Did you know there are approximately 10.6 million pet dogs in the UK? Plus 10.8 million pet cats! (PDSA, 2024). That’s a lot of pets, but what do we do when we want to go on holiday, and sadly can’t bring our beloved pets with us? Or if we are in the office all day, and therefore unable to take our dogs out for their walk? This is where your local dog walker or pet minder comes to the rescue!

Here at Cliverton, our dog walking and pet sitting cover is by far the most popular, with over 3.5 thousand policy holders.  We can insure almost anyone, from a small, independent business, to a large, limited company with several employees.  

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So, what do we offer?

A choice of cover! Choose between £5 million or £10 million level of public liability insurance, which includes Care, Custody, and Control cover, Non-Negligent cover, and Loss of Keys cover (up to £10,000). Cover for Employees and voluntary workers can also be added to your cover, up to £10 million. Additionally, our family members extension covers immediate family members living with you who help walk any dogs you are boarding.

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What does this cover?

We can cover dog walking (up to 6 dogs at once), pet minding at a third party's house (homeowner must inform their insurer), and home boarding (subject to you meeting your local council licencing requirements).

We can also provide cover if you are offering a pet taxi service (excluding human passengers). This includes dogs, cats, small domestic animals, domesticated farm animals, and non-commercial poultry.

FAQs

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1. Can I walk banned breeds under this policy?

Yes! So long as the guidelines set out by the government are followed (https://www.gov.uk/control-dog-public/banned-dogs), it’s on a 1:1 basis, the dog is on a lead no greater than 1m and is appropriately muzzled at all times, you are covered.

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2. Can I walk dogs off lead?

Yes! However please ensure you get written permission from the owner of the dog/s beforehand. Please note this does not apply to banned breeds who must remain on a lead at all times.

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3. Can I house sit in my client’s home?

Yes! The homeowner needs to make sure they notify their insurer that they are having someone stay in their property, as this can be considered as a change in the risk.  We can even cover housesitting if there are no animals, so long as it’s infrequent.

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4. Do I need a licence?

Maybe! If you are planning on home boarding, you will need to notify your local council who will be able to tell you if you need a licence to do so. Currently, there is no requirement for a licence if you are only walking your client’s dogs.

5. Can I look after horses?

Yes! However, this is restricted to care tasks only including mucking out, poo picking, feeding and general cleaning. Riding and exercising is excluded. If you are an equine groom, please speak to our equine team today or visit our web page here: https://www.cliverton.co.uk/policies/freelance-groom-and-riding-instructor-insurance.

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6. Can I walk pregnant bitches, or dogs with health conditions?

There are no restrictions to say you cannot do so but please make sure you are following the advice of vets. Please also note that your insurance is covering the public liability – therefore if something was to happen to the dog that was related to a pre-existing health condition this would not be covered. If you need to administer medication, please make sure you are following veterinary instructions, and have written confirmation that you have been adequately trained to do so.

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‍For more information around best practice, please refer to the Professional Dog Walkers’ Guidelines. Here you will find a wealth of information around relevant regulations and legislation.  

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‍Prices for our dog walking policy start from £140.84, and you can buy online too! Visit our webpage here.

References:

1.     https://www.pdsa.org.uk/what-we-do/pdsa-animal-wellbeing-report/uk-pet-populations-of-dogs-cats-and-rabbits

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