Do Pet Sitters & Dog Walkers Need To Have Insurance?

Most people have watched a pet for a friend or family member. It’s just something that we do. We stay overnight, take the dog for a walk and feed them. Or we drop in to feed the cats and change their litter. Easy, right?

While the odds of having an issue are slim when you care for someone’s pet once in awhile, offering pet sitter services professionally is completely different, and you need to start thinking of your services from a professional standpoint.

Treat Pet Sitting as a Business

Once you decide to become a pet sitter and make it a business, it changes things. You can no longer think in terms of doing it as a favor. Rather, you need to think about pet sitting as a service. You need to think not only in terms of a pet lover but also as a business owner.

What happens if something goes wrong while you are pet sitting? And we all know there is a lot that could go wrong when pet sitting – from pets running away, biting someone, falling ill, and many other situations – all of which you are responsible for when caring for a person’s pet.

While this is not something you probably want to think about, these are the risks and threats to you as a pet sitter and as a business owner. You need to mitigate these risks, have access to resources to make the situation right, and ensure you are covered by investing in pet sitter insurance.

“Without needed liability coverage, sitters are taking a huge risk. Without insurance, you can lose not only your business but also your personal property if you lose your case in court. You also risk losing your homeowners or renters insurance coverage if your agent discovers that you’re running a business (even home-based business) without adequate insurance. It’s a risk that you don’t need to take,”

Is Pet Sitter Insurance Worth the Investment?

Whether you are an independent contractor, own a pet sitting company, or are a subcontractor for other pet sitting organizations, having pet sitter insurance is a worthwhile investment.

The Advantages of Pet Sitter Insurance

It not only protects you and your business, it can provide you with a number of business advantages, including:

Marketing your services

Being able to market any business, let alone a pet sitting business, as fully insured and bonded will immediately make you an attractive option for people exploring their options for a pet sitter. They want a company they can trust.

Peace of mind for pet owners

All pet owners are concerned with the safety and security of their pets. They won’t trust just anyone with their pets. Having insurance shows that you are a serious pet sitter and take your role seriously. Plus, you have the coverage and resources to handle any and all situations that could arise while watching their pet.

An edge over competitors

With pet sitter insurance, you immediately have an advantage over other pet sitters who are not insured. It will immediately take your business to the next level and help you secure more gigs.

Who Is Covered?

One of the best features of insurance for pet care professionals is that it covers more than just pet sitters. You can also get coverage if you are a pet groomer, dog walker, dog trainer, daycare or pet kennel. Therefore, you can get coverage for all the pet-related services that you offer.

What Is Covered?

While the level of coverage will vary based on the insurance provider you choose, pet sitter insurance typically provides coverage in three key areas:

1. Care of animals

This includes coverage for injury or loss of a customer’s pet –including emergency vet care, death, runaway recovery expenses, animals in transit while in your care, and even rewards for safe return of the animal.

2. Liability

This includes general and professional liability as well as coverage if damage is caused to a customer’s home or contents while you are pet sitting.

3. Property

This includes coverage for lost keys, bonding, equipment breakdown, and business contents.

As you can see, having this type of coverage will ensure you and your business are covered for any event while an animal is in your care. It will also give you the peace of mind in knowing that you have coverage, should something unforeseen occur.

To get specific information about pet insurance coverage and application requirements, talk to your insurance provider.

Conclusion

Investing in pet sitter insurance is investing in yourself as a pet care provider and investing in your business. It provides you with the coverage you need to operate your business, and it shows pet owners that you are serious about providing high quality pet care services. If you don’t already have it, give some serious considering into getting pet care insurance.

If you are looking to expand your pet sitting business and are looking for pet sitting jobs in your area, try Petsitter.com.

Start by posting a free pet sitter profile and look for open pet sitter positions in your area all from the same place. What are you waiting for?

Find Great Pet Sitting Jobs Today with PetSitter.com!

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