Do Dog Walkers Need Insurance?

There are many different types of jobs out there and many choose to do what they love and be involved in fields they are interested in. Dog walkers turn their passion for helping people and animals into a living, but being a professional at this raises some questions about the legal requirements. One of the most common questions is: do dog walkers need insurance?

The short answer is, no, in the vast majority of places, dog walkers are not legally required to carry insurance, although there are some states or counties that may regulate this more than others. In general however, a dog walker does not need to carry insurance in order to do business. That being said, in order to be a certified business, a business license is usually required, so there is some level of paperwork necessary to be official.

While having insurance isn’t a legal requirement for dog walkers, that does not mean that it’s not the recommended option. If something happens to the dogs in the walker’s care, there may be grounds for a lawsuit from the owner of the animal. In addition, mistreatment of the dog would create grounds for suing from the owner. In order to protect oneself from this, insurance would be a smart investment to make, particularly if you are walking for many clients. The form insurance usually takes in this case is general liability insurance and can be purchased from many of the same companies that one would acquire similar types of insurance, such as workers’ compensation, from.

If you are a dog walker on the receiving end of a lawsuit or a pet owner that is filing against a walker, it is always a good idea to have an attorney on your side that knows the local law and can help steer victory in your favor. To learn about how we at the Franco Law Firm can serve you in this role, please call us at (813) 872-0929.