Dog Walking & Pet Sitting Insurance Coverage Checklist
The coverages a dog walking & pet sitting 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 dog walkers, pet sitters, and in-home boarding. Priorities reflect typical exposure for this class; confirm against the business's actual services and staffing.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Bailee (Care, Custody & Control) | Covers a client's pet that is injured, becomes ill, is lost, or dies in your care. General liability excludes it. | Core | |
| Commercial General Liability | Covers bites or injuries to people and other dogs, and damage to client property. | Core | |
| Dishonesty Bond / Crime | Covers theft by you or your staff from client homes — clients often ask for it. | Prevalent | |
| Lost Key Coverage | Pays to rekey a client's home if a key or code is lost. | Prevalent | |
| Commercial / Hired & Non-Owned Auto | Covers pet transport and driving between visits. Personal auto policies may exclude business use. | Prevalent | |
| Home-Based Business Coverage | Needed if pets are boarded in your home — homeowners and renters policies usually exclude business activity. | Situational | |
| Workers' Compensation | Required in most states with employees; bites, falls, and leash injuries are common. | Situational | |
| Employment Practices Liability (EPLI) | Relevant if walkers are contractors who could later be treated as employees. | Situational |
The coverage gap most often missed
The most commonly missed coverage for this class is animal bailee. Pets are personal property under the law, and general liability excludes property in your care, custody, or control — so if a dog slips its harness and is hit by a car, the basic policy won't respond. The second exposure is dog bites: when a dog you are walking bites someone, the owner's homeowners insurer commonly pays and then pursues the walker. Walkers who rely on an app platform's protection program should confirm in writing what it actually covers.
Send us the checklist and we'll review your dog walking & pet sitting coverage line by line, then market it across multiple carriers that compete for your account.
Related: Dog Walking & Pet Sitting Insurance · Dog Walking & Pet Sitting Supplemental (apply) · All coverage checklists
Frequently asked questions
What insurance does a dog walking & pet sitting business need?
The core coverages for a dog walking & pet sitting business are Animal Bailee (Care, Custody & Control), Commercial General Liability. 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 dog walking & pet sitting 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.