There are a wide variety of businesses and occupations that involve working with animals. For example, these include:
- Pet shops
- Dog walkers, trainers and breeders
- Dog and cat groomers
- Stable hands and grooms
- Kennels and catteries
- Farriers and jockeys
These types of businesses need two separate types of insurance:
- Insurance that covers medical treatment for the animals themselves (which is commonly known as pet insurance)
- Cover to protect the commercial aspects of their animal or pet business
This article details the insurance you should consider to protect the commercial aspects of your pet business.
Public liability insurance
Public liability insurance is essential for anyone who has contact with the public or their property. It will protect you and your business against any third-party claims that your negligent business activity caused injury to someone, or damage to their property.
You can potentially be held personally liable for any biting incident, accident or injury caused by any animal in your care. For this reason, it’s vital to have public liability insurance to protect you against third-party claims alleging an animal you own caused injury. This type of business insurance offers between $5 million and $20 million worth of cover.
What it covers:
- Third-party personal injury claims
- Damage to a third party’s property
- Legal fees to defend yourself
Professional indemnity insurance
Professional indemnity insurance covers you against claims that the advice, recommendations or service you provided were either wrong or negligent. This type of insurance can offer you protection against many types of claims, including:
- Allegations the care you provided to animals you were looking after was negligent or caused harm to them
- Claims your dietary, grooming or training advice was misleading or contrary to expected professional standards
- Claims your handling or care caused personal injury either to the animal or to clients and customers
Cover starts at $250,000 and goes up to $5 million or more.
What it covers
- Payment of compensation if there’s a successful claim against you
- Payment of court-awarded damages to the litigant
- Cover for your legal defence costs
- Cover for bodily harm, injury or illness it is alleged your professional services caused
General business insurance
This type of insurance may be relevant if you have a retail shop or premises and have contents or stock you wish to insure. General small business insurance can offer cover in a variety of areas including:
Commercial vehicles aren’t included, so you may need separate commercial vehicle protection for your work vehicle.
What it covers:
- Fire, storms, impacts and collision which cause damage to your business assets
- Theft, vandalism and forced entry to your business premises
- Cover for electronic and other portable equipment