Animal Shelter & Rescue Insurance Coverage Checklist
The coverages an animal shelter & rescue business may carry — core, prevalent, and situational — why each matters, and the gap most often missed.
Pull out your current policy and check the box next to any coverage you can confirm is already in place — anything unchecked is worth a quick conversation with your advisor. Coverage checklist for animal shelters, rescues, humane societies, and SPCAs. Priorities reflect typical exposure for this class; confirm against your actual programs, contracts, and volunteer base.
Tick each coverage you can confirm you carry — anything left unticked is a good question for your next policy review.
| Have it? | Coverage | Why this business needs it | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial General Liability (Animal Bites Included) | Covers bites and injuries to visitors, adopters, and transporters — confirm no animal or breed exclusion. | Core | |
| Animal Care, Custody & Control | Covers animals in your care, including owned animals impounded or boarded — GL excludes property in your care. | Core | |
| Directors & Officers | Covers board decisions, donor disputes, and suits over euthanasia or adoption policies. | Core | |
| Workers' Compensation | Required for paid staff; bites, scratches, lifting, and zoonotic illness are common. | Core | |
| Volunteer Accident | Pays medical bills for volunteers and fosters injured while helping — they are not covered by workers' comp. | Prevalent | |
| Commercial Auto / Hired & Non-Owned Auto | Covers transport vans and volunteers driving animals in their own cars. | Prevalent | |
| Veterinary Professional Liability | Needed if you run a clinic or employ veterinarians. | Prevalent | |
| Umbrella / Excess Liability | Adds limits above GL and auto; city contracts often require it. | Prevalent | |
| Abuse & Molestation | Needed when youth volunteers or programs involve minors. | Situational | |
| Property & Business Income | Covers the shelter, kennels, and equipment, plus extra expense to house animals after a loss. | Situational | |
| Special Events Liability | Covers off-site adoption events and fundraisers. | Situational | |
| Employment Practices Liability | Covers claims by staff, including wrongful termination and harassment. | Situational |
The coverage gap most often missed
The gap most often missed by shelters and rescues is the people around the animals who aren't employees. Volunteers, fosters, and transporters are bitten or injured far more often than the public, aren't covered by workers' comp, and may sue the organization — one transporter won $5.4 million after a bite from a dog with a documented history. Foster homes add a second gap: a foster's homeowners policy may exclude the rescue's dog. Confirm your GL covers bites without breed exclusions, add volunteer accident coverage, and disclose bite history in writing every time.
Send us the checklist and we'll review your animal shelter & rescue coverage line by line, then market it across multiple carriers that compete for your account.
Related: Animal Shelter & Rescue Insurance · Animal Shelter & Rescue Supplemental (apply) · All coverage checklists
Frequently asked questions
What insurance does an animal shelter & rescue business need?
The core coverages for an animal shelter & rescue business are Commercial General Liability (Animal Bites Included), Animal Care, Custody & Control, Directors & Officers, Workers' Compensation. This checklist also lists the prevalent and situational coverages worth considering, with a plain-English note on why each matters.
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 shelter & rescue 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.