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Obtaining pet-sitter insurance is a vital part of owning a pet-sitting or dog-walking business. At Pet Sitters International (PSI), we advise that you not accept your first pet-sitting or dog-walking assignment until you have this important coverage in place.

Not only does being insured and bonded give your clients peace of mind—having the right pet-sitter insurance also protects your business. Most people naturally think of the damage a dog bite could cause, but few pet sitters consider the costs involved with injuries to the pets in your care or damage to the property inside clients’ homes. These claims can be substantial—and the reality is that accidents can and do happen every day.

Selecting Pet-Sitter Insurance for Your Pet-Sitting or Dog-Walking Business

According to PSI’s 2022 State of the Industry Survey, 78% of the association’s U.S. member pet sitters use Business Insurers of the Carolinas (BIC) for their pet-sitter insurance coverage.

(Note: PSI members in the U.S. have access to group-rate pricing on pet-sitter insurance through BIC. While based in North Carolina, this agency offers policies to all 50 U.S. states.)

Other insurance providers used by PSI’s member pet-sitting and dog-walking businesses in the U.S. included Pet Sitters Associates (8%), PETCARE Insurance (6%) and Mourer-Foster (3%).

In this same survey, 59% of Canadian pet sitters reported using Jones DesLauriers, formerly Binks Insurance (PSI’s Preferred Canadian Provider) for pet-sitter insurance; 28% indicated they used PROFUR; and 1% used Canadian Pet Pro.

When selecting a pet-sitter insurance policy, look for these two options:

General Liability Coverage with Care, Custody or Control (CCC) Coverage

The first coverage recommended for every pet sitter and dog walker is a general liability insurance that includes coverage for pets and property in your care, custody, or control (CCC).

Standard general liability policies available to small businesses may cover bodily injury (to others, but not yourself or staff) or property damage (to a home, but not its contents) caused by your business operations, but these policies do not offer the coverage that is typically most important to pet-care businesses.

What many pet sitters and dog walkers do not realize is that most general liability policies will exclude coverage for personal property in your care, which would include your clients’ pets.

What would you do if:

• Contents in a client’s home were damaged due to you or a team member accidentally leaving a sink running?
• A pet in your care dislocated a hip while you were playing with them in the yard?
• A client’s dog swallowed a ball at a dog park and required surgery?

Incidents like those above would not be covered if you only had a standard general liability policy for your business. So, it is important to choose the PSI Liability Policy available through Business Insurers of the Carolinas or another liability policy on the market that includes care, custody or control coverage, including vet medical coverage.

BIC shares that by far, the number one mistake they see from pet sitters—often those who come to them in their second or third year of business after they’ve incurred a claim—is that these pet sitters and dog walkers did not realize that they had little or no coverage for CCC and/or limited vet medical coverage under their former policies.

Bonding

Another type of coverage that we often receive the most questions about—especially from newer pet sitters and dog walkers—is bonding. Many aren’t sure what a bond does or what it will cover but see other pet-sitting businesses advertise as both “insured and bonded” and want to be as well!

To be clear, a bond is not insurance. Instead, a bond is a guarantee to your clients that if one of your employees were to steal from them, they would be paid for the stolen item(s), as long as you have a high enough bond limit. Then, the bond company would seek restitution from the guilty party.

Just as all liability policies are not the same, bonds vary as well.

Most bonds will only cover employees and require a conviction clause. The PSI Bond from Business Insurers of the Carolinas (available as an add-on to the group-rate pet sitter insurance policy) includes coverage for the owners as well as employees and independent contractors. The PSI Bond does not require a conviction in order to reimburse your client.

If you are researching bonds through other providers, be sure to inquire about who exactly the bond will cover (employees only—or owners and contractors as well) and what is required for the bond to pay out.

If you are just starting out, a bond is a great way to advertise your new business and show the general public that you are honest and they are protected, even though you know you would never steal from them. We even hear from established pet-sitting and dog-walking business owners who continue to maintain a bond (even when they have no staff) because it is such a selling point with clients!

As you grow your business and add staff, you certainly will want to consider this coverage option and, perhaps, a higher limit to protect you and your clients should anything turn up missing while your staff sitter is pet sitting or dog walking and has access to their homes.

Common Insurance Mistakes Made by Pet Sitters and Dog Walkers

There are a few mistakes related to pet-sitter insurance that we commonly see pet sitters and dog walkers make. Unfortunately, these mistakes can have substantial financial and business implications.

It’s important to do your homework to ensure you have selected a pet-sitter insurance that is truly comprehensive and addresses your company’s specific needs. And remember, while it’s important to be conscientious of your business spending, selecting an insurance option simply because it’s the cheapest is never a smart business decision. Just like pet parents who go with the cheapest pet-care options, you typically “get what you pay for!”

