Dog sitter insurance
Dog sitter insurance protects your business while you're caring for a client's dog, in their home or yours. It starts with general liability for injury or damage to other people, and adds cover for the dogs themselves (animal bailee), vet bills whoever is at fault, and lost keys. Here's how one pet sitter policy sets it out, including how many pets you can keep overnight.
If something goes wrong while you're dog sitting, which part of the policy pays?
Find what happened in the left-hand column to see which part of a dog walking policy responds, and what it pays.
| What happened | The part of the policy that pays | What it pays |
|---|---|---|
| The dog you're looking after bites someone or damages their property | General liability | $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 a year in Pet Care Insurance's policy. |
| The dog is hurt and it's your fault | Animal bailee (care, custody or control) | Included in the base policy at $2,500 per occurrence and $5,000 a year, with options up to $15,000 per occurrence. |
| The dog is hurt and nobody is at fault | Vet bill reimbursement | Pays vet bills regardless of fault: $1,000 per occurrence and $2,500 a year, or $5,000 a year as an option. |
| You lose a client's keys | Lost key coverage | $2,000 per occurrence and $2,000 a year, included in the base policy. |
| An employee steals from a client | Employee dishonesty | $10,000 per occurrence and $25,000 a year, as an alternative to a bond. |
From Pet Care Insurance's pet sitting insurance guide (2023), read in October 2026. The US providers we found don't publish a sample policy, so this is one provider's summary of its own cover.
What isn't covered?
- Boarding or breeding businesses: Pet Care Insurance won't insure them.
- More than five animals overnight at a time.
- Grooming or training beyond the basics (bathing and brushing; sit, stay and come) without an extra endorsement.
- Animal bailee cover only pays if you're at fault; vet bill reimbursement covers the rest.
Your questions answered
Can I look after dogs overnight on pet sitter insurance?
With Pet Care Insurance, yes: its basic pet sitter policy allows overnight care for up to five animals at a time. If you board more animals than that, you'd need a different kind of policy.
What is the difference between animal bailee and vet bill reimbursement?
Animal bailee pays when you're legally responsible for a pet's injury or death. Vet bill reimbursement pays the vet regardless of who was at fault, so it helps with accidents that weren't anyone's fault.
More pet business insurance guides: Dog walking insurance · Dog grooming insurance
Every limit is from the provider's own documents, read in October 2026. Policies and limits change, so check the policy wording before you buy. See the UK version