Dog walkers' insurance
Protection for you, the pups in your care and your dog walking business.
Our customisable insurance starts with public liability and lets you choose the rest.
Be quote confident. We'll beat the price of any like-for-like quote. T&Cs apply.
Dog walking insurance quote
What does dog walking insurance cover?
The endless cuddles, tail wags and fresh air make dog walking the perfect job. And while you don’t want to imagine the worst, something going wrong while a dog is in your care could cause serious financial charges and put your trusted reputation at risk.
Dog walking insurance is designed to protect you and your business from claims made against you by the public, your clients or employees.
10% of pet walkers paid £6.73 a month or less for their Superscript business insurance between January and March 2023.
- Build a policy around your needs
- Protect yourself and the public
- Add cyber cover to protect your digital presence
- UK-based support, hassle-free claims
- Pay monthly or annually, it's your choice
- No fees to make changes
Be quote confident
We're big on fairness. So if you find a lower price for a comparable quote, we won't just match it – we'll go one better and beat it.
So even better than apples to apples, apples to better apples. We're talking Galas to Braeburns.
As you'd expect, T&Cs apply.
What insurance do I need for a dog walking business?
Public liability insurance
Public liability insurance for dog walkers doesn't just cover claims made against you by the public for accidental injury and property damage, it also covers the death, harm to or disease of any animal in the course of your business.
So, if you're on a walk and Fido accidentally gets kicked by a horse, or Chester bites a stranger or Sandy eats something she shouldn't and becomes ill, you'd be covered for the legal and compensation costs if someone made a claim against you.
Employers' liability insurance
Whether it's one part-time worker or a team of people, if you have hires helping out with your dog walking services, employers' liability insurance (EL) is a legal requirement for your business in the UK. If it's just you at the moment but you're thinking about hiring in the future, our monthly subscription makes it easy to change your cover and add EL to your policy any time you like – free of charge.
Accident and sickness cover
If you suffer from an injury while you're out on a walk that means you're no longer able to work. In some circumstances, accident and sickness insurance can pay a benefit for up to 50 weeks if you, or an employee, is signed off by a doctor on long-term sick leave, is hospitalised, or injured and unable to work.
Business equipment cover
Whether it's specialist leads or dog toys, or the laptop and phone you use to take bookings and manage your client base, your equipment is vital to keeping your dog walking business on the move. Business equipment insurance covers you if your stuff is lost, stolen or damaged.
Cyber insurance
If you hold the personal details of your clients – such as contact information or card details – on your laptop or phone, you may like to consider cyber insurance. If you experience a data breach or cyber attack, cyber insurance can cover your liability for handling data, financial loss as a result of the breach or a breach of data protection laws.
Once you've completed a quote, you'll be able to view a summary of cover. Please always refer to your policy documents for full details around exclusions, terms and limits of your customised cover. Read our guide to understanding your policy documents.
Dog walker insurance claims examples
There are various different types of insurance claim that you may have to make as a professional dog walker, so here are a few examples of specific claims that would be covered by Superscript’s policy:
Dog bite
When you're out walking a client's dog, your furry companion is startled and ends up biting a member of the public, causing them to have to go to the hospital. Your public liability insurance can cover your legal and compensation costs.
Stolen client data
You store your clients' details on your laptop. If cyber criminals attack your system and steal your customers' personal details, cyber insurance could cover your legal and compensation costs after a data breach.
Lost phone
While out for a walk, you get distracted and leave your work phone on a bench. Your business equipment insurance could pay for the lost phone to be replaced.
How do dog walker insurance claims work?
The below is a good guide to the process and timescales you can expect when you need to make a claim under your policy.
If you’re ever unsure whether you can or should claim, it’s best to get in touch and we can let you know.
Notify us of the claim
Contact us by email at claims@gosuperscript.com, by 24/7 freephone on 0800 772 3059 or by logging in to your customer portal.
Ideally this should be done as soon as possible and within 30 days of you becoming aware of anything which you think may be covered by your insurance.
A good indicator of whether or not to let us know is if there’s an issue which may require a payment to be made on your behalf.
We'll get on the case
We’ll acknowledge your claim within 24 hours, and sometimes in as little as 30 minutes! This means you’ll receive email confirmation of your Superscript claims reference and contact information should you need to speak to us.
We will then reach out to you within 48 hours to request any extra information we need to progress your claim.
We’ll keep you updated on the next steps as the claim progresses.
A decision is made
We’ll let you know if your claim is successful or not. At Superscript, if your claim isn’t covered, we will always try to point you in the right direction and support you as best we can in getting back to normal.
Read about the most common reasons claims aren't paid.
If your claim is successful, once we have all the documents we need, we will aim to settle claims such as accidental damage, theft and lost equipment within 5 working days.
Dog walking insurance FAQs
Do I need dog walkers' insurance?
If you are a sole trader dog walker, then legally you do not need to have insurance, however many dog walkers take out covers such as public liability insurance and personal accident insurance to cover themselves and their business from the potentially costly claims that could arise if things go wrong.
Also, if you have any employees, you are legally required to have employers' liability insurance in the UK.
I also do dog sitting as part of my services, do you cover this, too?
Yes, we can cover both dog walking and dog sitting as part of your policy. Simply add this as an extra service when you're building your quote.
Do you need proof of my qualifications or business to get dog walking business insurance?
No. All you need to tell us to get insured is your business structure, the type of work you do, whether you have employees and your turnover.
What happens if a dog in my care bites someone?
The public liability cover part of your insurance should cover your liability up to the value you have chosen to include on your policy if a third party gets injured as a result of your business services or a dog in your care.
What if a dog escapes while it's in my care?
If the dog was properly clipped onto a lead with a collar or harness and managed to wriggle out of your grip or bolted away from you, we can provide cover for the legal and compensation costs if a claim is made against you.
How much does dog walking insurance cost?
The price of your quote will depend on factors such as number of employees, level of cover and turnover. Our dog walking cover is available from £5.00 a month.
Is dog walking insurance tax deductible?
Yes. HMRC considers all business insurance premiums to be an 'allowable expense' and you can deduct the cost from your taxable profits for the year.
You should ensure that you keep all documents referring to your insurance policy as proof of payment in the event that your business is audited by HMRC.
What if my dog walking business expands during the year?
Superscript's business insurance designed to accommodate your business as it changes and grows. You can amend your policy any time without any fees.
For instance, if you are a sole trader then expand to take on employees during the term of your policy, just let us know and we can add employers insurance to your policy with no fees for making the change.
What else should I consider when starting a dog walking business?
Insurance is just one aspect of starting your dog walking business. You can read our guide to starting a dog walking business to learn more.
How many dogs can I walk at any time and still be insured?
There is no single answer to this question. Each local authority in the UK will have different rules surrounding how many dogs can legally be walked by one person. For example, in the London Borough of Camden, the limit is four dogs per walker at any one time.
We recommend never exceeding the number of dogs permitted by the local authority as it can lead to an on-the-spot fine and could affect your insurance claim in the event of an accident.
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Our insurance products are underwritten by Standard & Poor’s A-rated financial strength or higher. This means the underwriter has been independently assessed by the world’s leading credit rating provider and found to have a strong capacity to meet financial commitments (pay claims).
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If you are a business with an annual turnover under £1m, charity with an annual income under £1m, or trust with net assets under £1m, then you will be entitled to compensation from the FSCS in the unlikely event we cannot meet our obligations. Full details and further information on the scheme are available at www.fscs.org.uk.