Be sure to avoid these pet-sitter insurance mistakes:

Assuming all pet-sitter insurance policies are the same

We often hear from pet sitters and dog walkers (both members and not) who share that they’ve heard about various coverage providers that offer the same coverage but for different prices—or they find an insurance agency outside of the pet business space who says they can write a policy for pet-care businesses and assures them that a small-business policy will cover all types of pet businesses.

Even with companies that specialize in insurance for pet-related businesses, there may be important differences in what the policies actually cover, or the policy may not even be valid where your business is located.

Here are a few questions you should consider when evaluating your pet-sitter insurance provider:

• Is your insurance company rated A- (Excellent) or better by AM Best?
• Is your insurance company licensed to do business in your state and can it be confirmed by your state’s department of insurance?
• Who is handling your claims—a third-party company or the insurance company you are written with?
• Does your company cover clients’ personal property while in your care, custody or control, as well as their pets? If so, is the limit adequate to cover the contents of your clients’ homes?
• What is the maximum your company will pay if a pet is injured while in your care but the incident is not your fault (such as a dog ingesting a rock or stick while in the client’s backyard, tearing its ACL while running, or getting bitten by a snake)?
• What is the maximum limit your company will pay if your client’s dog gets away from you and is hit by a car and the vet bills exceed $20,000?

➡If you have concerns about your coverage, we often advise pet sitters to contact Business Insurers of the Carolinas, as they’ve always offered to review policies written by other agencies and underwriters to help compare coverages and to help ensure you have a policy that fully covers your specific business.

Selecting the lowest level of Care, Custody or Control (CCC)

As noted, it is so important to choose a general liability insurance that includes coverage for pets and property in your care, custody, or control (CCC). Equally important is ensuring you have an adequate amount of CCC coverage!

Business Insurers of the Carolinas has shared that they see CCC claims limited or denied simply because the pet sitter did not comprehend the coverage when they took out the policy and opted for the lowest coverage amount.

The PSI Liability Policy available through BIC, for example, mandates coverage for pets and clients’ personal property in your CCC, but offers a range of coverage options—from $10,000 per occurrence up to $200,000 per occurrence, which each member must choose from. Unfortunately, many members choose to go with the $10,000 limit, which will no longer cover all claims.

Here are just a few examples:

• A dog was hit by a car and required multiple surgeries and physical therapy. Total Paid $24,608.
• A cat was given too much insulin. Total Paid $13,433.
• A dog was killed by another dog while in pet sitter’s care. Total Paid $22,378
• A sitter left the toilet running and caused water damage to the contents of the client’s home. Total Paid $29,832.

There have been many, many more claims over the $10,000 mark, with some recent death claims to dogs reaching as high as $50,000 due to gross negligence on the sitter’s behalf. To remedy the limitation, you should consider carrying a higher CCC limit.

Thinking on-the-job injuries are covered by pet-sitter insurance

Unfortunately, some pet sitters and dog walkers mistakenly believe that pet-sitter insurance will also cover them (or their staff) if they are injured while pet sitting. This is not true.

General liability insurance only protects you for bodily injury or property damage that you, your business, your employees, your independent contractors, and your volunteers cause to another party. It will never cover you, your fellow owners/partners/members, employees, independent contractors or volunteers for injuries or illnesses you sustain while pet sitting, dog walking or performing pet-related services on behalf of your business.

Unfortunately, the only type of insurance that will provide coverage for these types of claims is workers’ compensation insurance.

Many pet-sitting and dog-walking business owners may shy away from purchasing workers’ compensation due to the fact that they work alone, they are not required to have a workers’ compensation policy under their state law due to their small staff size, or they don’t want to pay the cost of a workers’ compensation insurance policy. This is certainly your choice, but it is important to understand the risks and we encourage you to reach out to a pet-sitter insurance provider to learn about the workers’ compensation policies that may be available for your business.

Offering services your pet-sitter insurance doesn’t cover

As your business grows you may choose to offer services beyond basic pet sitting and dog walking. Diversifying your services can be a great way to grow your clientele and increase your revenue potential, but don’t assume that your pet-sitter insurance will automatically cover any pet-related service.

You may need separate policies or add-on coverage (to your pet-sitter insurance policy) to be fully covered for the services you provide.

For example, the pet-sitter insurance offered through Business Insurers of the Carolinas has the option to add additional coverage for:

1. In-your-home care (caring for pets in your own home)
2. Pet grooming
3. Housesitting (with no pets present)
4. Pet training
5. Pet treats

If you plan to add new service offerings to your business always be sure to check with your insurance provider first to determine if any additional coverage is needed.

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Pet Sitters International (PSI) is an educational association for professional pet-sitting and dog-walking businesses. PSI is not an insurance agency and does not sell pet-sitter or dog-walker insurance or bonding policies. However, PSI members have access to group-rate pricing on insurance policies through our Preferred Providers. Learn more about these pet-sitter insurance options here.