Are you thinking of starting your own pet business? Or do you provide pet-sitting in other people’s homes or your own? While pet care is a great career, it can be challenging, especially if you’re unfamiliar with pet sitting insurance, legal policies, or how to run your own business.
Need more information on how to run a pet sitting business? Curious what pet sitting insurance is, or why it’s essential to keeping you (and people’s pets) protected? In this article, we’re covering everything you need to know about pet sitting, so you can get your business started on the right foot…or paw.
Do I Need Pet Sitting Insurance?
As a pet sitter, you’re probably wondering why you’d need pet insurance, especially if you’re only just starting out and haven’t yet rounded out your client base. With so many types of pet care jobs, it can be hard to know when and where you’d need pet insurance.
If you offer or plan to offer any of these common types of pet care, you should consider getting pet insurance:
- Dog walking
- Care and feeding (of cats, dogs, fish, birds, reptiles, etc.)
- In-house pet boarding
- Live-in pet sitting
- Dog training
- Pet grooming
- Pet driving service
Believe it or not, most pet sitting insurance policies cover the risks involved in these jobs. Before you purchase any pet sitting insurance, however, you should read the policy to make sure there are no coverage gaps. If you’re struggling to find a policy that covers everything you need, there are specialized insurance policies that will cover exactly what you need.
What Does Pet Sitting Insurance Actually Cover?
Great pet sitter insurance can cover a variety of insurance concerns. Here are the major policy aspects you should look for in any pet sitter insurance:
Liability Insurance
Liability coverage generally protects you against any claim that you are responsible for property damage or injuries that occur during your work as a pet sitter. This insurance covers things like medical expenses if the pet you’re caring for gets injured, as well as fire damage from negligence, and smaller things like lost keys and furniture and decor damage. This insurance should also cover if and when an animal causes an injury, or if they damage another person’s property.
Care & Custody of Pets
This coverage specifically protects you when accidents occur to pets that are in your care, custody, and control. Its coverage range can extend up to ?116.77, and cover things that are normally excluded from coverage. If your job is transporting pets for their owners, you may also want pet taxi insurance, which covers you in transportation situations.
Curious what else may be covered by pet sitter insurance? Here is what our pet sitter insurance automatically covers:
- Public liability
- Financial loss
- Product liability
- Legal expenses
- accidental death
We also offer optional covers such as employers liability, tools and equipment, business contents, and personal accidents.
How Much Does Pet Sitter Insurance Cost?
This question is rather difficult to answer given the nature of pet insurance.
The price of pet sitter insurance cover can vary greatly based on the insurance provider and the types of pet care you’re providing. When shopping for pet sitting insurance, ask a few different providers about how much the cost of their coverage is. From there, ask them to provide you with different options and rates, so you can pick an insurance option that works for you and your budget.
Questions to Ask When Purchasing Pet Sitter Insurance
As mentioned above, it’s important to review all your pet insurance options before settling with one. Picking the right one requires knowing the risks involved with the specific type of pet care you offer. It also requires working with an insurance provider who can tailor their policy to your needs, so you can rest easy knowing you’re covered for any worst case scenarios.
Before you pick your pet care insurance, chat with the insurance agent about your specific situation and business needs, and make sure to ask the right questions. Here are some example questions to keep in mind during the conversation:
- What happens if the pet becomes ill when I’m caring for them?
- What if I accidentally harm or injure the pet?
- Who pays for medical care if I have to take the pet to the vet?
- What if I break something valuable in the house while pet sitting?
- What if there is a fire or other damage during the pet sitting?
When it comes to purchasing pet care insurance, no question is too irrelevant or silly. Feel empowered to ask any and all questions that will help you determine if this is the right insurance option for you.
How Do I Find the Best Pet Sitter Insurance Provider?
When shopping around for pet insurance providers, it’s important to create a list of potential providers, so you can see all of your options.
Start with a few reputable companies, and then talk to any insurance agents, lawyers, or financial planners you know for advice on potential provers. After doing that, talk to any other pet sitters or pet owners you know with experience in this field, as they can potentially inform you of great providers.
Financial Strength
Insurance provided by a Standard & Poor's 'A+ Stable' rated insurerConsumer reviews are also a great way to learn more about insurance providers. Once you narrow down your list, reach out to a few providers and collect quotes from them. From there, you can talk to each provider, learns the ins-and-outs of their policies, and determine which insurance option works best for your business.
Final Thoughts on Pet Sitting Insurance
As the demand for pet sitting grows, it’s important for pet sitters to purchase pet protection that makes them more desirable as caregivers. By purchasing the right type of pet sitting insurance, you can impress potential employers and show them you are serious about your care business.
Did you find the information in this article useful? Are you in need of additional advice for running your own trade business? Visit our blog for articles, insights, and more.
