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:
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.
