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Pet Business Insurance
Get pet business insurance to protect your dog walking, grooming or other pet service business.
Key takeaways
- 'Care, Custody or Control' cover is essential for pet professionals because standard public liability excludes injury to animals in your possession.
- Pet-sitting platforms like Mad Paws or Pawshake aren't a substitute for your own policy, as their cover often has gaps and exclusions.
- Off-leash dog walking is generally covered as long as you follow council rules and stay within your insurer's permitted dog limit.
- Home and contents insurance won't protect grooming equipment used for business, so home-based pet pros need a dedicated policy or endorsement.
What can pet business insurance cover?
The unique nature of animal occupations means that finding the right policy may involve tailoring one to suit your needs. For example, a pet store owner may want to find a policy that covers medical treatments for animals under their care, instead of one that simply covers the cost of lost stock.
Professional pet insurance typically includes standard business cover as well as more specialised protection. With animal business insurance you can find a policy that suits your situation and may want to look for benefits such as:
- Injury cover for animals in your care
- Liability cover for damage resulting from third party pets in your care
- Recognition of valuable bloodlines and individual animals
- Expanded professional indemnity cover to meet the unique challenges of your occupation
Finder survey: Where would Australians from different states get the money to start a small business?
| Response | WA | VIC | SA | QLD | NSW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A business loan | 49.57% | 44.21% | 40.51% | 39.91% | 47.3% |
| I have savings | 35.9% | 38.95% | 34.18% | 42.6% | 35.73% |
| Government grants | 6.84% | 4.91% | 12.66% | 5.38% | 5.14% |
| Friends/family | 3.42% | 7.37% | 5.06% | 4.48% | 6.94% |
| Other | 3.42% | 4.56% | 7.59% | 6.28% | 3.86% |
| Crowdfunding | 0.85% | 1.35% | 1.03% |
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1145 Australians, December 2023
Data for ACT, NT, TAS not shown due to insufficient sample size. Some other states may also be excluded for this reason.
Data for ACT, NT, TAS not shown due to insufficient sample size. Some other states may also be excluded for this reason.
Who can get business pet insurance?
Almost anyone who works with animals or is in the pet industry can access professional pet cover.
- Online and bricks-and-mortar pet shops
- Veterinarians
- Kennels and dog clubs
- Catteries and cat clubs
- Animal groomers
- Dog walkers
- Dog trainers
- Farriers and jockeys
- Pet-product retailers and manufacturers
- Any other animal professionals
All of these occupations are able to get the benefits of business insurance as well as specialised benefits to suit the unique challenges of the job.
Who offers pet business insurance in Australia?
To find a cost-effective pet business insurance policy for your needs, get quotes from multiple insurers. The specialised nature of animal care industries means not all professional policies will suit your business’ needs , so the ideal combination of cost and cover may be found either through a broker or by comparing policies in detail yourself.
Certain occupations with membership to appropriate industry groups may also access additional options and will often be able to find cover at a lower cost.
- Veterinarians. Australian Veterinary Association members may access a pre-tailored policy offered by Guild Insurance and additional benefits including highly discounted professional indemnity insurance.
- Dog breeders. Membership with the Australian Association of Pet Dog Breeders entitles you to exclusive insurance policies.
- Pet Industry Association of Australia. PIAA members are entitled to a discount on pet business insurance policies from Premier Pet Insurance.
- Pets Australia. Members are able to access insurance policies geared to their needs, and related services.
Between industry organisations, specialist Australian insurers, overseas providers and insurance brokers, animal professionals can find the cover needed.
Talk to a broker about pet business insurance
Frequently Asked Questions
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