The percentage of citizens having pets continue to rise, and more and more consumers consider their dog and cat family members. Business operators have thus begun providing a variety of pet grooming services (nail clipping, shaving, bathing/SPA skin care, fur/hair trimming) in response to the market demand. To prevent consumer disputes, promote fair contracts, and balance the rights and interests of both consumers and business operators, the Ministry of Agriculture (hereinafter referred to as the MOA) drafted the Mandatory and Prohibitory Provisions of Standard Contract for Dog and Cat Grooming Services in accordance with the authorization provided in Article 17, Paragraph 1 of the Consumer Protection Act. The draft was passed at the 91st meeting of the Consumer Protection Committee of the Executive Yuan, approved by the Executive Yuan, and then publicly announced by the MOA on May 12, 2025. The MOA will subsequently handle promotion and conduct inspections to urge business operators to comply with the provisions.
Key points of the provisions are as follow:
I.Description and confirmation of services: To let consumers understand the dog or cat grooming service they have chosen, business operators shall fully explain the grooming service, period, number of times, whether there is a designated service personnel, fees, and payment methods to the consumer, and prepare service records for consumers to confirm and retain. If fees are not clearly listed, business operators may not charge consumers the fee.
II.Inquiries, duty of care, and handling of abnormalities: Before providing grooming services, business operators shall ask consumers about the dog or cat’s personality, whether it is aggressive, whether it has any diseases, and other matters that require attention, and check if the dog or cat is in a suitable condition for receiving the service. In addition, business operators shall provide a safe environment and proper care for the dog and cat during the grooming service. When business operators discover any abnormality in the part being groomed or the physical health of the dog or cat, they shall properly handle it and notify the consumer. If medical treatment is required, the dog or cat shall be sent to the veterinary clinic of the consumer’s choice first.
III.Refund policies for cancellation or termination of contract:
(I)Cancellation or termination of the contract at the consumer’s will: Consumers may cancel the contract at any time before grooming service is performed on the dog or cat. The consumer may terminate the contract at any time after the grooming service is performed. However, this does not apply to one-time services. The business operator shall refund the fee within 3 days and may deduct the agreed handling fee (which may not exceed 5% of the total contract price and may not exceed TWD 1,000) and the cost of the grooming services already performed.
(II)Cancellation or termination of the contract for reasons attributable to the business operator: The consumer may cancel or terminate the contract if the business operator alters the service location or the dog or cat grooming service personnel designated by the consumer. Business operators shall refund the related fees to consumers within 3 days, and shall also compensate consumers for any other damages sustained.
(III) Cancellation or termination of the contract for reasons not attributable to either party: If the contract cannot be performed due to natural disasters, accidents, government laws, and other reasons not attributable to either party, or if the dog or cat dies or becomes ill and cannot continue to receive the contract service, both parties may cancel or terminate the contract. Business operators shall refund the related fees to consumers within 3 days and may not charge any handling fees.
IV.Handling of late pickup of the dog or cat by the consumer:
(I)After the business operator completes the dog or cat grooming service, the consumer shall pick up the dog or cat at the time agreed upon by both parties. If the consumer picks up the dog or cat after the agreed time, no late fee shall be charged if the consumer is less than 30 minutes late. If the consumer is more than 30 minutes late and the parties agreed on late fees, the business operator may start charging late fees in accordance with the contract.
(II)If the consumer fails to pick up the dog or cat after business hours of the day, the business operator shall notify the consumer or the emergency contact person. If the business operator is not able to contact the consumer or the consumer does not pick up the dog or cat after being notified, the business operator shall still fulfill their responsibility to take good care of the dog or cat and may charge a fee for breaching the contract (an additional 5% late fee, may not exceed 3 times the service fee per day).
(III)If the consumer fails to pick up the dog or cat for more than 3 days, the business operator shall notify the animal protection agency-in-charge to handle it in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Animal Protection Act.
V.Provision of performance guarantee: Business operators shall provide performance guarantee for 50% of the pre-paid dog and cat grooming service fees. However, if the contract period is less than 1 month, fees are charged on a monthly basis, or the cumulative unspent amount of pre-payments is less than TWD 10,000, the performance guarantee is not required.
The Department of Consumer Protection of the Executive Yuan stated that according to Article 56-1 of the Consumer Protection Act, if a business operator is found in violation of the public announcement while utilizing the standard contracts and fails to rectify the situation within the time limit prescribed by the agency-in-charge, unless penalty provisions are otherwise stipulated by law, a fine no less than TWD 30,000 and no more than TWD 300,000 shall be imposed. If the business operator fails to rectify the situation within the second prescribed time limit, a fine no less than TWD 50,000 and no more than TWD 500,000 shall be imposed, and repeat fines may be imposed for each subsequent violation.