Pet Sitting Business Insurance
Getting insurance for your pet sitting business is essential.
Pet sitting businesses need to be protected against things like claims of property damage, negligence, and theft.
For example, a customer believes an employee stole an item while pet sitting, or a pet becomes injured while in your care.
We’ll help you find the most personalized and affordable coverage for your unique business.
Recommended: Next Insurance is dedicated to matching small businesses with the right policy at the best price.
Best Insurance for a Pet Sitting Business
General liability insurance is — generally speaking — one of the most important insurance policies for pet sitting businesses.
Some of the risks general liability insurance covers are:
- Bodily injury
- Property damage
- Medical payments
- Legal defense and judgment
- Personal and advertising injury
If you are interested in enhancing the protection of your pet sitting business, you should check out some of the following additional policies:
- Professional liability insurance: Useful for protecting your business from the financial consequences of negligence lawsuits.
- Commercial auto insurance: The vehicles used by your business are required by law to carry this policy in case they are involved in an accident on a public road.
- Home-based business insurance: If your business is run from home, it will be worth investing in this policy as your standard homeowners’ policy may not cover commercial accidents.
Insurance providers are typically divided into two main types:
- Traditional brick-and-mortar insurers — Firms such as Hiscox and Nationwide.
- Online insurers — Firms such as Tivly and Next.
Online insurers are generally the preferred choice for most businesses as their policies are comparable in reliability and accuracy yet cost far less.
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Cost of General Liability Insurance
The average pet sitter in America spends between $300-$700 per year for $1 million in general liability coverage.
Compare the average cost of general liability insurance for a pet sitting business to other professional industries using the graph below.
Several factors will determine the price of your policy. These include your:
- Location
- Deductible
- Number of employees
- Per-occurrence limit
- General aggregate limit
You may be able to acquire general liability insurance at a discounted rate by purchasing it as part of a business owner’s policy (BOP) rather than as a standalone policy.
A BOP is a more comprehensive solution that includes multiple forms of coverage, such as business interruption and property insurance.
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Common Situations That General Liability Insurance May Cover for a Pet Sitting Business
Example 1: You are meeting a client at her home to discuss taking care of her two dogs. As you are walking from her living room to the bathroom, you stumble and knock over her new 75-inch flat screen television. Your general liability insurance policy will likely help you pay for replacing the television.
Example 2: A client is bringing his dog to your place of business. He is trying to hold the door open to pull his dog through when it snaps back shut on his hand. The impact breaks several of his fingers and he sues your business. The general liability insurance policy you have will cover the costs of your legal fees, including paying a settlement if it is necessary.
Example 3: A competing pet sitting business has determined that your marketing materials are unfairly critical of their business and sue you for libel. The general liability insurance policy you carry will pay for your legal defense. It will also pay for settling out of court if it is in your best interest to do so.
Other Types of Coverage Pet Sitting Businesses Need
While general liability is the most important type of insurance to have, there are several other forms of coverage you should be aware of. Below are some of the most common types of coverage:
Professional Liability Insurance
No matter how diligent you are about doing your job right and taking great care of your clients’ pets, you are still at risk of a lawsuit. If one of your clients does decide to sue you based on your professional work—like if they determine that you injured one of their pets—then a professional liability insurance policy designed for your business will cover your legal defense costs.
Commercial Auto Insurance
Any automobile you use primarily for business, such as for picking up, delivering, and walking dogs should be covered by a commercial auto insurance policy. It will ensure that you meet your legal obligations for commercial auto insurance. It will also help pay for vehicle damage and medical treatment in the event of an accident.
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
If you hire employees to help with your pet sitting business, your state most likely will require you to carry workers’ compensation insurance. Workers’ comp will cover the cost of medical treatment for employees’ work-related injuries as well as help pay for lost wages while they recover from their injuries.
Home-Based Business Insurance
If you run your pet sitting business out of your home, it is a good idea to have home-based business insurance. Your homeowner’s policy may not cover accidents resulting from business activities. You can get home-based business insurance as part of a business owner’s policy or possibly have it added to your homeowner’s policy.
Additional Steps To Protect Your Business
Although it’s easy (and essential) to invest in business insurance, it shouldn’t be your only defense.
Here are several things you can do to better protect your pet sitting business:
- Use legally robust contracts and other business documents. (We offer free templates for some of the most common legal forms.)
- Set up an LLC or corporation to protect your personal assets. (Visit our step-by-step guides to learn how to form an LLC or corporation in your state.)
- Stay up to date with business licensing.
- Maintain your corporate veil.
Pet Sitting Business Insurance FAQ
Yes, absolutely. You will need to first get a quote from an online business insurance provider like Next Insurance. Next allows you to then purchase a policy immediately and your coverage will be active within 48 hours.
A typical business owner’s policy includes general liability, business interruption, and commercial property insurance. However, BOPs are often customizable, so your agent may recommend adding professional liability, commercial auto, or other types of coverage to your package depending on your company’s needs.
"Business insurance" is a generic term used to describe many different types of coverage a business may need. General liability insurance, on the other hand, is a specific type of coverage that business owners need to protect their assets.
Yes. Before the launch of your pet sitting business, it must be sufficiently covered by business insurance to offset the inherent risks associated with the industry.
Keep in mind, even if you don’t want to protect your business with insurance, you may be legally obliged to carry certain policies, such as workers’ compensation and commercial auto insurance.
Not necessarily. Certain exceptions may be written directly into your pet sitting business insurance policy, and some perils may be entirely uninsurable.
Yes, an LLC is meant to create a legal barrier between your business and your personal assets and credit. If you haven’t formed an LLC yet, use our Form an LLC guide to get started.
An LLC doesn’t protect your business assets from lawsuits and liability– that’s where business insurance comes in. Business insurance helps protect your business from liability and risk.