If you’re a pet sitter, or are thinking of hiring one, perhaps you should consider the insurance aspect of this popular occupation. As more pet owners learn of the appealing advantages of using a pet sitter, the question of insurance has come to the forefront. What happens if your pet has an accident or runs away from home while you’re away? Who is liable if the pet sitter is injured in your house? A quick look at some basic insurance information may help you understand this important concept a little better.
What Does Pet Sitter Insurance Cover?
As with any insurance policy, your specific situation can be addressed with the right insurance coverage. Most pet sitter insurance covers the care, custody and control of the pet in amounts ranging from $10,000 to $200,000. Clauses in the pet sitter insurance policy can also cover lost keys, damage or death from fire, or other claims resulting from negligence to accidents. Transporting a pet may be included in a policy, as well as other services, which are agreed to by both the insured and the insurer at the time the policy is written up.
It should be noted that most pet sitter insurance doesn’t protect the pet sitter from personal injury; rather, the policy is meant to cover injuries to other people and other pets. Before hiring a pet sitter, check your homeowners’ insurance policy to see if a pet sitter working on your property will be covered for any personal injury.
Should Pet Sitters Have Insurance?
Pet sitter insurance is a vital safety net for anyone who accepts the responsibility of caring for a person’s pet. Professional pet sitters are usually licensed and many are bonded or insured against theft. Being licensed and having insurance gives the pet sitter a higher level of credibility, and this fact often puts the pet owner at ease when hiring them. Many pet sitters belong to one of the many professional organizations that help them improve their services through first aid and husbandry classes as well as by offering pet sitting accreditation.
Pet sitter insurance will often protect the sitter financially if the animal in their care bites someone or causes damage to another person’s property. The sitter, of course, will have to meet certain requirements before a claim is made, such as providing proof that the pet was properly restrained while in their custody.
Pet sitting is gaining in popularity and can be a lucrative profession for a person who truly loves animals. Yet, in our world of accidents and mishaps, obtaining an adequate pet sitter insurance policy will take the worry away from the work.