General Liability Insurance
General Liability Insurance is at the heart of every Pet Care Insurance (PCI) policy, protecting you from common claims like property damage and injuries.
Benefits of General Liability Insurance for a Pet Service
Avoiding everyday risks in pet care can feel like a tightrope walk — so you need a safety net. General Liability Insurance is designed to catch you financially when accidents on the job harm someone else’s body, property, or reputation.
General liability covers a wide range of claims to ensure your business can bounce back and keep tails wagging. PCI’s coverage:
- Pays qualifying claims up to $2 million per year and $1 million per occurrence
- Protects you from paying for bodily injury and property damage claims against you
- Covers ad mistakes, rental property fires, and harm due to your services or products
- Reimburses up to $5,000 for others’ medical expenses related to your pet care
Why Get Insurance? Accidents Can Cost You.
But they don’t have to. PCI covers you with pet care liability insurance when an animal under your care injures someone or you accidentally damage someone else’s stuff. We protect you while you focus on the pets.
What Is General Liability Insurance for Pet Businesses & What Does It Cover?
Our General Liability Insurance for pet services combines five types of protection into one coverage that shields your business from expensive mistakes.
General Liability
General Liability saves you from paying when your business harms someone’s physical health or property. We see pet professionals get sued for things that would surprise you, like a customer who slips and falls while dropping off their pup at doggy daycare. In cases like this, general liability could cover your legal fees and settlements if they sue.
Did you know? In the eyes of the law (but not in our hearts), pets count as property. If a pet under your care injures someone else’s pet, general liability insurance can cover the settlement and care costs.
Products & Completed Operations
This coverage responds when a pet, pet owner, or other third party (meaning not you or your employees) suffers harm because of a service you performed or the products you used.
The great thing about this coverage is that you’re protected even after your service is finished. If a dog has a bad skin reaction to your grooming products days later and their owner comes to you to make it right, you’re still covered.
Personal & Advertising Injury
Personal and Advertising Injury coverage protects you against paying for personal or reputational damage to someone else rather than physical harm.
Say you claim a competitor isn’t certified in an ad (and, oops, they are), or you forget to ask permission before you use a client photo in your social media marketing. Personal and Advertising Injury can cover your costs after accusations like slander, libel, invasion of privacy, or copyright infringement.
Damage to Premises Rented to You
Damage to Premises Rented to You shields you from the cost of repairs to rented locations like your grooming studio when accidents happen. It can cover any damage to your rental for up to seven days in a row and damage caused by fire only after that.
This coverage is perfect for short-term rentals, like booking a community center gym for dog training classes twice weekly. It can also supplement your commercial property policy for an added layer of coverage for fire-related damage.
Medical Expense Limit
General liability protects you from paying for injuries your business is legally responsible for. But what about when it’s debatable who was at fault? You want to keep the client, avoid going to court, and make it right, but paying their medical bills out of pocket is pricey.
The Medical Expense Limit of your general liability insurance offers $5,000 for physical injury medical bills if someone gets hurt on your property or in relation to your pet care. You can use this just-in-case fund even if you’re not legally at fault for the injury.
Commercial Pet General Liability Insurance Explained
Is General Liability Insurance Required for Pet Businesses?
General liability insurance for pet businesses is not a legal requirement, but most pet pros need it to protect themselves and grow their business. Here’s what liability coverage can do for you:
- Win clients and score jobs: Do clients really care if you’re insured? PCI surveyed almost 500 pet care clients and found that 80% of pet parents are likelier to hire a pet professional with liability insurance.
- Cement your business reputation: When the neighbor kid will do it for 10 bucks, why should a pet parent choose you? Because you’re a professional. Insurance is the badge of honor that marks a trustworthy business ready to protect clients’ pets and property.
- Shield against expensive claims: The cost of personal injury and property damage lawsuits, some of the most common legal actions, leave many small businesses limping. General liability protects your passion so you can keep caring for the pets you love.
- Prepare for unpredictable pets: You’re out walking Koda when he suddenly takes a snap at a passing pup, biting the other dog and her owner as she tries to separate them — a $40,000-dollar lawsuit flashes before your eyes. Liability insurance delivers priceless peace of mind when you know all that can go wrong around pets.
Who Needs General Liability Insurance?
You, probably. Most pet care professionals benefit from general liability because it covers risks common to any pet care service. It’s wise to have a policy with pet general liability insurance if your business:
- Works outside of locations you own (like in clients’ homes and apartments)
- Rents property for your business (like a grooming salon or boarding space)
- Works face-to-face with clients (like during training sessions or pick-ups and drop-offs)
- Uses products during care (like shampoos, treats, or carriers)
- Is responsible for the actions of staff members (like hired employees or contractors)
- Is responsible for any animal’s behavior toward third parties (like other people and pets)
If the answer to any of those questions is yes, General Liability Insurance is for you. We recommend coverage for pet professionals like these:
How Much Does General Liability Insurance Cost?
