Do Dog Walkers and Pet Sitters Need Insurance? What Owners Should Ask

Updated: September 2026

Choosing a dog walker or pet sitter means trusting somebody with your pet and, quite often, your keys and your home.

Insurance should therefore be one of the things you ask about before making a booking. But simply hearing the words “I’m insured” doesn’t tell you much.

More useful questions include what type of insurance they hold, whether it covers the service you are booking, and whether they can show evidence that the cover is current.

Dogs Trust advises that professional dog walkers should have third-party liability insurance and recommends asking to see a copy of the policy. (Dogs Trust)

Why does insurance matter when someone is caring for your pet?

Pet care involves responsibility.

A dog walker may have your dog outside the home, potentially around roads, other dogs and members of the public. A cat sitter may have access to your property while you are away. A house sitter may be responsible for several pets as well as keys, alarms and parts of your normal household routine.

Most bookings go exactly as planned.

Professional preparation is partly about considering the occasions when they do not.

Suitable business insurance is one way to show that somebody has thought seriously about the responsibilities involved in being paid to care for other people’s animals and enter their homes.

Is saying “I’m fully insured” enough?

No. I would ask for a little more information.

“Fully insured” sounds reassuring, but insurance isn’t a blanket guarantee that covers every possible event.

Policies have terms, limits, exclusions and conditions. Different businesses also provide different services.

Someone who walks one dog locally may need different cover from someone transporting several dogs in a van, boarding dogs in their own home, or providing overnight house sitting.

The key question is whether the insurance matches what that particular business actually does.

That is also why, on my own Finchley Dog Walker insurance page, I explain that I maintain specialist pet-business insurance appropriate to the services I provide and that my cover remains subject to my insurer’s current terms, limits, conditions and exclusions.

What insurance questions should I ask a dog walker or pet sitter?

You do not need to become an insurance expert before employing somebody.

These are practical questions I would be comfortable being asked myself:

Question	Why it matters
Do you have current pet-business insurance?	It establishes whether they have taken out cover specifically for their professional work.
Can I see evidence of current cover?	A certificate or appropriate evidence helps confirm that the policy is current rather than relying on a website statement.
Does your insurance cover the service I am booking?	Dog walking, pet sitting, house sitting, visits and other services may involve different risks and policy conditions.
Does it cover dogs or other animals while they are in your care?	The owner needs to know the policy is relevant to actual pet-care work.
Are keys and access to my home covered where relevant?	Particularly important for cat visits, house sitting and regular dog walking.
Does your policy place limits on how you operate?	For example, an insurer may set conditions affecting the number of dogs, particular activities or other aspects of the service.
What happens if there is an emergency?	Insurance is only part of the answer. There should also be a sensible emergency procedure and clear owner instructions.
Has anything about the service been excluded from your insurance?	A professional should not knowingly offer a service that falls outside the cover on which they are relying.

Dogs Trust similarly recommends asking a professional dog walker about insurance, checking what the policy covers and asking to see it before handing over your dog.

Should I ask to see proof of insurance?

Yes. I think that is perfectly reasonable.

A professional should not be offended because a potential client wants reassurance.

Personally, I do not publish my complete insurance schedule or policy number publicly on the website. Policies renew and change, and publishing full documents can also reveal information that does not need to be public.

I do, however, provide evidence of my current insurance to clients and prospective clients upon request.

That is a better check than relying on a website badge that might have been uploaded several years ago and never updated.

What should dog-walking insurance cover?

Dogs Trust specifically recommends third-party liability insurance for professional dog walkers. It also notes that the policy will outline how many dogs the walker can walk at once and that, depending on the arrangement, emergency veterinary fees may also need to be covered. (Dogs Trust)

Rather than assuming every policy is identical, ask the walker how their cover relates to how they work.

For example, if somebody runs group walks, ask whether their policy allows the number of dogs they take together.

If they transport dogs, ask about both their insurance arrangements and how they transport dogs.

If off-lead exercise is being proposed, ask about their procedures, permissions and insurance conditions.

My own service is simpler in several respects. I provide solo one-to-one dog walks in Finchley and Muswell Hill, start and finish walks at the client’s home and do not run group collection walks or transport dogs around in a van.

What about insurance for a pet sitter or house sitter?

Pet sitting involves some different responsibilities from taking a dog for a walk.

Someone may be entering your home while you are at work or away. They may handle keys, alarms, food, medication, and household routines.

With overnight house sitting, the responsibility goes further because the person is staying in your property as well as caring for your animals.

That is why I would ask whether the sitter’s insurance is appropriate to the actual service being offered rather than simply asking whether they have “pet insurance”.

My specialist business cover is intended to support the professional pet-care services I provide, including agreed dog walking, cat care, pet sitting, house sitting, and handling client keys and property access, subject to the policy’s current terms and exclusions.

You can read more about how I provide house sitting and overnight pet care in Finchley and North London and cat sitting in Finchley.

Does the pet sitter’s insurance replace my own insurance?

No.

