Pet Sitting Insurance
Specialist insurance for pet sitting from only £5.41 per month.*
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- Public Liability up to £10 million
- Vet bills covered
- Protecting over 35,000 pet care professionals annually
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From £5.41* per month
What does pet sitting insurance cover?
Pet sitting insurance provides comprehensive protection for both you and the animals in your care.
It covers claims from third parties for injury or property damage, as well as incidents involving pets, such as loss, injury, illness, or death, whether due to negligence or unavoidable circumstances.
It also includes practical protections, such as replacing lost keys and locks, covering theft or damage to your equipment, and reimbursing lost cash.
Our policy covers 11 pet care activities as standard, including pet sitting, dog walking and pet grooming.
Public Liability
Loss of Keys
Care, Custody & Control
Equipment
Close Family Extension
Public Liability
- Up to £10 million of cover.
- Protection from claims by a third-party who sustains injuries or has their property damaged, whereby you or your business is responsible.
Loss of Keys
- Key Cover up to £10,000.
- Cover includes new keys and locks, the cost of re-setting intruder alarms and associated call-out costs if you were to lose them.
Care, Custody & Control
- Cover up to £100,000 – £25,000 limit for any one Animal.
- If an animal in your care (or your staff) is: Accidentally lost, suffers an injury, becomes ill, suffers a fatality.
Equipment
- £250 of equipment included.
- Increase up to £30,000 of equipment cover.
- Grooming, training and other business tools covered.
- Protection against theft, loss and accidental damage, allowing you to replace items to the value you select.
Non-Negligent Cover
- Similar to the Care, Custody and Control protection If an animal suffers during the course of service delivery through no fault of your business:
- Accidental loss, injury & illness, death of an animal in your care.
Close Family Extension
- Close family members are covered within the Public Liability, to assist you with your business. This includes your husband, wife, son, daughter or other close family.
- You don’t need to take out Employers’ Liability with this extension.
Loss of Money
- Cover for losses up to £1,000 or £5,000 of physical money (coins or notes) obtained through your insured activities. This money is covered while at your business premises, your home, or the home of any partner, director, or authorised employee, as well as when in transit for business trips.
- Up to £1,000 of cover for losses due to dishonest acts by any employee. Claims must be made within 14 days of discovering the loss, and you should take all reasonable steps to prevent such losses.
Travel Expense Reimbursement
- If a pet in your care is accidentally killed, stolen, or goes missing for more than 48 hours, we’ll cover the owner’s extra travel expenses. So, if the owner has to cut their holiday short because of their pet’s death, for example, we’ll reimburse up to £1,000 of their extra costs.
Employers’ Liability
- Up to £10 million of cover.
- Protection from claims against employee incidents if someone suffers a work-related injury and brings a claim against you.
Legal Expenses
- Up to £100,000 indemnity for legal defence and tax protection.
- Access to 24-hour helpline, for legal, tax, or counselling, to support you in running your business.
Professional Indemnity
- Up to £1 million.
- This protects you from damages caused by your mistakes, errors, or negligence in your professional work, including those made by your employees.
Personal Accident
- Up to £25,000, subject to those insured being under eighty (80) years of age.
- This policy covers specified individuals for any accidents that may occur while conducting the insured business activities. It is a benefit policy that provides fixed amounts based on the type of injury sustained, including coverage for accidental death, loss of sight or limbs, and temporary total disablement.
- Dog walkers are limited to walk a maximum of 6 dogs at one time.
- Dogs or crossbreeds of dogs classified under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. Refer to government websites for updates in the law.
- Pre-existing medical conditions in animals.
- Injuries to animals you own can occur during incidents that happen while caring for other animals or during your personal time.
- Caring for non-domestic animals.
- Your business operating without a licence when a licence is a mandatory requirement e.g. animal boarding.
For further information on exclusions in your cover please refer to policy documentation.
Why choose Protectivity for your pet sitting insurance?
