What You Need to Know About Pet Sitting Insurance

A professionally managed and responsible pet sitting business possesses pet sitting insurance and bonding. By being bonded and insured, the pet sitter is protected from lawsuits and excessive costs should he/she encounter accidents in the course of his/her duties. Having pet sitting insurance and bonding also assures the pet owner of quality and responsible care. Pet owners are inclined to avail of the services of those having pet sitting insurance and bonding. The terms “insurance” and “bonding” refer to different concepts but are otherwise used interchangeably.

Insurance

Being insured means being covered for loss or damage to property. Take these two incidents:

• A pet sitter with his/her own car backs into the garage door of his/her client.
• While performing his/her duties inside his/her client’s home, a pet sitter accidentally knocks off a valuable vase.

Insurance would cover the costs incurred from both cases. Damages or losses are manifested in the owner’s property.

Bonding

Being bonded means being covered for failure of performing services to the animal, resulting into injury. Consider the following cases:

• A pet sitter forgets to administer a cat’s medication, resulting into complications.
• A sitter who walks a dog in the park loses grip of the leash. The dog attacks a person.

Both incidents reflect negligence of the pet sitter, culminating a failure to perform his/her duties. Bonding would cover the expenses required in both.

Obtaining Pet Sitting Insurance

Employees of a pet sitting business are given insurance and bonding by their employer; self-employed pet sitters would have to avail on insurance and bonding on their own, or through a pet sitting association. Obtaining pet sitting insurance and bonding is low-cost. Pet sitters pay an affordable amount annually.

Before obtaining insurance and bonding, you should think about scenarios that could happen in the course of your duties. Once you know what you want to have covered, you could start shopping around for insurance companies that can give you a policy that fits you best. All pet insurance providers will not be able to provide a policy that covers all of your needs. Be sure that you are able to pay for your chosen policy. Before signing, make sure that you understand everything stated in the documents. Make clarifications and bring up questions on all points to avoid being sorry later.

Pet Sitting Insurance Providers

Below are some examples of companies that provide pet sitting insurance. Other pet sitting insurance providers can be researched online or through pet sitting associations like Pet Sitters International (PSI) and National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS).

PSI provides both membership and liability insurance all at an affordable cost. Insurance for damages to personal property are also included in the policy for an additional payment. They cover all forms of pet sitting such as caring for the pet in the owner’s home, pet walking, and pet transportation.