A professional pet sitter’s business insurance and your own pet or household insurance do different jobs.

If someone will be holding your keys, entering your home, or staying overnight, check whether your insurer has any requirements.

The same applies to your pet insurance. A dog walker’s or pet sitter’s insurance does not replace the insurance you have chosen to hold for your own animal.

On my own insurance and policy pages, I therefore ask clients to check that their pet and household policies permit the arrangements they are booking, particularly where another person will have access to the property.

If you are unsure, ask your insurer. They can tell you what your particular policy requires.

Does insurance mean the owner has no responsibility?

No.

Good pet care depends on accurate information from both sides.

You should tell your walker or sitter about anything relevant to safely caring for your animal. That includes health problems, medication, previous bite incidents, escape risk, nervousness, reactivity and important triggers.

For home-based services, access arrangements and relevant property information matter as well.

Insurance should never become an excuse for ignoring sensible risk management.

Does insurance remove a pet professional’s legal responsibilities?

No.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, services supplied to consumers must be carried out with reasonable care and skill. Insurance does not replace that responsibility. (GOV.UK)

In practical terms, that means a business should not regard having insurance as permission to be careless.

Professional standards still matter.

So do proper equipment, written information, appropriate handling, emergency planning, clear terms and knowing when a booking falls outside the person’s competence.

That is why I describe insurance as one part of professional pet care, not the whole of it.

What else should I check before employing a dog walker?

Insurance matters, but I wouldn’t choose someone based on insurance alone.

You also want to understand how they actually work.

For dog walking, that includes how many dogs they walk together, whether dogs are transported, what happens in an emergency, their first-aid training, what equipment they use, how they manage off-lead exercise and how they work with nervous or reactive dogs.

Dogs Trust also recommends checking training, references or reviews, emergency details and that the walker has met your dog and understands their individual characteristics. (Dogs Trust)

My separate How to Choose a Dog Walker guide covers those questions in much more detail.

My approach at Finchley Dog Walker

I have provided professional pet care in North London since 2011.

I maintain specialist pet-business insurance appropriate to the services I provide, subject to my insurer’s current terms, limits and exclusions.

I can provide evidence of my current cover on request.

Insurance sits alongside the way I actually work.

I care for one household at a time. Dog walks are one-to-one and start from your dog’s own home. I don’t run group collection rounds or put dogs into a van for their walks.

For house sitting and cat visits, I also want clear information about the animals, keys, alarms, medication, other people who may enter the property and anything else that could affect safe care.

You can read the wider standards I work to in Finchley Dog Walker Policies and Professional Standards.

Looking for insured one-to-one pet care in Finchley?

Insurance should not be the only reason you choose a dog walker or pet sitter.

But you should be able to ask about it and receive a clear answer.

If you are considering my services, I am happy to provide evidence of my current cover and explain how I work before you decide whether I am the right fit for you and your pet.

For walking, see Solo Dog Walking in Finchley and Muswell Hill.

For holidays and overnight care, see House Sitting in Finchley and North London.

For cats remaining in their own home, see Cat Sitting in Finchley.

Frequently asked questions

Should a professional dog walker have insurance?

Dogs Trust says professional dog walkers should have third-party liability insurance. Ask to see evidence of the policy and check that it is suitable for the service being offered. (Dogs Trust)

Should I ask my dog walker to show me their insurance?

Yes. Asking to see evidence of current cover is a sensible part of choosing somebody to care for your dog.

Is “fully insured” enough information?

Not really. Insurance is always subject to policy terms, conditions, limits and exclusions. Ask what the policy covers and whether it is appropriate for the service you are booking.

Does a pet sitter’s insurance cover my home?

Do not assume that it does. Ask the sitter specifically about their cover for keys, property access and the services they perform in clients’ homes. You should also check your own household insurance for any relevant requirements.

Does insurance guarantee that nothing will go wrong?

No. Insurance helps manage certain financial risks. It does not replace appropriate experience, careful handling, good communication, emergency planning or the legal requirement for a paid service to be provided with reasonable care and skill. (GOV.UK)

Can I see Finchley Dog Walker’s insurance?

Yes. I make evidence of my current specialist pet-business insurance available to clients and prospective clients on request. (Finchley Dog Walker)

Final thoughts

When you employ somebody to care for your pet, do not be embarrassed to ask about insurance.

A professional should expect the question.

But go beyond “Are you insured?”

Ask whether the cover is current, whether it suits the service you are booking, and whether they can provide evidence.

Then look at the wider picture: how they work, their experience, their handling methods, emergency procedures, terms and conditions and whether you feel comfortable trusting them with your pet and your home.

Insurance matters.

Professional care is what surrounds it.

• How to Choose a Dog Walker
• How to Choose a Pet Sitter in the UK
• Insurance
• Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Dog Walker (The Complete UK Guide)
• Questions to Ask a Pet Sitter

[GENERAL INFORMATION NOTE: This guide provides general information about choosing a pet-care professional. Individual insurance policies and household arrangements differ. Check directly with the relevant insurer for confirmation about specific cover.]