Dog Walking Insurance and Bonding: Why You Need Them
As a kid, you may have offered to take your neighbor’s dog out once and a while in exchange for some spending money. You definitely didn’t have a business license, and you probably had no idea what insurance was or how it worked. However, if you’re an adult running a legitimate business and making money from their dog walking, you absolutely need to have insurance for dog walkers and pet sitters (also known as dog sitter insurance, in that case).
“Why though,” you may ask…
Well, the biggest reason is that you’re dealing with other people’s dogs. As much as we all love our furry friends and companions, dogs can also be somewhat unpredictable at times. Of course, this varies, depending on how well a dog is trained, their breed, and their overall temperament; but even the most well-trained dogs can go “off the chain” when presented with the right trigger.
If a dog gets off the leash, then there’s no telling what damage they could do. Perhaps, they’ll just pee on their favorite tree and come back to you. However, you can’t rule out the possibility that they could end up attacking another person or another dog. Without dog sitting insurance or dog walking insurance coverage, this could leave you financially liable to pay for any damage that the dog caused while under your supervision.
Last but not least, you have to consider that a dog is more than just an animal. For many pet owners, they’re as much of an investment as they are a part of the family. If one of the dogs you’re walking gets loose and runs away, they could get injured, killed, or even be lost for good. Imagine telling a client that their beloved $5,000 puppy just ran off the leash and got hit by a car. It probably won’t go well.
In this way, it’s a lot like auto detailing insurance. Anytime that you’re working with another person’s property, possessions, or pets, you need to have insurance for it!
The point of dog walking insurance is to protect you from claims that could come against you and your dog walking business. Whether the dogs cause property damage or bodily injury, or the dogs are lost or come to harm under your watch, a comprehensive dog insurance policy ensures that you won’t be held financially liable and have to pay for claims or lawsuits out of pocket.
Dog Walking Company Bonding
It’s common for many dog walking companies to purchase a simple loss bond for their business in addition to an insurance policy. These loss bonds provide compensation to the client in the event that personal property is damaged, lost, or goes missing. This is especially important if you’re running a dog walking business that provides pick-up from the client’s home or personal residence.
Even if you (or your dog walking employees) didn’t steal or damage anything, the client may choose to hold your business accountable. A simple loss bond will ensure that you won’t have to pay anything out of pocket.
What is Fidelity Bonding?
Although it’s not quite as common as dog walking insurance, fidelity bonding is another thing that you should at least consider including in your business. Bonded dog insurers can not only charge more for their services, but they can also rest easy, knowing that their clients won’t short them when it comes time to pay the invoice.
Essentially, a fidelity bond is a sort of “agreement” between two parties (in this case, the dog walker and the client). As the name implies, a fidelity bond is designed to keep both parties honest and truthful. If one party fails to uphold their end of the bond, they’re entitled to a financial payout from the insurance company or bank backing the bond.
For the dog walker, this means providing a dog walking service as advertised. No shortcuts will be taken, no walks will be skipped, and proper care will always be taken while the dog is being walked. For the client, this means that they will pay invoices on time and cannot withhold money from you.
Although bonding isn’t necessary, it’s a great add-on to talk to your insurance company about.
