The Terms and Conditions at Vroom Grooms LLC require proof of vaccinations for all dogs. This applies to new dogs when filling out the new client form, and current dog owners are asked to provide updated records by January 1, 2026. The required vaccinations are Rabies and DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza). Bordetella is not mandatory, but it is highly recommended. Here is why vaccination records matter and what happens if they are missing.
Why Vaccination Records Matter
Vaccinations protect your dog, my dogs on the route, and me. Mobile grooming is a close-contact service. Your dog is on a grooming table in an enclosed van. I am handling your dog with my hands, my forearms, my clothes. If your dog is carrying a preventable disease, every dog that comes into the van after your dog is at risk. So am I.
Rabies is the most obvious one. It is fatal, it is zoonotic (it can spread from animals to humans), and there is no cure once symptoms appear. A single bite or scratch from a rabid dog is a medical emergency. Vaccination makes the risk effectively zero for any properly vaccinated dog, and it makes the risk of handling a vaccinated dog with an unknown vaccination status much lower.
DHPP protects against distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, and parainfluenza. Parvovirus in particular is highly contagious and can survive on surfaces for months. If an unvaccinated dog comes into the van with parvo, every surface in the van is contaminated, and every dog that uses the van for the next several months is at risk. I cannot run a mobile grooming business in a contaminated van. I cannot take that risk for the other dogs on my route.
Bordetella is the kennel cough vaccine. It is not mandatory, but it is highly recommended because kennel cough is extremely contagious and spreads through the air. If your dog goes to dog parks, the groomer, the vet, doggy daycare, or anywhere else with other dogs, the Bordetella vaccine is the best protection.
What Happens If Records Are Missing
The Terms and Conditions include a $50 fee for any dog missing vaccination records. The fee is added to the groom, and the price jumps to the higher end of your dog’s pricing range. If your dog is already at the higher end of the range because of size or coat condition, the price jumps up to the next pricing tier.
This sounds harsh. It is meant to be. Vaccination records are not optional, and the fee exists because I am taking on real risk when I groom a dog without confirmed vaccination status. The $50 fee is not a punishment. It is compensation for the additional risk I am accepting and the additional administrative work of tracking which dogs have current records and which do not.
If your dog is missing vaccination records because they are due for a booster, get the booster before the next appointment and bring the updated records. If your dog has never been vaccinated, talk to your vet about getting them current. Most vets can get a dog caught up on vaccinations in a single visit, with the exception of Rabies, which often requires a waiting period.
How to Provide Vaccination Records
When you fill out the new client form, there is a section for vaccination records. You can upload photos of the vet-issued vaccination certificate, or you can have your vet send the records directly. If your dog has been vaccinated at a clinic that uses a digital records system, your vet can usually email a copy or give you access to download one.
For current clients, the policy is to provide updated records by January 1, 2026. This is a one-time deadline to get everyone’s records current. After that, I will continue to ask for updated records when your dog’s vaccinations are renewed, but the catch-up deadline is the priority right now.
If you do not have the original vaccination certificate, your vet’s office can usually reprint one or send you a copy. If you adopted your dog from a shelter or rescue, the adoption paperwork usually includes the vaccination history. If you genuinely do not have records and cannot get them, talk to me before the appointment. We can figure out a path forward, but the answer is going to involve getting the dog current on vaccinations.
Why This Matters for Your Dog
Vaccinations are not just about the other dogs on the route. They are about your dog. Rabies, distemper, parvovirus, and the other diseases in the DHPP combination are all serious, all potentially fatal, and all preventable. Keeping your dog current on vaccinations is one of the most basic responsibilities of dog ownership, and it protects your dog from diseases that would be much more expensive to treat than the vaccines are to administer.
If your dog is not vaccinated, your vet can help you get caught up. Most vets are happy to work with owners on a vaccination schedule, and many low-cost vaccine clinics offer the basic vaccinations for a fraction of what a vet visit would cost. There is no good reason for a dog to be unvaccinated in 2026. The resources are available. The protection is real. Make the appointment.
The Bottom Line
Vaccination records are required because the risk of grooming an unvaccinated dog is real, and I am not willing to put my dogs, my clients’ dogs, or myself at that risk. Bring your records. If you do not have them, get them from your vet. If your dog is not vaccinated, get them vaccinated. The $50 fee for missing records is there to make sure I am compensated for the additional risk I am taking, and it is there to remind owners that vaccination is not optional.
Stay fresh and furry, Nicole / Vroom Grooms LLC
About the Author
Nicole is the owner and certified groomer behind Vroom Grooms LLC, a mobile dog grooming service serving Northwest Ohio. She has been certified since 2020 after completing 640 hours of hands-on training, and requires vaccination records for every dog she grooms to protect the safety of all the dogs on her route.
This post was drafted with help from Nagini 🐍, her digital assistant, who keeps the blog running, handles the tech side of the website, and makes sure Nicole spends more time with dogs and less time wrestling with WordPress.