Let the reviews of over 3,500 customers explain why you should choose us.¹
Trusted by over 150,000 policyholders**
Over our 30 year history.
5* reviews from 3,000+ customers.
Proof of our excellent customer service.
Experienced Claims Handling
A smooth and efficient claims process.
UK Based Customer Support
On average, we answer your phone calls in under 2 minutes
Frequently
Asked Questions
What happens if a pet is injured while under my care?
Care, Custody & Control provides cover up to £100,000 (with a £25,000 limit per animal) if a pet in your care is accidentally injured, becomes ill, is lost, or dies. Non-negligent cover also applies where no fault is found.
What happens if I lose a client’s house keys while pet sitting?
You are covered. Key Cover provides up to £10,000 for replacement locks, keys, intruder alarm re-setting, and associated call-out costs.
Am I covered if I transport pets in my own vehicle as part of pet sitting?
Yes. Pet Taxi & Transportation is included within the policy, provided the service is part of your insured activities. You should also ensure your motor insurance allows for business use. This only covers the animal; we do not cover the vehicle they are being transported in.
Can I employ staff or helpers under my current pet sitting insurance policy?
Yes, but only if you add Employers’ Liability (up to £10 million). Without this, helpers or employees are not covered unless they are close family members, who are included under the Close Family Extension.
Does my insurance cover public liability for accidents at a client’s home?
Yes. Public Liability (up to £10 million) applies when you are working in a client’s home, covering third-party injury or property damage.
Am I covered if I accidentally damage a client’s home while pet sitting?
Yes. This falls under Public Liability cover, which includes accidental property damage at a client’s premises.
Am I insured if I need to give a pet routine medication or basic first aid?
Yes. Administering routine medication and providing basic first aid is included as part of your professional pet sitting duties, provided you follow the owner’s instructions.
Do I need to keep records like pet care logs or signed agreements for my insurance to be valid?
It is not a strict requirement of cover, but keeping written records, care logs, or signed agreements is strongly recommended. Good record-keeping can help support your defence if a claim arises.
What happens if a pet damages my own property?
We cannot cover if an animal was to damage your own property, we can cover if they damage a third party or their property.
What pets are covered?
At Protectivity, we cover most domestic animals as standard as part of our pet sitting insurance cover including dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, reptiles, fish and more. If you’re unsure as to what cover you need, give us a call today on 01494 887909
Do you need a licence to be a pet sitter?
In the UK, you generally do not need a specific license to be a pet sitter. However, if you’re planning to operate a business that involves the care of animals, there are certain regulations and guidelines you should be aware of:
Animal Welfare Act 2006: Any person responsible for a pet must ensure the welfare needs of animals are met. This includes providing a suitable environment, food and water, the ability to exhibit normal behavior patterns, appropriate companionship, and protection from pain, suffering, injury, and disease.
Local Council Regulations: Depending on the specific services you provide and how you operate your business, you might need to comply with certain local council regulations. For example, if you look after dogs from multiple households at your own home, you may need a home boarding license.
DBS Check: Although not mandatory, having a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check can be beneficial for building trust with your clients, as it shows you do not have a criminal background.
Do you need insurance to be a pet sitter?
As a pet sitter, you’re responsible for the care and protection of your client’s pets whilst they’re in your care. It is strongly advised that you get adequate cover for your business to protect against things like injury to yourself, another person or the pet, equipment damage, or loss of client’s keys.
This page content has been created for general information and should not be taken as advice.
*Prices quoted refer to a quote raised from our website 05/01/2026. Prices will differ depending on requirements. Make sure you have the correct level of cover for what you need. For the most accurate pricing, please get a quote and for full details on what is covered refer to our policy documentation with your quote.
** Based on Protectivity sales data from 2007 to Dec 2026
ˆ10% introductory discount applies to the first-year policy premium only and is not available to current Pet Business customers. This discount does not apply to the optional Legal Expenses benefit. Protectivity reserves the right to amend or withdraw this offer without notice. Available to UK residents only.
¹Based on live Feefo data