Dog Walker Insurance

Whether you walk dogs for extra cash or run a fully-fledged dog walking business, you need to know your risks. Dogs can do unexpected things when they’re out and about – say, one of your four-legged friends decides to run after a squirrel in an off-leash park but knocks over a small child on their quest. You could be responsible for the child’s medical bills if they’re injured. Additionally,  you can be sued by your client if they have reason to believe you were negligent or provided an insufficient service.

Dog walker insurance is a policy designed to protect the activities of dog walkers while they’re providing their services. Insurance policies typically cover general and professional liability claims.

Your policy will typically cover the general and specific risks you could face as a dog walker. The risks vary based on the services offered, however, the following coverages are most commonly used when building a dog walking insurance policy:

• Commercial General Liability (CGL) Insurance: This coverage protects dog walkers against common claims that result in third-party bodily injury (e.g., slip-and-fall) and property damage. For example, say you’re walking a client’s dog, and an elderly pedestrian trips over the dog leash and sprains their wrist. Should you be sued, CGL may cover legal defence costs and third-party medical costs regardless of the legal outcome.

Optional coverages:

• Loss of Keys Cover – Included; $5K limit (higher limits available)
• Care, Custody and Control (Animal Liability) – Included; $5K limit (higher limits available)
• Veterinary Fees Extension – $1,000 limit per animal / $5,000 aggregate

• Professional Liability Insurance: Also known as errors and omissions insurance, professional liability protects dog walkers against claims from clients alleging you were professionally negligent or they accuse you of misconduct, or you failed to deliver a service as promised.  For example, suppose you offer puppy training and dog walking services. A client accuses you of providing only dog walking services since their dog is still highly disobedient after months of supposed training. Should they sue, professional liability can cover the cost of your legal defence fees and any related costs to the claim.

• Cyber Liability Insurance: Cyber liability covers the costs associated with cyber-attacks, such as loss of income, notification costs, and data infrastructure repair. For example, you fall victim to a cyber-attack – all of your client’s personal and financial data is wiped from your booking and payment systems. Cyber liability insurance may cover the cost to recover the files and notify your clients.

Any individual or business that provides professional dog walking services should protect their business with a dog walking insurance policy. If your client believes your advice or service wasn’t satisfactory, or it resulted in a financial loss to them, they may take legal action.

Your insurance premium cost varies based on unique factors about your dog walking business. For example, an individual who offers dog walking can anticipate spending $100 per year on insurance with $1 million commercial liability insurance and $1 million professional liability coverage.

When you make a quote through Zensurance, we’ll ask your business some simple questions to understand your coverage needs better. Here are some of the main factors you’ll be asked about that an insurance company wants to know before determining your premium:

• Services offered
• Years of experience
• The breeds of the dogs you service
• Number of employees
• Annual and projected revenue

We’ve partnered with over 50 Canadian insurance providers to offer you a variety of great to suit your dog walking coverage needs.