Professional dog walkers need insurance protection to safeguard against accidents, injuries, property damage, and legal liability. Operating without insurance exposes you to potentially devastating financial risk.
Types of Insurance Coverage
- General liability insurance: Covers third-party injuries and property damage. Essential coverage protecting you if a dog bites someone, damages property, or causes accidents while in your care. Minimum $1 million recommended, $2 million preferred.
- Professional liability (errors & omissions): Protects against claims of negligence, errors, or failure to perform services properly. Covers situations like losing a client's dog, accidents from improper care, or breach of service agreements.
- Care, custody, and control: Specific coverage for injury to animals in your care. Standard liability policies often exclude animals you're working with, requiring this specialized addition.
- Commercial auto insurance: Required if transporting dogs in your vehicle for business purposes. Personal auto policies typically exclude business use, leaving you uncovered during pet transport.
- Bonding: Not insurance but demonstrates financial security and trustworthiness. Protects clients if you steal or damage property, showing you're vetted and insured.
Insurance Costs
- General liability only: $300–$600/year for basic liability insurance ($1 million coverage), $600–$1,000 for $2 million
- Professional liability: $200–$400 annually as an add-on to general liability
- Care, custody, control: $150–$300 annually, often bundled with other coverages
- Comprehensive pet business package: $500–$1,200 annually including general liability, professional liability, and care/custody coverage
- Commercial auto addition: $800–$1,500 annually depending on vehicle and driving record
Where to Get Dog Walker Insurance
- Pet business specialists: BusinessInsurer.com, Pet Care Insurance, Kennel Pro Insurance offer specialized pet service policies with comprehensive coverage
- Professional associations: National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS) and Pet Sitters International (PSI) offer member insurance programs with competitive rates
- General business insurers: Progressive, Hiscox, Next Insurance provide small business policies that can be customized for pet care services
- Platform-provided coverage: Tails, Rover, and Wag provide coverage for services booked through their platforms, but coverage may not extend to direct clients
What Tails Provides
When you join Tails as a provider, you receive liability insurance coverage for all services booked through the platform. This includes protection for injuries to third parties, property damage, and basic care coverage. However, this coverage only applies to platform bookings, not independent clients.
Independent Walker Insurance Requirements
If you work independently or maintain clients outside platforms, you need your own insurance policy. Many successful walkers use a hybrid approach: platform coverage for app bookings plus independent policy for direct clients. This ensures comprehensive protection across all business activities.
What Insurance Actually Covers
Covered scenarios: Dog bites another person, dog damages client's property, dog causes car accident during walk, client claims negligent care caused injury to their dog, dog escapes and causes accident, client alleges you lost their dog.
NOT typically covered: Intentional harm or abuse, illegal activities, injuries to you (need worker's comp), your own property damage, criminal acts, excluded breeds if policy specifies, pre-existing conditions in animals.
Questions to Ask Insurance Providers
- Does coverage include dogs of all breeds without exclusions?
- Are there per-incident and annual maximum limits?
- Does coverage extend to dogs you transport in vehicles?
- What's the deductible per incident?
- Does coverage apply to dogs outside your clients' homes (parks, public areas)?
- Are there geographic limitations or excluded areas?
- What documentation is required to file a claim?
Tax Deductibility
Dog walker insurance premiums are fully tax-deductible as a business expense. Keep records of all premium payments and include them in Schedule C when filing taxes. This reduces your taxable income, lowering your overall tax burden.
Professional insurance is not optional—it's essential protection for your business and personal assets. One lawsuit can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Insurance provides peace of mind and demonstrates professionalism to clients. Learn more about starting your dog walking business in our comprehensive guide.