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Dog walkers and pet sitters’ insurance that lets you take the lead

You choose what goes into your policy, so you only pay for what you need.

Get a quote Retrieve a quote

or call us on 0345 605 9168

Call us on 0345 605 9168

Get free 24/7 legal advice and access to an online legal documents service with Legal Essentials

Included as standard when you buy or renew any of our business insurance policies. Document services and legal advice helpline are provided by DAS Legal Expenses Insurance limited

  • Get 10% off business insurance if you’re already a Direct Line customer.

    Discount applies to your new business insurance policy. Subject to minimum premiums.

  • We can cover you if you work at home, at the park or pet sitting at a client’s house.
  • 0% APR representative in the first year on your monthly direct debit payments.

    New customers only, over 18s, subject to eligibility.

  • We won't be beaten on price. We'll beat your new business insurance quote or renewal premium from any other insurer.

    New customers only. Cover on an equivalent basis to ours. Qualifying criteria apply. Terms & Conditions.

Insurance that fits your working life

Working with animals can be a lot of fun but it also comes with its own special set of challenges. Not only are you responsible for the safety of your furry friends, you are also responsible for any harm or damage they might cause. That’s why it’s important to have the right insurance in place.

At Direct Line for Business, we offer a flexible insurance policy that can be tailored to suit your unique line of work. So, whether you’re taking a trip to the park or doting on a client’s cat in your living room, you’re covered if something goes wrong.

What insurance do I need for dog walking?

When you work as a pet sitter or dog walker, there are some potential hazards you need to be aware of and take precautions against. If the dog you’re walking digs up a garden or bites another animal, you will be held responsible.

Having the right insurance will not only help if you find yourself in a difficult situation, it will also reassure your clients that you take your responsibilities seriously.

Having public liability included in your Dog Walkers and Pet Sitters’ Insurance policy means you’re covered if the animal in your care is injured, causes injury to someone else or damages someone’s property.

If you employ other workers, you can include employer’s liability cover in your policy. We can offer up to £10 million in cover and will cover you if your employees become ill or injured while working for you.

No matter how many different types of cover you include in your policy, you’ll only pay one monthly or annual premium, with one renewal date. It couldn’t be simpler.

Get a quote
or call us on 0345 605 9168
Get a quote call us on 0345 605 9168

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Your cover options

Add any of the following cover options to your Dog Walker and Pet Sitters’ Insurance to create an insurance policy that precisely fits your business needs. These covers are subject to policy conditions and limits.

  • Public liability

    Public liability covers you for accidental damage to property that doesn’t belong to you or if a person gets injured because of an animal you look after. If a claim was pursued against you, public liability would cover the legal and compensation costs you are required to pay.

    It also covers you for loss of your client’s keys. So, if your bag gets stolen while you’re out walking someone’s dog, and you lose your client’s keys in the process, the cost of replacing the keys and locks will be covered.

    We can offer cover from £1 million to £10 million, subject to criteria.

  • Employers' liability

    This covers the costs you have to pay if an employee gets injured or becomes ill because of the work they do for you. For example, your employee might wrench their shoulder whilst walking a dog and then pursue legal action on the grounds that you didn’t provide proper dog walkers’ training. This cover would pay your court fees and any compensation.

    In most cases, employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement if you have employees. Read more about employers’ liability insurance to learn about the exemptions.

  • Theft of takings

    Your pet sitting or dog walking business may often deal in cash and cheque payments. This policy will cover you in case of theft. This includes business takings stolen from you or anyone working for you.

  • Buildings cover

    If there is an insured event such as flood or fire in your personal workspace and it becomes damaged, buildings insurance will cover the cost of the repairs or reinstatement. You should consider this cover if you look after clients’ pets in your own home or a specialist outbuilding.

    Equipment breakdown cover for items forming part of the building is included, as standard. This includes cover for broken boilers and fire/burglar alarms but the breakdown must not be due to wear and tear.

  • Contents and stock

    Contents and stock insurance can be useful if you run the administrative side of your business from your home or an office. You can cover the electrical items, equipment, furniture and documents used by your business, as well as any stock you might have, e.g. specialist kibble, cages, or pet toys.

    We also give you the option of insuring these items away from the premises. This covers items used on the go when you’re out and about with the dogs, or in your client’s home when pet sitting.

    Business contents and stock are covered for damage as a result of an insured event such as fire, theft or water damage from a burst pipe, but does not cover damage caused by a pet.

  • Business interruption

    If you have a regular client whose home is damaged by a fire, they may no longer need you to pet sit. Business interruption would cover your loss of turnover from this client, up to a limit of £50,000.

    Our business interruption cover can insure you if you or one of your key employees be-comes seriously disabled and is unable to continue work. We will cover the incurred costs, up to £25,000, to minimise any interruption to the business.

  • Legal expenses

    This pays the legal costs of providing specialist lawyers and taking action against many common legal problems, for instance disputes with suppliers or clients.

  • Cyber cover

    If you hold sensitive customer data, process payments online or just want peace of mind, Cyber cover should be considered. Because cyber criminals can be clever. Catching you off-guard and tricking you in to doing something you shouldn't, like opening an attachment in a fake email, or finding a way through your cyber-security. If this happens and they get their hands on your data or access to your bank account, the impact on your business could be devastating.

    But, with our Cyber cover, you can call the experts, 24/7. They'll be on it, helping you to stay in business and recover in three ways:

    Recover financially

    • Covering loss of business income if your systems are attacked
    • Covering recovery costs, like fixing damage to your computer systems or data restoration
    • Covering fines (where insurable by law) and compensation costs.

    Recover your reputation

    • You get access to public relations and crisis management experts to minimise damage to your brand and business.

    Recover your systems and help prevent future incidents

    • Technical experts will help fix your IT issues and provide advice on how to prevent future cyber incidents.

    Read more on Cyber cover here.

    Available on new and renewal policies only. For Retail and Office & Professional customers only.

How can we help?

Get a quote, talk to us via live chat or call us on
0345 605 9168.

Visit our contact us page to view our opening hours.

Frequently asked questions

  • QWhat kind of animals does Direct Line for Business cover?

    We can insure you if you look after the following pets:

    • Dogs
    • Cats
    • Rabbits
    • Guinea pigs
    • Hamsters
    • Gerbils
    • Indoor fish
    • Ferrets
    • Chinchillas

    We cover damage as a result of your negligence to the pet owner's property as well as injury to the pet.

  • QAre there any circumstances when you would not cover a pet sitter or dog walker?

    We cannot cover you if you look after any dogs defined as dangerous dogs by the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 or the Dangerous Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1983.

    You are expected to understand the temperament of the animals in your care. If you provide a dog walking service, you should know whether an animal is safe to come off its lead. Your cover could be affected if you are found to have acted against the pet owner’s instructions or what you know about the animal.

    We don’t cover you if you’re an animal ‘carer’ and are responsible for giving medication.

    We do not cover kennels, catteries or overnight stays. We also don‘t cover damage caused by a pet to your property, including buildings, contents and stock.

  • QHow much does dog walking insurance cost?

    The price of your insurance will depend on the type of cover that you choose to include. Things that will affect your dog walking or pet sitting insurance quote include: the type and level of cover you’ve chosen, whether you have employees and your history of insurance claims. When you get a quote using our online tool, you will see the price breakdown of the different covers you are interested in.

Policy documents

If you have an existing quote or policy with us, you can view and download your policy documents from the My Account page.

We tailor all our policies, so your documents only show what you’ve chosen to cover.

Below is a summary of a generic policy, from 25 October 2020 onwards, which shows the main covers and exclusions in our policies.