Animal Liability Policy Feature Checklist
What to confirm in a animal liability policy — what's standard, what's often limited, and what to add if needed — plus the gap most often missed.
Pull out your current general liability and umbrella policies and check the box next to each feature you can confirm they include — anything unchecked is worth a quick conversation with your advisor.
Tick each feature you can confirm your policy includes — anything left unticked is a good question for your next policy review.
| Confirm? | Policy feature | What to confirm | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affirmative Animal Coverage | Confirm the policy covers animal injuries rather than excluding them. | Standard | |
| Animals You Don't Own | Some exclusions reach any animal on the premises, including tenant and guest pets. | Standard | |
| Breed Exclusions | Some policies exclude specific breeds; compare the list to animals on site. | Often limited | |
| Animals in Your Care | Care, custody, or control wording may exclude customers' animals you board or groom. | Often limited | |
| Limit Adequacy | Animal coverage is often sublimited; bite claims averaged about $69,000 in 2024. | Often limited | |
| Umbrella Follows Form | An umbrella usually won't cover bites the primary policy excludes. | Often limited | |
| Injury to Other Animals | Confirm dog-on-dog attacks and injury to customers' pets are covered. | If needed | |
| Off-Premises Activities | Confirm walks, events, and therapy visits away from the premises are covered. | If needed | |
| Exotic or Wild Animals | Many forms exclude exotic animals entirely; they usually need a specialty policy. | If needed |
The gap most often missed in this coverage
The most commonly missed gap in this coverage is animals the business does not own. Many general liability animal exclusions apply to any animal on the premises, so a tenant's or guest's dog biting a visitor can be excluded; a federal court upheld that reading against an apartment owner. Read the exclusion wording, confirm third-party pets are covered, and check that the umbrella does not exclude animals too.
Send us the checklist and we'll review your animal liability coverage line by line, then market it across multiple carriers that compete for your account.
Related: Animal Liability Insurance · Animal Liability Supplemental (apply) · All coverage checklists
Frequently asked questions
What should a animal liability policy include?
Standard features to confirm in a animal liability policy include Affirmative Animal Coverage, Animals You Don't Own. This checklist also flags the features that are often limited or sublimited and the ones to add if needed, with a plain-English note on each.
Is this checklist insurance advice?
No. It is a free educational tool to help you have a more informed conversation with a licensed professional. It affords no coverage and is not insurance, legal, or financial advice — only your actual policy language governs what is and isn't covered.
Can Cory Washington & Co. review my animal liability coverage?
Yes. Share your checklist and we'll review your program line by line, market your account across multiple carriers, and explain the trade-offs in plain English. Cory Washington & Co. LLC is licensed in all 50 states.
This checklist is a free educational tool from Cory Washington & Co. to help you review your own coverage and have a more informed conversation with a licensed insurance professional. It is general information only — not insurance, legal, or financial advice, and not a recommendation to buy, change, or cancel any policy. Coverage terms, availability, limits, and requirements vary by policy, carrier, and state, and only the language in your actual policy governs what is and isn’t covered. Checking or leaving blank any item above does not indicate that you are adequately insured or under-insured. Using this checklist does not create a client, agency, or fiduciary relationship. Always consult a licensed professional about your specific situation.