Is Your Pet Walker or Groomer Insured? Tell Them To Get Covered Here..!

Standard markets can provide coverage for pet service operations.

The coverage can be written on businessowners policies or commercial package policies. It can also be written by attaching a business endorsement to a homeowners policy.

This approach can satisfy many of the coverage concerns. However, there are unique exposures that standard policies may not cover.

"Most dog walkers and pet sitters are emerging businesses operated by individuals, and many of these people are not aware of the need to secure insurance," states Jason Shroot with JasonSellsInsurace.com.  These individuals typically love animals. They may care for the animal at the animal's home or at the sitter's home. More and more, these micro-businesses are becoming aware of the need for insurance.


Someone who goes into a customer's home to provide pet care services faces many of the same exposures as individuals and businesses that do housecleaning and provide other in-home services. A frequent cause of claims is when the pet sitter or dog walker loses keys. If a key can't be found, the lock may have to be replaced. The pet sitter may cause property damage or be accused of stealing items that belong to the pet's owner.

Additional exposures arise because the animal is a living creature. Jason Shrot says, "Because of weather, illness, car trouble, or other factors, the pet sitter or dog walker may not get to the customer's house in a timely manner, and the pet may be deprived of food and water or medicine. In other cases, it may injure itself, become ill, or cause damage to property."Individuals who perform dog walking services also have liability exposures because they are responsible for controlling the animal. If a dog being walked bites or injures a third party in some other way, the dog walker could be found negligent and responsible for the damages.
Professional liability coverage is also needed but may be easily overlooked.

Groomers do not have to be licensed, but there are a variety of training programs through which they can be certified. The best groomers (and the most desirable from an insurance standpoint) are highly trained and certified. A groomer’s training and experience is a major consideration in the underwriting process. We offer professional liability coverage for groomers and recommend that they buy it.” The major exposure for any pet care facility or pet care provider is injury to (or death of) an animal while in the facility’s care, custody, or control.” Groomers, trainers, and other pet service providers must have professional liability coverage, as well as veterinary expense coverage.

Lost pet reward and recovery coverage is another important option to consider.
Mobile groomers drive specially equipped vans to their customer’s location and wash and/or groom the pet in the van. Mobile groomers face essentially the same exposures as groomers who work in stores or kennels, but they also have auto-related exposures. Mobile groomers have customized vans with permanent fixtures that need to be covered in case of accident or theft. These businesses also need to ensure that they have downtime coverage and business income coverage in the event the equipment is vandalized or breaks down. And, they need protection in the case of loss or injury to the pet.”

For Your Pet-Related Business To Be Properly Insured Please Contact Jason Shroot at www.jasonsellsinsurance.com or 714.988.3325.