Is this personal pet insurance for veterinary bills?

No. This guide is for businesses caring for clients’ animals. Pet owners seeking health coverage should use the separate personal pet-insurance page.

Should a dog walker disclose occasional overnight sitting?

Yes. Describe all services and where they take place. Do not assume a policy described as dog-walking insurance includes overnight care.

Can a groomer rely on the animal owner’s pet-health insurance?

Do not treat it as the business’s own protection. Review animal-care liability, any veterinary-expense provisions and other business exposures under the business policies.

Business · By industry · Pet-care businesses

Insurance for pet-care businesses

Pet-care business insurance addresses the business caring for other people’s animals. Review injury to animals in your care separately from injuries to people, damage to client property and your own equipment. Personal pet-health insurance is a different product and does not replace a business insurance review.

Discuss our business insurance

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Updated November 13, 2026

Who this page is for

Pet-sitting and dog-walking businesses
Storefront and mobile pet groomers
Dog daycare and pet boarding operators

Where this applies

For businesses operating in Washington, Idaho, Oregon or Arizona. Tell us every operating location and service, including work in other states. This guide helps prepare an insurance discussion; it does not establish licensing requirements or confirm that a business or activity qualifies for coverage.

General information vs. our service

What NRG does, and what it doesn't

What NRG does

Reviews your operations, locations and current policies to establish what assistance is available
Discusses relevant insurance questions within the insurers and programs NRG can access
Explains the terms of an available proposal before you decide

What NRG doesn't do

Promise access to a particular insurer or eligibility for every activity
Provide legal, clinical, licensing or technical safety advice
Bind coverage through an inquiry or decide whether a claim is covered

What to review

Pet-care business insurance questions, answered

How do sitting, grooming, daycare and boarding change the review?

Describe each service you provide, including work performed away from your main address. Insurers distinguish pet-care operating models, so a brief business label is not enough. Use the questions below to prepare an accurate service description.

Prepare a service-specific description
Service	Questions to document
Sitting and walking	Where do visits take place, who has keys, and do you use employees or subcontractors?
Grooming	Is the work mobile or at a fixed location, and what equipment and services are involved?
Daycare	How many animals may be present, what activities take place and which premises are used?
Boarding	Are animals kept overnight, who supervises them and what happens if the premises cannot be used?

Source: Travelers, insurance for pet-care services (accessed November 13, 2026)

What does animal bailee or care, custody and control coverage mean?

These terms concern animals entrusted to a business, but the actual policy wording matters. Ask how injury, loss or death of an animal in your care is treated, including applicable limits, exclusions and reporting requirements. Do not assume ordinary general liability or the owner’s pet-health policy answers that question.

Source: Chubb, pet businesses and animal bailee coverage (accessed November 13, 2026)

How should we review work in clients’ homes and pet transport?

Describe access to homes and the travel involved in each service. Keep customer keys, animals and vehicles as separate discussion topics. Ask which proposed policy responds to each type of loss, rather than relying on a broad description such as “pet sitting covered.”

Questions beyond the main premises
Activity	What to ask
Client-home access	How are lost keys, damage to client property and allegations involving staff handled?
Pickup and drop-off	Which vehicles and drivers are used, and how is transporting animals treated?
Mobile services	Where is equipment stored or used, and what happens during travel between jobs?
Temporary relocation	What property or business-income conditions apply if the normal premises cannot operate?

Sources: Travelers, insurance for pet-care services (accessed November 13, 2026); Chubb, pet businesses and animal bailee coverage (accessed November 13, 2026)

Does the same policy cover a dog bite and an injury to a boarded dog?

Do not assume both fall under the same coverage. A claim by a person injured by an animal and a claim involving the animal itself raise different questions. Ask the reviewer to identify the relevant policy section, insured party, limit and exclusions for each scenario.

Sources: Travelers, insurance for pet-care services (accessed November 13, 2026); Chubb, pet businesses and animal bailee coverage (accessed November 13, 2026)

How much does pet-care business insurance cost?

Start with the service mix, locations, requested revenue and staffing information, animal capacity, vehicles and claims history. Compare the animal-care provisions and any sublimits as well as the total premium. A price for an occasional sitter is not a reliable benchmark for a boarding facility with employees and transport.

What should a business prepare before renewing?

Keep a current description of services and premises, then list changes planned for the next year. Bring customer agreements, lease insurance requirements and existing policies. Discuss new services before offering them. For an initial inquiry, summarize operations without sending client personal information or animal medical records.

What to prepare

All services, operating locations and whether animals stay overnight
Requested animal capacity, staffing, revenue and claims details
Employee and subcontractor responsibilities
Pickup/drop-off vehicles and drivers
Customer agreements, lease requirements and current insurance
Equipment, premises and planned service changes