Hello,
I am a pet sitter and I have the premium subscription which covers an insurance for public liability and sit cancellation. However, I would like to have an insurance for pet loss/death/theft, etc under my care.
Does anyone have or recommend a good pet sitter insurance?
Thanks,
Stelios
No one with insurance here??
Insurance is likely to be different depending on your residence country and where you are sitting, but the specific kind of insurance you mention may not be offered anywhere at a reasonable cost. In the US, I carry an umbrella liability policy that sits on top of my auto and homeowners. Not sure if it would cover a pet death, though, or out of the US.
Few of us are professional pet sitters. We’ve not agreed to take on financial liability for pets.
I’m not financially responsible for someones else’s pet.
Are we not responsible as pet sitters if a pet is lost or dies under our care?
Can’t the owners sue us?
People can sue you as long as they want to and a lawyer will take their case, at least in the U.S. But that doesn’t mean they have a winnable case. Since we don’t take payment, what exactly would they sue successfully for? Like if you watch a dog for a friend and the dog dies, what kind of legal claim could they make?
If hosts want that kind of coverage, they should hire a paid pet sitter with insurance coverage.
Of course, if you’re not comfortable without insurance, you can seek some out. But few of us can help with that, because we don’t sit professionally.
Thank you, that’s useful.
I don’t pet sit professionally as well, and some of the insurance I found online refers to Pet Sitting Businesses.
Not necessarily as it would depend on the circumstances. If a pet became sick and died, it’s unlikely to be your fault but if you left the garden gate open and the animal escaped and was knocked down by a vehicle, it could be your fault. It could also be the driver’s.
Public liability insurance policies exclude damage to property in your custody or control (which would probably include pets) but you would need to read the policy to make sure of your position.
Even if someone theoretically could hold you liable for losing their pet or having it die in your care (I’m not saying they could), the cost of replacing most pets isn’t high. Like my dog is a rescue mutt. I think I paid $160USD to adopt him from a shelter. That presumably would be his dollar value in a legal case, much less than any decent lawyer typically bills per hour.
It’s not as if they could make you pay for pain and suffering or loss of affection for a pet you sat, even if it unfortunately died.
And if there’s a pet that’s making a lot of money through say acting, advertising or influencer content, presumably they wouldn’t leave it with a THS sitter. They should pay for professional care, with insurance and such.
If you’re worried about being liable for an expensive pet, you could just sit non-pedigreed and affordable ones. Like a handful of normal fish wouldn’t break the bank, nor would most cats or dogs.