Dog walking is a profitable and rewarding line of work. Whether you walk dogs as part-time work or offer dog walking as part of your service menu, it is imperative to obtain an insurance policy to protect yourself and your business from significant personal losses in the event of an accident.
An insurance policy tailored with a dog walker’s needs in mind will safeguard your finances and ensure all costs will be adequately covered, giving you stability and your customers’ peace of mind in exchange for low monthly insurance premium payments.
Dog walker insurance is an important insurance product
As dog walking involves the care of dogs, a dog walker is responsible for the health, safety, and well-being of the dogs under their care. Due to the unpredictable nature of dogs, it is essential to obtain an insurance policy if things go out of hand.
Dog walker insurance includes various covers. You can customize the policy based on your needs. A typical insurance policy for dog walking will cover dog bite injuries to pedestrians and coverage for medical costs if the dog you were walking suffered from an injury during the walk.
All dog walking insurance policies include general liability insurance designed to cover the cost associated with legal claims due to injuries, damages, and losses while working as a dog walker. General liability insurance for dog walking includes the following:
Medical expenses
Medical coverage will reimburse all medical bills of individuals who sustained injuries by a dog under your care.
- Products and completed operations. This coverage will take care of property damage and injuries to a third party after the termination of your contracted service.
- Personal and advertising injury. This coverage includes personal and advertising clauses typically found in many business insurance policies. Personal and advertising injury will cover for claims arising from one or more of the following instances:
- Malicious prosecution
- False arrest, detention, and imprisonment
- Oral and written publications that slander or libel an individual or business
- Oral and written materials that violate one’s right to privacy
- Malicious prosecution
- The use of another individual’s advertising materials for your marketing campaign
Animal bailee
This type of coverage will cover a policyholder in the case of loss or injury of animals under your custody, care, and control. The animal bailee coverage is crucial as it will protect you from dog owners who may hold you accountable for any injury that their dogs may incur under your care.
Vet expenses
This coverage will reimburse all veterinarian costs your client’s dog may need to undergo in case they suffer from injuries during your dog walking service. This is valuable coverage, especially when your clients do not have pet health insurance in place.
Lost keys
In case you lose a client’s key, you will be reimbursed for the cost to replace or readjust locks at their home.
Dog walking bond
A bond is a specific type of insurance product designed to protect clients from losses caused by a dog walker. Becoming a bonded dog walker means that you receive ample protection when a client claims compensation in the case of theft or property damage.
The bonding requirements for dog walkers vary by state. In some states, dog walkers are mandated to register their business and purchase the necessary insurance. On the other hand, there are states where dog walking insurance and being bonded are optional.
Even when your state does not require you to purchase insurance, doing so is a good business practice that will benefit your dog walking business in the long run. Being bonded also assures clients that you are a reliable and trustworthy dog walker, to begin with, and won’t abuse the access to their home or compromise their well-being.
If you own a dog walking business with several staff members, it is recommended to purchase a fidelity bond to protect your business from losses that may be caused by unscrupulous or dishonest acts committed by your dog walking staff.
To get the most bang for your buck and ensure optimum protection from losses, it is recommended for dog walkers to look around and compare between dog walkers general liability insurance policies.
