Understanding Dog Walking Insurance
You can find basic dog walking insurance for under $150 per year. Keep in mind: cheap insurance often means less coverage and lower payouts. Your state may require you to carry workers’ compensation insurance if you hire employees. This will cover medical treatment and lost wages for work-related injuries.
Coverage and Costs of Dog Walking Insurance
General Information and Risks of Dog Walking Business
What are the risks of a dog-walking business? Running a dog walking business comes with legal and liability risks that need to be carefully considered and managed. Here are some key aspects to be aware of: Injury or Loss of Dogs. As a dog walker, you are responsible for the well-being of the dogs under your care. There is a risk of dogs getting injured, lost, or even stolen during walks.
Liability represents one of the most serious threats that come with setting up a dog-walking enterprise. Dog walking entails becoming in charge of another person’s pet, and in the event something goes awry, the dog walker may be held culpable.
Importance of Liability Insurance for Dog Walkers
Importance of Liability Insurance for Dog Walkers. Liability insurance is perhaps the most important type of insurance for dog walkers. It provides coverage for legal defense costs, settlements, and judgments if a dog walker is sued for causing bodily injury or property damage while on the job.
Licensing and Legal Aspects of Dog Walking
Licensing is a critical aspect of the dog walker profession as it ensures that you operate legally and in compliance with local regulations. Many cities and municipalities require dog walkers to obtain a license to conduct their business. The licensing process usually involves meeting specific criteria, such as having a clean criminal record, providing proof of insurance, and demonstrating knowledge of local dog-related laws.
Liability and Regulations for Dog Walkers
Can a Dog Walker Be Held Liable for a Dog Bite on Their Watch? Dogs require lots of love and care, which include going out for daily walks. However, the life of a dog owner can get so busy that they will have to hire someone else to do their dog walking for them. They might ask their neighbor, a pet sitter, or even request a walker from the popular dog walking apps, such as Wag! and Rover.
For many busy Californians, hiring a dog walker is the solution to ensuring their pet still gets the exercise and time outside that they need. However, with there being obvious pros to hiring a dog walker, they might not always be the best-trained person to care for a pet. They might not know how to avoid putting the pet into a situation in which a dog bite could occur. California is a strict liability state when it comes to dog bites. This means that the dog owner receives strict liability for an incident where their dog injures another person by biting them. Even if the animal was in the dog walker’s care, the owner still retains liability for the dog bite incident.