage bay.
In all cases you must clean up after your dog in the yard and on walks.
Please don't abuse the privilege of being able to bring your dog with you.
We know how much this can mean to folks, and we really want to be able to
keep this going. If the next guest complains of dog waste in the yard, it
will be very hard to keep this privilege going.
5. Puppy Sheets / Protecting Furniture: If your dog is enough a member of the family to come on vacation, there
is a very good chance that he or she likes to sleep in bed with you or get
up on the furniture to nap. (I think most dogs find a favorite soft spot to
snooze away the days while the humans in their lives work to in order to buy
them dog bones and take them on vacation).
All we ask is that you thoroughly cover any and all areas of any beds and
furniture that the dog likes to sleep or nap on with a "puppy sheet." We
define a puppy sheet as an old blanket or sheet that is perfect to protect
furniture and easy to shake out and wash frequently. There is a large pile
of puppy sheets in the second floor laundry for this use. (We have
discovered here that if we brush Jackie more frequently and really shake,
wash, whatever is appropriate, the sand out of his fur, it keeps the
house much cleaner.) There are two different kinds of upright vacuums in
the laundry room, a Dust Buster, and small and large brooms, should you need
to get up any sand (from human and dog) as your vacation progresses.
There are also outside wash/showers with
hoses to clean up after the beach for two and four legged visitors--We also
provide a pile of marked "puppy towels" for your use after washing or
hosing off the pup.
6. No unattended pets:
Please don't leave your dog unattended on any of the porches. When we
were moving into our Seaside, Florida house, I had Jackie out on the
screened porch by the Master Bedroom. I had all the bedroom doors open and
he was right in my eyesight, about three feet away. I turned around to hang
a picture, and -wham- there was the sound of Jackie trying to go right out
through the screen, and I do mean through the screen. I caught sight of a
delighted little fox, whizzing back into the dunes. The fox had obviously
come out and taunted the dog (I've seen it happen with our foxes back in
Maryland). Now Jackie was a VERY good dog, but even he couldn't resist that
fox sticking his tongue out at him. So, the moral of my anecdote is that
although we have not seen a fox at Topsail, please do not leave your pets
unattended.
7. Dog Fee: There is a non-refundable $150 per dog per stay dog fee.
8. Barking: Everyone here is on vacation, so please don't let your dog bark
constantly and annoy anyone. We all want to be good neighbors.
9. Yard Time: Please keep the waste cleaned up during your stay.
10. Spa Suite: Sorry, pets are not allowed to use any of the facilities
of the fourth floor Spa Suite with you (sauna, steam shower, etc) out of concern
for your pet's health (overheating, etc).
11. Dogs on the Beach: As per the town of North Topsail Beach
"Dogs must be on a leash and under the control of the owner at all times
... It is the owner's responsibility to ensure that all excrement is immediately
removed and placed in the proper receptacle. ...
Please make the beach enjoyable for all both people and your pets!"
12. Washing your Dog: If you need to wash your dog, please do
so outside. we have two hot and cold running showers with long hoses
on pool deck and cold water on walkover. It is not appropriate to wash
your dog inside the house.
Thanks for your patience with all of our detailed items. We truly want
everyone to relax and enjoy their vacations- 2 and 4 legged! We often find
it helps to have questions answered ahead of time, so folks aren't left
wondering if they are doing the right thing. Enjoy your vacation!
The Family Member(s) with dog(s) has read and agrees to abide by the terms,
rules and regulations of this Dog Addendum.
______________________________________
Carol Irvine Signature
Owner
