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Monday, November 14, 2005

Insurance Is Available for Pet Caretakers (sitters and dog walkers)

Insurance Is Available for Pet Caretakers

Most every small business owner is aware of the need of having insurance to protect themselves. It was only a given that the pet care industry would see the importance of having an insurance policy to protect them–and their clients–if an unfortunate event did happen to arise. Pet sitters and dog walkers around the world are coming to see that it is essential to their business (whether part-time or full-time) to have pet sitter’s insurance, and the insurance industry has risen to the occasion and now offers policies to those who care for pets.

Pet sitters are animal lovers. They were wise in spotting the change in society and family living and have stepped forward to fill the needs that many pet owners have. In days past, animals were free to roam and many were outside pets. Having an “inside” pet was generally not the norm, but as society changed, so has the way that pets live.

Most areas have a leash law and a noise ordinance. Fido is no longer allowed to roam at will and howl at the moon. Pet owners are held responsible for the actions of their pets and this extends down to the pet sitter and dog walker, as well. With the rise of lawsuits, pet owners are turning away from employing a teen in the neighborhood to walk their dog or to feed their pets while they are vacationing. Pet owners have realized that to protect themselves they must employ someone who is an expert in their job, and who is adequately covered by insurance.

You may be wondering what pet sitter’s insurance will cover? Pet insurance is like other forms of insurance and has the general liability, bodily injury, and property damage. This insurance will protect you against claims that pet owners, as well as the general population, might bring against you in the event that the pet in your care caused harm or injury to an individual or property.

Bodily injury is important. This would cover you if the dog you are walking suddenly darts away from you during his or her walk. In the event the animal jumps upon someone knocking them down and causing injury, you would be covered for the accident. This would also cover you if a pet you are sitting for gets annoyed with the garbage collector. Fido may not understand why someone has come to his home and is hauling stuff away. He may get territorial, run after the garbage collector and bite him or her.

Property damage is also crucial to a pet sitter. This would cover an unfortunate event, such as Fido getting hold of an unknown family’s expensive jacket while they are lunching in the park, or in the event that Fido runs off and tears up an expensive remote control airplane that he happened to catch as it landed on the beach. This part of your policy would generally cover the possessions of the pet owner in the event that the pet in your care happened to chew up their sofa while the owners are away. You are also covered if you are transporting a pet in your vehicle and you are involved in an accident which brings harm or death to a pet

Another great thing about pet sitters insurance is that it covers those little “incidentals” that can arise which can cause much grief. Many pet caretakers have lost the keys to a pet owner’s home. The animals are inside, the caretaker is on the outside and stress is all around. Before you go breaking a window, you should know that most pet sitting policies cover the cost of changing the locks on the home so you will have access to the pets.

Taking out a pet sitting insurance policy just makes good sense. You wouldn’t watch someone’s child without being properly insured. Many pet owners look upon their pets as their children. These owners expect the same quality and insured care with their pets as they would expect for a child. You will be held accountable for the actions and general well being of the pet you are caring for.

Pet sitter’s insurance is economical and fairly easy to obtain. By doing a quick search over the Internet, pet caretakers can locate a policy in their area which will meet their needs. As with other forms of insurance, you should check around and receive different quotes. You should never take out the first policy you find. Pet sitter’s insurance is readily available, so you should not have any trouble locating a policy that works for you.

The affordable price of pet sitting insurance is well worth the investment. In the event that a judgement was placed against you, it could devastate your finances. With pet sitting insurance you are protected against such a perilous event.

Author Ian White is founder of http://www.pet-Sitters.biz Pet-Sitters.biz specializes in helping pet sitters and pet owners connect to each other. Find and screen a sitter for your pet or advertise your pet care business.

This article may be reprinted unchanged with active links and acknowledgements.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

does a dog walker have to formalize a company in order to apply for pet sitter insurance or is that not a requirement?

10:21 AM  
Blogger Ian White, Housecarers said...

Please visit the pet sitting forum to discuss this topic.
Pet Sitters Community Forum

1:44 PM  

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