I want to start pet sitting in my home for extra money – Does my home insurance cover dogs that aren’t mine?

If you’re thinking about starting a pet-sitting business in Louisa, VA, you might be wondering if your homeowners insurance will cover any damage that might occur. The answer depends on your policy from the Pivotal Insurance Agency LLC.

What Does Homeowners Insurance Cover?

Pet sitting generally falls into two categories regarding homeowners insurance: property damage and liability. Property damage is defined as physical damage to your home or belongings. This could include things like a pet chewing up your furniture or having an accident on your carpet. Liability, on the other hand, is when someone is injured on your property and sues you as a result.

Coverage for property damage from pets usually depends on whether or not the animal is considered "vicious." Vicious animals are typically excluded from standard homeowners insurance policies. Otherwise, most property damage caused by pet sitting should be covered under a standard homeowners policy.

Liability coverage for pet sitting can also be tricky. Most policies have what’s called a "dog bite clause" which covers injuries caused by bites from dogs listed on your policy. However, this only applies to dogs that YOU own. So if you’re pet sitting for a friend’s dog and that dog bites someone, you probably won’t be covered. To be protected in this situation, you need additional insurance.

Contact Us Today

Before you start pet-sitting in Louisa, VA, contact the Pivotal Insurance Agency LLC. We can tell you whether or not your policy provides coverage for property damage and liability relating to pet sitting. And if it doesn’t, we’ll help you find the right coverage to protect yourself (and your wallet) in the event of an accident.