Dog walking insurance

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Man walking dogs

Why do you need dog walking insurance?

Out and about or tucked up in a travel basket – when someone’s pet is in your expert care, accidents come with serious costs. From injuries to property damage, dog walkers’ insurance is there to give everyone peace of mind, freeing you up to plan the next route, not ponder the what-ifs.

  • protection from hard-hitting claims for accidents and injuries
  • cover for what you need from your phone to any pet supplies or stock
  • peace of mind, letting you focus on the day’s walk, not the what-ifs


What does dog walker insurance cover?

Human or canine, you know your business and clients best, which is why we put you in control. UK dog walking insurance usually starts with public liability, covering you for damage to someone’s property, or an injury you’ve caused. You can add cover for your equipment and personal accidents too.


How much does dog walking insurance cost?

Find out how much you’ll pay by comparing prices from a range of trusted insurers. You choose what goes into your policy, so you only pay for what you need.

Prices start from £4.74 per month

Get your tailored quotes in 7 minutes

Example dog walker insurance quotes, real prices

What kind of excess should I expect?

An excess is an amount you pay towards any claim you make on your insurance. For example, if your excess is £250 and you make a claim worth £1000, your payout will be a maximum of £750.

Insurance cover

Lowest excess

Highest excess

Public liability

£100

£2500

Employers’ liability

No excess

No excess

Stock

£100

£500

Business and office equipment

£50

£750

The figures above are for guidance only and any excess applying to your quote may differ. You’ll get a breakdown of the excesses for each quote when you compare with us.


How it works

Pick what goes into your policy

Get prices from a range of insurers

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How do I choose insurance?

Making sure you have the right type and level of business insurance can be the difference between getting a claim paid and having to cover the cost of an expensive accident yourself. Read our tips for guidance on what to consider when buying a policy.


Talk to an expert

Our team of UK-based insurance experts are here to help, Mon 09.00am – 05.30pm, Tues 09.00am – 05.30pm, Weds 09.00am – 05.30pm, Thurs 09.30am – 05.30pm, Fri 09.00am – 05.30pm, Sat 09.00am – 02.00pm

Call our team

0333 043 8527

Online

Contact us on our website whenever suits you

Phone

Call our insurance experts during office hours (calls are charged at a local rate)

FAQs

Find answers to common insurance questions


How do claims work?

Unlike price comparison websites, we take the hassle out of claims for you. We know how important it is to get your business back on track quickly – and with a minimum of fuss. That’s why you get access to your dedicated claims any time, day or night. Call them on 0333 207 0560 or claim online. They’ll do their best to be fair and supportive.

£51 million in claims paid out in 2023

Example claim

Having dog walker insurance through Simply Business has saved people across the UK thousands of pounds when the unexpected happened.

Jill saved more than £4,500

A dog in Jill’s (not her real name) care was hit by a car while on a walk, breaking a leg. The dog was on a lead, and luckily Jill was able to claim on her insurance for the vet bill, as accidental damage.


Chosen by nearly 1 million small businesses and landlords


Insurance for dog walking FAQs

Whether you’re new to buying business insurance or you’ve been trading for a while, here are the answers to some commonly asked questions about dog walker insurance. You can also check out our business insurance FAQs.

Despite best efforts and lots of experience, accidents do happen. Public liability insurance is usually an important cover for dog walkers, and can protect you if someone is injured or property – including their dog – gets damaged.

Employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement if you employ anyone, even in your own home – and failing to take out the right cover can often result in heavy fines. Alongside this, lots of professional dog walkers find things like stock and equipment cover useful, in case the equipment or supplies you use to run your business are lost, stolen or damaged.

Each insurer looks at CCJs and IVAs differently – some apply stricter rules than others, but having a CCJ or IVA doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t be able to buy insurance.

You can choose the payment type that suits your business and cash flow best. Some customers prefer to pay in one go, while others prefer to pay a regular monthly amount, like you do with lots of other bills. Simply Business offer three ways to pay for your policy:

  • one-off credit or debit card payment
  • BACS payment
  • Direct Debit

If you choose to pay by Direct Debit, our credit provider, Premium Credit, pays Simply Business the full amount for your policy up front. You then repay Premium Credit in 10 monthly instalments.

This will depend on whether you have employers’ liability insurance in place. Public liability insurance is designed to protect your business against the consequences of legal action brought by members of the public for injuries or damage to their belongings. But when it comes to your employees causing injury or damage, this protection only activates if you also have employers’ liability insurance.

If you employ people, you’re required by law to have employers’ liability insurance.

There’s one exception here. Family businesses that aren’t incorporated as a limited company are not legally required to have employers’ liability insurance. The government defines a “family business” as one where all your employees are closely related to you (as a spouse, civil partner, sibling, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, step-parent, stepchild or half-sibling). So if you run an unincorporated family business and you choose not to get employers’ liability insurance, it’s important to know that your public liability insurance wouldn’t cover you against damage or injury caused by your team.

We create this content for general information purposes and it should not be taken as advice. Always check policy documentation for details and seek professional advice. Read our full Terms and Conditions


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