General liability insurance is included with all of PCI’s pet care policies and coverage starts at just $13.33 per month or $139 per year. That’s an industry-low price for some of the most comprehensive pet business coverage. Your final price depends on your business type, any extra coverages you add, and your income.
Coverage Details & Limits
Limits of Insurance
The most your policy will pay in a 12 month policy period for bodily injury and property damage claims that you become legally obligated to pay due to your business services.
$1,000,000
$2,000,000
Each Occurrence
Aggregate Limit
The maximum amount your policy will pay in a 12-month period for bodily injury and property damage claims that result from the products you use to perform your services.
$2,000,000
The amount that your policy will pay for claims arising out of one or more of the following offenses:
- False arrest, detention or imprisonment
- Malicious prosecution
- Wrongful eviction or wrongful entry
- Oral or written publications that slander or libel a person or organization
- Oral or written publication or material that violates a person’s right of privacy
- The use of another’s advertising idea in your advertisement
$1,000,000
The maximum your policy will pay for a bodily injury or property damage claim that you become legally obligated to pay due to your business services.
$1,000,000
Applies to damage by fire to premises rented to the insured; also applies to damage regardless of cause to premises (including contents) occupied by the insured for 7 days or less.
$100,000
Any One Premises
A general liability coverage that reimburses others, without regard to the insured’s liability, for medical or funeral expenses incurred by such persons as a result of bodily injury or death sustained by accident under the conditions specified in the policy.
$5,000
Any One Person
This provides your pet business with coverage in the event that you are legally liable for injuries or damages sustained by an animal in your care, custody, or control.
$2,500
$5,000
Each Occurrence
Aggregate Limit
This provides coverage for medical expenses—regardless of who is at fault—for a client’s pet in your care, custody, or control.
$1,000
$2,500
$250
Each Occurrence
Aggregate Limit
Deductible
This coverage is designed to protect and pay for equipment or supplies that suffer damage or theft. This includes dryers, clippers, kennels, food, leashes, shampoos and more.
Up to $10,000
Up to $50,000
$250
Limit per Incident
Limit per Year
Deductible
If you were to lose the keys to a client’s residence, this coverage could help you manage the cost of installing new locks or having the building rekeyed.
$2,000
$2,000
Each Occurrence
Aggregate Limit
* Please note these are brief definitions of coverage. Your policy may be more restrictive in its language. Refer to the actual policy for a complete description of coverages and exclusions.
Protect Your Business With General Liability Insurance
Care for the pets you love with the confidence of nose-to-tail coverage from PCI.
General Liability Insurance FAQs for Pet Businesses
How much general liability coverage does a pet business need?
$2 million of general liability coverage aggregate (for the policy year) and $1 million per incident is the sweet spot for many pet care businesses — most of our customers at PCI choose these limits. Needs of each business vary, though, so pick limits that cover you for the amount and type of risks you’re likely to face without overpaying for higher limits you won’t use.
Does Rover offer general liability insurance for pet services?
Rover does not offer general liability insurance to their contractors. The Rover Guarantee primarily protects pets and pet parents, so you may still be on the hook to pay if an animal is injured or property is damaged. That’s why Rover recommends that their contractors carry their own insurance. Learn more about PCI’s liability insurance for Rover pet care pros.
Do LLCs need general liability insurance?
Yes! Incorporating as LLC provides some protection for your personal finances during lawsuits against your business, but this strategy has a major weakness for pet services. Most pet care claims fall under tort law, where LLC protections don’t apply. That means your personal assets may still get seized to pay legal damages.
At PCI, general liability is part of a comprehensive insurance policy tailored to your specific pet service. It’s designed to protect you in tort lawsuits like personal wrongdoing or negligence in ways an LLC can’t. Consult legal counsel to learn more about your business risks and how pet care liability insurance can help.
What doesn’t general liability insurance cover?
General liability insurance pays for your financial responsibility to third parties (other people, businesses, and entities) but not for harm to you or your employees, inventory, personal pets, or property. If you need to expand your coverage, check out these add-on options:
- Workers Compensation Insurance covers injuries and harm to your employees.
- Employee Dishonesty Coverage (similar to bonding) covers instances of employees’ theft and dishonesty toward your clients.
- Equipment & Inventory Coverage covers your pet care equipment if it’s damaged or stolen.
- Broadened Property Damage Coverage expands your coverage against property damage while you’re caring for pets on someone else’s property.
- Pet Health Insurance covers the health and safety of your personal pet.
General liability also does not cover harm to animals in your care. To ensure your furry clients get the medical attention they need, PCI also includes Veterinarian Reimbursement and Pet Protection Coverage (Animal Bailee) in every policy. These coverages have a 7-day waiting period, so make sure you’re prepared with insurance before an accident.
How do I file a pet care liability insurance claim?
Filing a claim with PCI is quick and easy. Just follow these simple steps:
- Log into your PCI dashboard.
- Fill in the online form with your contact info and incident details.
- We’ll reach out within 24–48 business hours to walk you through next steps and settle your claim.
See What Else We Cover
PCI’s coverage is designed specifically for pet pros like you. Check out all of the ways we support your business.
