Employee & Independent Contractor Coverage for Pet Care Businesses
Cover claims caused by the team members you hire to support your pet care business. If an accident happens while they’re working on your behalf, employee and independent contractor coverage can help keep you from paying the costs.
Benefits of Employee & Independent Contractors Coverage
Hiring employees, whether they’re staff members or independent contractors, is a smart way to grow your team and support your clients, but it can also create gaps in your coverage.
If your partner or employees are not listed on your pet business insurance policy, accidents they cause may not be covered. And while you might require your 1099 contractors to carry their own liability insurance, your business can still be pulled into a claim if a pet gets hurt or a client’s property is damaged in their care.
With Pet Care Insurance (PCI), you can add employee and independent contractors coverage to your policy to help close that gap, extending coverage to certain claims caused by the pet pros working for your business.
The benefits of employee and independent contractors coverage for pet care businesses include:
- Designed to help cover gaps created by contractor insurance policies and employment agreements
- Applies to common claims like third-party injuries, property damages, and pet injuries
- Makes it easy to update your policy online
- Gives you flexibility when hiring expanded services or managing client demands
- Costs less than a backup leash at just $7.08/month per employee or contractor
What’s Covered by Employee & Independent Contractors Coverage?
You trust the professionals you hire to care for your client’s pets. PCI helps give that trust a safety net. Employee coverage for pet care businesses extends your policy’s protections to partners, staff, and eligible 1099 workers, helping cover third-party injuries, property damage, or accidents involving pets in their care.
Covered.
Covered.
Covered.
Covered.
Pet Care Employee Insurance Explained
What Is Employee & Independent Contractors Coverage?
Employee and independent contractors coverage for pet care businesses is an endorsement or “add-on” that lets you include hired staff, partners, and 1099 workers on your insurance policy. Without it, you may not be covered for claims that they cause.
When you hire independent contractors or workers to perform certain pet services in the name of your business, this coverage can extend certain protections to them, such as:
- General liability: Designed to cover third-party injuries or property damages caused by your employee’s or the contractor’s services
- Animal bailee: Can cover claims of injury, harm, or death to an animal while in the care of someone you hire to help
This coverage does not extend every protection on your policy to the individuals you hire, so it is important to read your policy’s conditions and exclusions to know what and who is covered.
Who Needs Employee Coverage for Pet Care Businesses?
If you hire staff members or 1099 workers to help run your pet care business, having coverage for those employees is an essential part of your protection. At PCI, we make this coverage optional, giving you the flexibility to make decisions in the best interest of your business and your furry clients.
We recommend this coverage to pet pros like:
How Much Does It Cost to Add Employees to My Pet Business Insurance?
Add coverage for employees and independent contractors to your policy for as low as $7.08 a month or $85 a year per person listed. This industry-low price helps you afford the coverage you need, when you need it.
Coverage Details & Limits
Employee and independent contractor coverage for pet care businesses follows your existing policy’s coverage details and limits. Click the info buttons to learn more.
Limits of Insurance
The most your policy will pay in a 12 month policy period for bodily injury and property damage claims that you become legally obligated to pay due to your business services.
Limit per Incident: $1,000,000
Limit per Year: $2,000,000
The most your policy will pay in a year for bodily injuries and property damage to others because of an animal in your care
Limit per Incident: $100,000
Limit per Year: $200,000
The maximum amount your policy will pay in a 12-month period for bodily injury and property damage claims that result from the products you use to perform your services.
The amount that your policy will pay for claims arising out of one or more of the following offenses:
- False arrest, detention or imprisonment
- Malicious prosecution
- Wrongful eviction or wrongful entry
- Oral or written publications that slander or libel a person or organization
- Oral or written publication or material that violates a person’s right of privacy
- The use of another’s advertising idea in your advertisement
The maximum your policy will pay for a bodily injury or property damage claim that you become legally obligated to pay due to your business services.
$1,000,000
Applies to damage by fire to premises rented to the insured; also applies to damage regardless of cause to premises (including contents) occupied by the insured for 7 days or less.
Any One Premises: $100,000
A general liability coverage that reimburses others, without regard to the insured’s liability, for medical or funeral expenses incurred by such persons as a result of bodily injury or death sustained by accident under the conditions specified in the policy.
Any One Person: $5,000
This provides your pet business with coverage in the event that you are legally liable for injuries or damages sustained by an animal in your care, custody, or control.
Limit per Incident: $2,500
Limit per Year: $5,000
This provides coverage for medical expenses—regardless of who is at fault—for a client’s pet in your care, custody, or control.
Limit per Incident: $1,000
Limit per Year: $2,500
Deductible: $250
If you were to lose the keys to a client’s residence, this coverage could help you manage the cost of installing new locks or having the building rekeyed.
Limit per Incident: $2,000
Limit per Year: $2,000
*Please note these are brief definitions of coverage. Your policy may be more restrictive in its language. Refer to the actual policy for a complete description of coverages and exclusions.
Get Employee & Independent Contractors Coverage Today
Everything you do, you do for the good of petkind. Add coverage for the pet pros who help you do more.
Employee & Independent Contractors Insurance FAQ
Are employees and independent contractors covered by my pet business insurance?
Employees and independent contractors are not automatically covered by PCI’s pet business insurance. For someone you hire to be covered for eligible claims, they must be listed on your policy with the employee and independent contractors coverage endorsement.
Any newly hired employees or independent contractors must be added to your policy to receive coverage, so always update your policy when making changes to your staff.
Do I still need this coverage if my independent contractor has their own insurance?
Yes, you may still need it. Employees who work as independent contractors may have their own insurance to protect the work they do, but it does not automatically protect your business if a claim happens and you’re named in the lawsuit.
While having employee and independent contractors coverage can help close gaps in protection, it’s still a best practice to ask any independent contractors you hire for proof of their own insurance.
Does employee coverage cover volunteers and temporary workers?
Volunteers and temporary workers are not covered under employee and independent contractors coverage because they are excluded under PCI’s policy.
If you use unpaid help, short-term workers, or workers provided by a staffing agency, review your policy and staffing arrangement before they begin working with pets, clients, or client property.
See What Else We Cover
PCI’s coverage is designed specifically for pet pros like you. Check out all of the ways we can support your business:
