Dog Walking Insurance: Cost, Liability & Quotes From $11

Rover, Wag, and other dog walking sites don’t grant automatic coverage for their dog walkers. That said, if you’re working for any of these and a client’s pet gets lost, bites a person, or attacks a pet, you’re on your own. 

It’s smart to get your own dog walking insurance as a countermeasure when something happens. Like, say for example, when a pet gets injured or lost while you’re taking it to the dog groomer.

Getting a bond might be useful too. It’s good to get insured for who knows how much dog walkers make; income is sometimes great and other times not so much. That said, let’s begin this discussion with a quick talk about dog walking insurance and bonding. 

Dog Walking Insurance and Bonding

Clients will ask for proof of dog walking insurance and bonding before hiring you. So what kind of insurance and bond do you need to have?

You need a general liability policy to convince clients that you’re prepared for the worst in case their dog bites someone, gets lost or injured, or destroys the property of others. 

A surety bond can help if a client requests you to pay a specific amount in case the dog dies or gets sick while under your care. 

If ever you’re the owner of a dog walking agency, then consider bonding employees with a fidelity bond. A fidelity bond can help if employees steal or do other dishonest acts to the detriment of the dog’s owner. 

 

Do Rover Dog Walkers Need to Get Insured?

You need your own liability insurance as a Rover dog walker. Here’s the direct answer from Rover’s Q&A community:

“The answer is YES you need your own insurance. The Rover guarantee MAY help with vet bills but may not, it also does not provide liability coverage in case anything wrong happens and a client decides to sue you.”

Rover doesn’t state how much liability insurance their dog walkers need. But for starters, we recommend you get $300,000-$1 million liability coverage. 

 

Do Wag Dog Walkers Need to Get Insured?

Wag helps its dog walkers reimburse pet owners who experience property damage during a service. Here’s a quote and quote statement from Wag’s customer claims policy page.

“Wag! recognizes that sometimes services don’t go according to plan. In the rare event that something goes wrong, we are committed to our community. The Wag Claims policy outlines the possibility of reimbursement for costs arising from certain damages. The damages must be a direct result of the care provided during a service booked through Wag.”

Notice that Wag doesn’t grant a dog walker liability insurance coverage and won’t help if clients file a lawsuit against you. And so, as a Wag dog walker, you must have a $300,000-$1 million liability insurance coverage. 

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Dog Walking Liability Insurance

General liability  and  professional liability policies are the most useful types of dog walking liability insurance. The sections below discuss how each works. 

 

General Liability Insurance for Dog Walkers

CoverWallet  NEXT (Best) Thimble  Pet Care Insurance 
Per occurrence limit  $1,000,000 $1,000,000 $1,000,000/$2,000,000 $1,000,000
Aggregate limit  $2,000,000 $1,000,000/$2,000,000 $1,000,000/$2,000,000 $2,000,000
Products and completed operations aggregate limit  $2,000,000 $1,000,000 $1,000,000 $1,000,000
Advertising injury coverage aggregate limit  $1,000,000 $1,000,000 $1,000,000
$1,000,000
Tenant’s legal liability coverage limit  $100,000 $100,000 $5,000 $100,000
Waiver of subrogation included? Yes No Included No
Hired/non-owned auto liability coverage included? Yes No Excluded No
Equipment breakdown floater included? No  Yes Yes Yes
Can you get a certificate of insurance online? Yes Yes Yes Yes
Name additional insureds? Yes Yes Yes Yes
Deductible $0 $0 $0 $0

 

In most cases, a general liability policy is the only dog walker insurance you’ll need. Use the table above to compare the general liability insurance of companies we recommend for dog walkers. 

You use general liability insurance as a shield against property damage claims and bodily injury claims. So in what specific situations can you use this dog walkers insurance? The table below outlines some example scenarios and why general liability insurance can practically help:

  • You’re walking a client’s dog and it bites a pedestrian. In this situation, general liability insurance is helpful because the average cost of dog bite liability claim in 2021 is $49,095
  • The dog you’re currently walking on behalf of a client gnaws the bumper of someone’s car. In this situation, general liability insurance can help because the cost of a property damage claim can be as hefty as $10,000 even when filed in a small claims court

How Much General Liability Insurance Do I Need to Get Hired by Pet Boarding Facilities?

Though they have a general liability policy in their pet boarding insurance package, pet boarding facilities will require you to get your own general liability insurance with a $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate. This must have a products and completed operations coverage and an animal bailee endorsement. 

Public Liability Insurance for Dog Walkers

Public liability insurance for dog walkers works the same way as general liability insurance. The only difference is that it doesn’t provide comprehensive coverage. This is because a public liability policy doesn’t have the optional coverages included in general liability insurance. 

 

Professional Liability Insurance for Dog Walkers

CoverWallet  NEXT  Thimble (Best)
Per occurrence limit  $1,000,000 $1,000,000 $1,000,000/$2,000,000
Aggregate limit  $2,000,000 $2,000,000 $1,000,000/$2,000,000
Name additional insureds? Yes Yes Yes
Waiver of subrogation included? Yes No Yes
License defense coverage included? No No No
Deductible  $500 $500 $500

 

You have liability over your actions and decisions as a dog walker. This is why clients can sue for your mistakes, negligence, or oversights. 

Professional liability insurance can sort things out if clients file a claim against your dog walking services. These are some situations where professional liability insurance for dog walkers and pet sitters can help:

  • The client instructed you not to feed the dog a particular dog food brand. However, you didn’t heed to this request. As a result the dog got sick. In this situation, professional liability insurance can cover the cost if the client demands refund for their pet’s medical treatment
  • You lost a client’s dog during a walk. In this situation, professional liability insurance can help if the client decides to sue for negligence and demand you to reimburse the cost of their pet

Depending on how it’s underwritten, this dog walking business insurance is available as a stand-alone policy or as an optional coverage to general liability insurance. Use the table above to compare the professional liability insurance of companies we recommend for dog walkers. 

 

How Much Coverage Can You Get from Professional Liability Insurance?

The professional liability policy of dog walking insurance programs, just like the professional liability policy of dog trainer insurance programs, has a $1 million-$2 million per occurrence and aggregate limit. 

 

Veterinary Expense Reimbursement Coverage for Dog Walkers

Fur parents might ask you to shoulder the cost of veterinary fees if something happens to their pets during a walk. 

Professional liability and general liability insurance doesn’t cover this exposure. 

And so, consider having veterinary expenses reimbursement coverage ready and waiting. Veterinary expenses reimbursement coverage, a policy also included in pet sitting insurance bundles,  will cover the fees for treating the client’s dog. Here are some situations where this insurance is useful:

  • A client’s dog eats a foreign object during a walk and gets poisoned. In this case, veterinary reimbursement coverage can help because the cost of treating a poisoned dog is $400-$10,700 without insurance
  • The client’s dog contacts a hazardous substance and displays signs of skin disease. In this situation, veterinary reimbursement coverage is helpful because the cost of treating dog skin diseases is $700-$17,000 without insurance

Note that veterinary expenses reimbursement coverage applies whether the dog got hurt during a walk because of your fault or a third party’s fault. This insurance provides $2,500-$5,000.  

 

Animal Bailee Coverage for Dog Walkers

Animal bailee coverage is another useful insurance policy for dog walkers. So how does this insurance work?

You can use animal bailee coverage to cover vet expenses and other costs if a dog gets lost, gets injured, or gets sick while under your care, custody, and control. 

Animal bailee coverage can shoulder the vet expenses or cost of finding the client’s dog. And in case of death, this insurance can also reimburse the value of the client’s dog. 

You can get $5,000-$10,000 worth of animal bailee coverage as a dog walker. This is usually bundled together with vet expense reimbursement coverage and general liability insurance in dog walking insurance plans.

 

Lost Key Liability Coverage for Dog Walkers

Some client’s will request you to fetch or deliver their dogs to the apartment, condo, or house. In effect, they also entrust their home’s key to you. 

Losing a key can result in unexpected costs and problematic situations. This is why clients can file a claim if you lose their keys. 

The dog walking insurance plan automatically comes with a lost key liability coverage. Lost key liability coverage will cover the client’s financial losses after you lost their key. This insurance will also take care of locksmith fees, key replacement, and lock replacement. 

Lost key liability coverage for dog walkers has a $2,000-$5,000 coverage limit. Dog walking insurance programs bundle this with general liability, vet expense reimbursement coverage, and animal bailee coverage. 

 

Other Types of Insurance to Consider Getting as a Dog Walker

General liability insurance, vet expense reimbursement coverage, lost key liability coverage, and professional liability insurance are what you’ll always need as a dog walker. Nonetheless, there might be risks unique to you. And so, consider investing in these additional insurance policies. 

 

Commercial Property Insurance

CoverWallet NEXT (Best) Thimble
Building coverage limit (minimum) $50,000 $260,000 $25,000/$500,000
Contents coverage limit (minimum) $50,000 $15,000 $25,000/$500,000
Outdoor signs Excluded $2,500 Excluded
Accounts receivable  Excluded Excluded $5,000/$10,000
Money and securities Excluded $2,500 $1,000
Lock and keys  Excluded $2,500 Excluded
Business interruption floater Excluded Included Included
Equipment breakdown floater Excluded Included Excluded
Inland marine insurance floater Excluded Excluded $10,000
Employee dishonesty floater Excluded $5,000 $2,500

 

Commercial property insurance, a common inclusion in pet shop insurance bundles, will protect your dog walking office against fire, theft, vandalism, sinkhole collapse, and other covered perils. Moreover, this insurance can also cover valuable papers and records, furniture, computers, and other objects inside the office. 

Use the quotes comparison table above to see which companies offer the best commercial property insurance. 

 

Business Owner’s Policy

CoverWallet Thimble  NEXT (Best)
General liability aggregate limit  $2,000,000 $2,000,000 $1,000,000/$2,000,000
Commercial property coverage limit  $50,000 $500,000 $260,000
Optional policies can be added? Yes Yes Yes
Name additional insureds for free? Yes Yes Yes
BOP discount? Yes Yes Yes

 

A business owner’s policy is a combination of general liability and commercial property insurance. This is also a wonderful option if you operate a dog-walking agency. A business owner’s policy grants protection against liability claims and business property damage or loss. Depending on which insurance company you work with, this insurance might offer additional coverages. 

Use the table above to compare the business owner’s policy of insurance companies we recommend. 

Commercial Auto Insurance

Insurance companies offer commercial auto insurance. You need this dog walking van insurance if your business owns and uses a passenger van, compact van, or panel van to transport the clients’ dogs. These are the coverages you get from commercial auto insurance:

 

Auto Liability Coverage 

Auto liability coverage in commercial auto insurance for dog walkers and pet sitters is useful if you caused a vehicular accident and injured third parties or damaged properties. It will pay for the medical expenses of persons you injured and will reimburse persons whose properties got damaged. 

But note one thing though. Auto liability coverage won’t take care of expenses if your vehicle caused the accident due to the following reasons: 

  • DUI
  • Operating with no license
  • The vehicle is running with no headlights
  • Overspeeding
  • Other illegal activities

Physical Damage Coverage

Nowadays, having a vehicle repaired or maintained in an auto repair shop is very expensive. This is why physical damage coverage is very helpful for your dog-walking business’s commercial auto. 

This has two forms-collision and comprehensive. Collision physical damage coverage will cover costs if your commercial vehicle incurred damage after colliding with a vehicle or object on the road. On the other hand, comprehensive physical damage coverage will cover expenses if fire, theft, vandalism, and other covered perils damaged your business’s vehicle.

 

MedPay/Personal Injury Protection

MedPay/personal injury protection covers you, the driver, and the passengers when a vehicular accident happens and injuries are sustained. Both cover your treatment, the passenger’s treatment, and the driver’s treatment. 

Moreover, coverage applies whether or not the accident is your commercial vehicle’s fault. But note that compared to personal injury protection, MedPay isn’t as comprehensive.

 

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage

Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage provides protection in case you or any other insured driver gets involved in an accident caused by a third party. This insurance will cover medical treatment and other costs if the driver, who caused the accident, can’t provide indemnification. 

 

What is Another Insurance Option if You Can’t Qualify for Dog Walking Insurance?

Insurance companies always have a related coverage that you can use as an alternative insurance option. That said, if you can’t qualify for dog walking insurance, try purchasing a dog boarding insurance package.

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Dog Walking Insurance Cost

Cost per Month Cost per Year Deductible
General liability insurance $33 $396 $0-$500
Professional liability insurance $37 $444 $500-$1,000
Commercial property insurance $35 $420 $1,000-$2,500
Business owner’s policy $60 $720 $500-$1,000
Commercial auto insurance $65 $780 $1,000-$1,500

 

The average dog walking insurance cost is $33 per month or $396 per year for a $1 million general liability insurance. Insurance companies determine premiums according to your location, claims history, and annual revenue. The table below shows how much the best companies charge for their $1 million general liability coverage for dog walkers:

Cost per Month Cost per Year Best for
NEXT $11 $132 Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for dog walkers
Pet Care Insurance $13.33 $159.96 Pet protection coverage and veterinarian reimbursement coverage
CoverWallet $22 $264 Dog walking insurance online quotes comparison
Thimble $26 $312 Tailored dog walker insurance with discounts
Mercury Insurance $29.50 $354 Small to mid-sized dog-walking businesses based in major American cities

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Best Dog Walking Insurance Companies

We figured that we would conclude by showing you our review of the best dog-walking insurance companies. All have an easy sign-up process, provide cheap business insurance, and have positive customer service and claims ratings. Read to know about their pros, cons, and pricing for a $1 million general liability coverage. 

 

NEXT Dog Walker Insurance 

Pros

  • Best overall
  • Get an online proof of insurance and send as a text message, email, or social media post
  • Fastest general liability insurance for dog walkers
  • Great customer service and reputation
  • Outstanding value for money
  • Bundle two or more dog walking insurance policies and get a 10% discount

Cons

  • Couldn’t find any

NEXT’s tailored insurance for dog walkers has inclusions such as general liability insurance, workers compensation insurance, and commercial property insurance. Choose this carrier because it gives a 10% discount if you decide to bundle two or more business insurance products. Also, you’ll get an instant live certificate of insurance. 

Best for: Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for dog walkers 

Average cost: $11 per month 

Our rating: 10/10

 

CoverWallet Dog Walking Insurance 

Pros

  • Compare dog walking insurance quotes online
  • Stable rates
  • Cancel your coverage anytime
  • General liability insurance comes with rented/hired auto liability coverage

Cons

  • Not an insurance company but an insurance broker

CoverWallet sells the dog walking insurance policies of its partners. Also, this insurance broker has an online quotes comparison platform you can use to find insurance companies offering tailored coverage for dog walkers. Upon getting insured, you’ll get access to the MyCoverWallet app where you can pay premiums and get certificates of insurance online

Best for: Dog walking insurance online quotes comparison 

Average cost: $22 per month 

Our rating: 10/10

 

Thimble Dog Walking Insurance

Pros

  • Get covered online
  • Dog walking insurance is available as a short-term policy
  • Quick to issue an estimate of your rates

Cons

  • Customer service is only reachable via the Thimble app or website

Thimble sells tailored dog walking insurance offering general liability insurance and professional liability insurance. This is available as a short-term insurance policy that provides coverage for hours, days, weeks, or months. 

Best for: Short-term dog walking insurance

Average cost: $26 per month 

Our rating: 9/10

 

Pet Care Dog Walking Insurance

Pros

  • Instant coverage
  • You can get insured online
  • Covers all kinds of dog walkers

Cons

  • Dog walking insurance doesn’t offer a professional liability policy

Pet care insurance covers dog walkers working for Wag, Rover, and others. Even those who manage their own dog-walking agency can get covered. 

This company’s dog walking insurance offers general liability coverage with a $1 million per occurrence limit and $2 million aggregate limit. Other policies are available such as a $5,000 animal bailee coverage, $5,000 lost key liability coverage, and $2,000 veterinary expenses reimbursement coverage. 

While most Pet Care insurance reviews are positive, one con that we discovered about this company is that it doesn’t include a professional liability policy in its dog walking insurance bundle. 

Best for: Pet protection coverage and veterinarian reimbursement coverage

Average cost: $13.33 per month

Our rating: 9/10

 

Mercury Dog Walker Insurance 

Pros

  • Long-standing reputation for providing comprehensive insurance policies
  • Build your own small business policy to cover your dog walking business

Cons

  • They currently only provide insurance for 11 states

Mercury lives up to its reputation and provides incredibly quick customer service and provides instant proof of insurance once you’re approved for a small business insurance policy. Overall, Mercury Insurance Commercial Dog Walker package offers general liability, professional liability, and other insurance products.

Best for: Small to mid-sized dog walking businesses based in major American cities

Average cost: $29.50 per month

Our rating: 7/10

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