It’s impossible to leave pets on their own and without pet sitters, owners will find it hard to be away from their pets to work, take a trip, or visit friends and family.
For pet sitters having pet sitting insurance cover is essential. can help you if trouble happens. For example, you can still be held liable even if a pet you’re currently watching over gets injured by the dog groomer.
This article explores the basics of pet sitting insurance and bonding, common policies and providing a comparison of rates.
Pet Sitter Insurance and Bonding
Pet sitting business insurance is a policy that’s designed to cover specific risks associated with pet sitting, for example:
- Property damage lawsuits
- Personal injury lawsuits
- Damage or loss of commercial property
- Employee injuries
Pet sitting insurance ensures that you can take care of costly claims against your business. It will also help you recover financial losses.
Liability Insurance for Pet Sitters
Pet sitting business insurance offers liability insurance for pet sitters as basic protection from exposures. In a nutshell, the purpose of liability insurance is to pay for legal fees and compensation to the aggrieved party. There are four types of liability insurance carriers offer in their pet sitter insurance :
- General liability insurance
- Public liability insurance
- Professional liability insurance (e&o insurance)
General Liability Insurance for Pet Sitters
General liability insurance is the most common type of coverage for pet sitters. This policy covers personal injury and property damage lawsuits. Insurance companies underwrite general liability insurance to cover the following perils:
- Vandalism of the client’s property
- Injuries or death of the client’s pet under your watch
- Injuries to the client
Your pet sitting business might be accused of inflicting advertising or reputational harm.
In this situation, advertising injury coverage can help. Advertising injury coverage will cover costs if your business is sued for slander, libel, false advertising, or copyright infringement.
Public Liability Insurance for Pet Sitters
Just like general liability insurance, public liability insurance will take care of personal injuries or property damage your pet sitting business might inflict on clients, vendors, visitors, and other third parties.
Public liability insurance is very limited in terms of the perils it covers. Unlike general liability, it doesn’t come with optional coverages you can avail for more protection. But it’s cheaper. That’s why this is the ideal coverage if you’re just starting.
Commercial Property Insurance
The commercial building your pet sitting business is leasing or owning needs to be insured too. To do so, you’ll have to invest in commercial property insurance. Commercial property insurance has two primary functions:
- Compensate losses if your commercial building is destroyed by fire, extreme weather, and other related perils
- Reimburse losses if your commercial building is damaged by fire, extreme weather, theft, vandalism, and other covered perils
Insurance companies include stocks and contents coverage in the commercial property insurance for pet sitting businesses.
The coverage will reimburse your losses if CCTV cameras, office furniture, computers, documents, and other valuables become damaged or lost due to fire, theft, vandalism, and other covered perils.
Workers Compensation Insurance
Your employees might get injured while looking after a client’s pet. And so, it’s smart if you also get workers’ compensation insurance. Workers’ compensation insurance will cover expenses for treatment, hospitalization, rehabilitation, and lost income compensation. Lost income compensation will be equal to two-thirds or 67% of the average weekly wage. Workers’ compensation insurance will also provide death benefits to dependents if the employee dies because of his/her work-related injury or disease.
Cat Sitting Insurance
Tailored cat sitting insurance offers liability policies such as general liability insurance and E&O insurance. If you’re a pet sitting business specializing in cats, then this insurance coverage is a better option. An insurance package related to this is cattery insurance.
Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!
Pet Sitting Insurance Comparison: Average Cost
- The average pet sitting insurance cost for a $1 million general liability policy is $26 per month or $312 per year
- Errors and omissions insurance is $27 a month or $324 a year
- Lost key liability policy in pet sitting business insurance costs $18 a month or $216 a year
Your actual pet insurance quote may be cheaper or more expensive depending on your location, number of employees, and annual income.
Check the table out as it will help with pet sitting insurance comparison.
Insurance Provider | Average Monthly Rate | Average Annual Rate | |
CoverWallet | $12 | $144 | |
Thimble | $14 | $168 | |
Pet Care Insurance | $16.50 | $198 | |
Pet Sitter Association | $18 | $216 | |
Pet Sitters International | $20.50 | $246.00 | |
State Farm | $26.50 | $318.00 | |
Geico | $28 | $336 |
Best Pet Sitting Insurance Companies
CoverWallet
It is an insurance broker with an online quotes comparison platform you can use to find insurance companies providing coverage for pet sitting businesses. All you have to do is provide basic details about your business and CoverWallet will then send accurate insurance quotes for an informed buying decision.
Average cost:$12 per month
Ratings: 10/10
Pros
- Cancel a policy anytime
- Compare quotes to find the best coverage
- Online policy management with the MyCoverWallet app
Cons
- Not an insurance company but an insurance broker
Thimble
Thimble offers pet sitting insurance that includes general liability insurance and professional liability insurance. Avail this company’s services if you want to have coverage for only hours, days, weeks, or months.
Average cost:$14 per month
Ratings: 9/10
Pros
- On-demand short-term pet sitting insurance for hours, days, weeks, or months
cons
- You can only contact customer service online
Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!
Geico Pet Sitting Insurance
Geico is the nation’s second-largest commercial auto insurance company. It also offers business insurance products of its partners to customers. Try qualifying for Geico’s pet sitting business insurance which provides coverage if a client’s pet becomes sick or gets involved in an accident. Also, you will like the Geico mobile app which allows for the seamless and convenient management of insurance policies.
Average cost:$28 per month
Ratings: 8/10
Pros
- Easy pet sitting insurance
- You can bundle your pet sitting policy with other Geico policies
- Manage your policy through Geico’s easy-to-use app
- Insurance policies in Geico pet sitting insurance can be as cheap as $1 a day
Cons
- Might be more expensive than going with a dedicated pet sitting insurance provider
Pet Sitters International Insurance
Pet Sitters International is more than just an insurance company. It’s a club that’s dedicated to providing education and resources to pet sitters. This insurance company claims to offer the broadest coverage of all carriers that offer insurance for pet sitters.
Pros
- Dedicated pet sitting insurance company
- Get access to pet sitting resources through your PSI club membership
- Cheap rates for those who qualify
- Insures volunteer pet sitters, full-time or part-time pet sitters, and independent contractors
Cos
- Doesn’t have a smartphone app, so handling your billing and claims may be difficult
- Insurance application and claims filing is done through telephone calls and email
Average cost:$20.50 per month
Ratings: 8/10
State Farm Pet Sitting Insurance
State Farm is the biggest insurance company in the United States and it offers coverage for just about every type of business you could think of. The company covers pet sitters through its animal care and veterinary services insurance.
Average cost:$26.50 per month
Ratings: 7/10
Pros
- Excellent customer service ratings
- Allows customers to bundle policies
- Online claims tracker
- Dedicated telephone lines for each type of claim
- Smartphone app to help you manage your insurance policy
Cons
- State Farm doesn’t insure independent pet sitters
Pet Care Business Insurance
Based out of Utah, Pet Care Insurance offers competitive pricing for insurance policies and is dedicated to covering small pet care businesses.
Average cost:$16 per month
Ratings: 5/10
Pros
- Dedicated pet care business insurer
- Great rates for simple policies
Cons
- Some customers reported that Pet Care is unresponsive when it comes to insurance cancellation