Our promise: If visible waste was missed, text us within 24 hours and we’ll return to correct the verified issue at no charge.
1. Services provided
Standard service includes locating, collecting, and bagging visible dog waste from the designated, safely accessible outdoor service area. It does not include indoor areas, human waste, dead animals, needles, hazardous materials, trash, vomit, diapers, waste frozen into the ground, moving heavy objects, yard repair, or guaranteed removal of bacteria, parasites, viruses, pests, or disease. Patios, decks, kennels, dog runs, deodorizing, sanitizing, and other special services must be requested and may cost extra.
2. Service plans
Recurring service continues until canceled under these terms; there is no long-term contract. “Every other week” means approximately every 14 days. Customers must provide accurate dog-count, yard-size, service-area, and access information. Pricing may be adjusted when those conditions change. Published prices are starting rates for typical residential properties in the primary service area; the final quoted rate controls and remains subject to the price-change notice below. The free regular visit applies after a paid initial cleanup on an active weekly plan. Referral credits have no cash value, apply after the referred customer completes paid service, and cannot be combined unless approved in writing.
3. Initial and accumulated cleanups
Recurring pricing covers normal waste produced between scheduled visits. Initial, spring, seasonal, overdue, restart, and heavily accumulated cleanups are priced separately by labor, property condition, and waste volume and require estimated prepayment. If actual conditions would materially raise the approved price, work pauses for customer approval. A discounted initial cleanup requires three completed recurring visits; canceling earlier may result in the discount difference becoming due.
4. Scheduling
Customers receive a regular route day based on location; exact arrival times are not guaranteed. Route order can change due to traffic, weather, emergencies, holidays, or operating needs. Service may occur one business day before or after the usual day. Exact-time and return-trip requests are subject to availability and may cost extra.
5. Customer presence and access
Customers do not need to be home. Scheduling service authorizes entry to the agreed outdoor service area through the approved access point. Gates must be unlocked, functional, safe, and clear of snow, ice, and obstructions. We will not climb fences, force gates, or use unsafe entrances. A visit prevented by customer-caused access problems may be skipped and remain billable; return trips and accumulated waste may cost extra.
6. Gate security
After service, we close and physically check the gate latch. A completion message and gate photograph may document that it was secured. Customers must maintain fencing, hinges, locks, and latches. Downriver Yard Guard is not responsible for an escape caused by a pre-existing defective or unsecured fence or gate.
7. Dog safety
Dogs must be securely indoors, off-site, or separately contained during service unless prior written approval exists for a specific dog. Invisible fences, tie-outs, and verbal commands are not secure containment. We will not enter with an unfamiliar, threatening, territorial, or aggressive loose dog. An unsafe-dog visit may stop immediately and remain billable. We do not feed, leash, move, transport, medicate, or otherwise handle customer animals.
8. Yard conditions
Customers must keep service areas reasonably maintained and safe. Long grass, weeds, leaves, mud, standing water, snow, ice, toys, trash, and debris can conceal waste. Only visible, safely accessible waste can be removed. We are not required to move furniture, pools, play structures, construction materials, heavy objects, or hazards. Dangerous or severely neglected properties may be partially serviced, skipped, repriced, or discontinued.
9. Weather, winter, and holidays
Service normally continues during light rain, cold, and light snowfall when safe. Downriver Yard Guard decides whether roads, lightning, wind, temperatures, snow, or ice make service unsafe. We do not chip waste from ice, dig through deep snow, or risk damaging frozen grass. A company-canceled paid visit that cannot be made up receives a credit. Customer-caused inaccessibility remains subject to access terms. Spring-cleanup charges may apply after winter pauses.
10. Cancellations, skips, and vacations
Recurring visits require at least 24 hours’ notice to skip or cancel. Initial, one-time, spring, seasonal, and restart cleanups require at least 48 hours’ notice. Timely canceled prepaid cleanups may be refunded or credited. Late cancellations, no-shows, and customer-caused access failures may forfeit some or all prepayment. Recurring service can be canceled at any time and ends after confirmation; completed services remain due. Accumulation after a skip and restart after a long pause may cost extra.
11. Billing and failed payments
Initial and special cleanups require estimated prepayment. Recurring service is priced and automatically charged per completed visit, not as a flat calendar-month package. Customers authorize charges for approved completed service and add-ons and must keep billing information current. Company-canceled visits are not charged. Recurring prices may change with at least 30 days’ notice. Declined payments may be retried, and service may be suspended or ended for unpaid balances, repeated failures, or fraudulent disputes.
12. Satisfaction promise
If visible waste present at the time of service was missed, notify us within 24 hours and provide photographs when practical. Once verified, Downriver Yard Guard will return to the service area and correct the missed-waste issue at no additional charge, normally within 48 hours. This limited remedy does not cover new waste, concealed or frozen waste, inaccessible or unsafe areas, or inaccurate customer information. It is not a guarantee of the property’s overall condition, sanitation, health, safety, or freedom from bacteria, parasites, viruses, pests, or disease. Except where required by law, the remedy is corrective service rather than a cash refund.
13. Waste disposal and sanitation
Waste is securely bagged and placed in the customer’s designated outdoor trash container unless off-site hauling is purchased. If the container is unavailable or full, the sealed bag may be left at the agreed outdoor location. Tools and footwear are cleaned and disinfected between properties. Customers must disclose known parvovirus, giardia, worms, or other contagious illness. Service may be delayed, modified, or declined for unusual infection risks.
14. Property damage and hazards
Customers must disclose broken gates, invisible fences, irrigation equipment, unstable stairs, construction, holes, chemicals, sharp objects, and unsafe structures. Downriver Yard Guard is not responsible for pre-existing damage, deterioration, hidden conditions, improperly installed equipment, or animal-caused damage. Damage claims must be reported within 48 hours. Nothing here removes responsibility for damage directly caused by proven negligence or intentional misconduct.
15. Photographs and documentation
Photographs may be taken for estimates, gate and service confirmation, security, quality control, and dispute documentation. People, children, house numbers, and unrelated private information will be avoided when practical. Property photographs will not be used in advertising without separate permission.
16. Communications
Customers authorize service-related calls, texts, and emails concerning quotes, scheduling, arrival, completion, access, billing, weather, route changes, and account status. Consent to service messages is not a condition of purchasing unrelated goods or services. Marketing messages require separate permission. Message and data rates may apply. Customers may opt out of marketing texts by replying STOP, but essential service communications may continue while service is active.
17. Estimates, areas, dogs, and promotions
Pricing is based on registered dogs and the agreed service area. Added dogs, secondary yards, larger areas, or unusual volume may be repriced. Quotes expire after 30 days. Published prices are starting rates affected by route availability, location, yard size, dog count, frequency, access, and accumulation. Promotions cannot be combined unless stated, and discounts may be denied or recovered when their requirements are not completed.
18. Refusal, cameras, and emergencies
We do not interfere with lawful exterior cameras. Service may be refused, suspended, or terminated for nonpayment, unsafe animals, threats, harassment, discrimination, illegal or dangerous conditions, biohazards, repeated blocked access, fraudulent disputes, unreasonable conduct, or repeated policy violations. Severe weather, illness, vehicle failure, road closures, government orders, disasters, or other events outside reasonable control may delay or cancel service.
19. Acceptance and updates
Scheduling service, accepting a quote, submitting payment, checking the online acceptance box, or allowing work to begin constitutes acceptance of these terms. Policies may be updated when necessary. Current customers will receive reasonable notice of material changes. Michigan law governs these terms to the extent permitted by law.
Questions?
Text Downriver Yard Guard at (231) 429-8845 or email downriveryardguard@gmail.com.