Dog Daycare Insurance

Why You need Insurance for your Dog Daycare

"The purpose of insurance is to protect you from risk that you cannot afford through the payment of a premium that you can afford."

Before you open your doors and start offering services you need to make certain that you are insured. We live in a very litigious (lawsuit happy) society where the first instinct for many individuals is to sue for any perceived injustice or wrong doing. When you are taking care of peoples pets, to many of them this is no different than taking care of their children. It is understandable that accidents can and will happen when you least expect it. This is a part of life and a risk to anybody that opens their doors to provide a service to customers. But when you operate a Dog Daycare Facility there are many things that can happen- most of them beyond your control- which could put you in a very precarious situation and/or ruin you and your business if you are not insured. Also, it would be a mistake to assume that since you only take care of the dogs while they are at your facility, that you would be responsible for them only while they are actually at your facility. Wrong!!!

Let’s take for example two very possible scenarios and one that actually happened.

Scenario One (Poisoning)

Scenario Two (Bites & Fights)

Scenario Three (Pre Existing Medical Conditions)

I won’t even begin to cover customer slips and falls, damaged property, lost and stolen items, or escapes that could result in injury to the animal or others and their personal property etc., etc., etc... This is a business with a high potential for lawsuits. You not only assume the liability and risk that any retail establishment has, but you also assume additional risk because you are taking care of animals that are at best completely unpredictable at times.

Insurance Requirements for your Dog Daycare

At a minimum we recommend the following insurance coverage for your facility in addition to the standard fire, flood, theft, and property coverage found in most business insurance policies.

$1,000,000.00 General Liability

General liability means that the insurer will pay the legal costs of a business in a covered liability claim or lawsuit. This type of claim includes bodily injury, property damage, personal injury, and advertising injury (damage from slander or false advertising). This is basically the coverage that will protect you in the event that an animal escapes and injures someone. It also provides protection in the event that a customer is bit or slips and falls while at your facility. The insurance company will also cover compensatory and general damages. Punitive damages aren't covered under general liability insurance policies because they're considered to be punishment for intentional acts or for gross negligence.

$1,000,000 Professional Liability covering you and your employees

As a Dog Daycare owner your customers expect you to have extensive knowledge or training in the handling of animals. You are expected to perform the service that you were hired for which is to watch dogs during the day in a safe, supervised and structured environment. If it is found that that you or your employees were negligent and created a situation resulting in injury to a person or animal under your control, then you may be held responsible in a court of law for any and all damages caused. Basically this is coverage in the event it is alleged that you have been negligent in performing or failing to perform the professional service that you are paid for.

$10,000 each occurrence for loss of pets while in your care

This covers you in the event that a pet you are responsible for should become lost, stolen, accidentally injured or killed. This also provides coverage for the pet while being transported for those Dog Daycare Centers that offer a pick up and drop off service.

Insurance Providers for the Pet Industry

Gibson Governor Insurance