Our final verdict
We give pet care insurance a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars.
As a business owner, having insurance is very important, especially if you work with animals for a living! No matter how hard we try to make sure everything goes well and our furry friends are well taken care of, accidents happen. For all dog walkers, groomers, groomers and more, Pet Care Insurance strives to protect pet professionals when something doesn’t go according to plan. If Fido has an emergency and you need to take him to the vet, Pet Care Insurance (PCI) will help cover some of these unforeseen expenses.
Pet Care Insurance Review
Pros
- Insurance designed exclusively for the pet industry, including common pet care tasks such as grooming, boarding and walking dogs
- Affordable compared to other business liability insurance
- Very simple registration process
- The base package includes great coverage
- Filing a claim is quick and easy
Cons
- $250 deductible for veterinary service claims
- It only covers pet care companies, nothing else
- Most businesses will need to purchase multiple add-ons to be fully protected
About pet care insurance
Pet Care Insurance (PCI) is designed exclusively for professionals in the pet industry to ensure they are covered along with all the precious creatures in their care. Where most insurance companies are more of a blanket policy for businesses, PCI creates policies exclusively for issues that only those in the pet industry would experience!
Having been around for over 10 years and currently insuring over 14,000 pet care professionals (according to the PCI website), I believe there is a reason many trust this particular company to give them the back if something goes wrong. PCI is a subdivision of Veracity Insurance, a major company that many in the business world know well.
PCI specifically covers the following professionals in the pet care industry:
- Pet nurseries
- Dog walkers
- Pet grooming (brick and mortar and mobile)
- Dog trainers
- Pooper Scoopers
- Kennels for pets
- Nurseries for dogs
- Pet boarders
- Cat nurseries
- Dog nurseries
- Taxis for pets
PCI’s advantage over some of the other common pet insurance companies in the pet industry is their focus on keeping the process very simple and streamlined, with great communication between customer service agents and clients. insurance The policy is considered very affordable compared to others, and online reviews from current customers claim that filing a claim is quick and easy.
However, PCI is very exclusive to the pet industries only, so if pet care is only one part of your business, don’t expect the other non-pet aspects to be covered. PCI also charges a significant deductible of $250-$500 on any veterinary claim (such as a pet being injured in their care and requiring veterinary services), which is the highest I have seen currently. This is balanced by the fact that there is no deductible for claims related to general liability, animal den or pet grooming.
PCI is available throughout the United States.
Prices and plans (updated 2024)
Pet Insurance Cost Comparison
| company | Example of monthly cost | Learn more |
| Pet care insurance | Premiums start at $13.33 per month | Get quote |
| Pet Sitter Associates, LLC | Premiums start at $16.58 per month | Get quote |
| Choice Plus Insurance Services | Premiums start at $35.40 per month | Get quote |
| Mourer-Foster, Inc.
Kennel Pro |
Premiums start at $35.40 per month | Get quote |
| hiscox | Premiums start at $56.66 per month | Get quote |
| NEXT | Premiums start at $23.75 per month | Get quote |
| thimble | Premiums start at $30.25 per month | Get quote |
Basic policy
The base policy includes cover for all of the following, which is then extended based on the sector selected when obtaining an insurance quote:
- General civil liability coverage
- Products-Operations completed
- Personal and advertising damages
- Damage to rented premises
- Medical expense
- Bailee of animals
- Reimbursement of vet expenses (regardless of fault)
- Civil liability coverage for lost keys
Personalizations
The base policy will not fully protect certain pet care industries, so the purchase of additional personalizations will be necessary for many pet professionals. PCI offers the following add-ons:
Higher Animal Captivity Coverage Limits
Increase the annual limit.
Extension of property damage coverage
Increase coverage for property damaged by pets at your expense, whether the property is yours or a customer’s. This also covers cases where general liability would not, such as flooding caused by a broken toilet that occurred when the pet sitter was using it.
Dog Training Coverage
Covers training related incidents beyond basic sit and stay commands, covers corrective pet behavior training and leash obedience training.
Employee dishonesty
It protects the business owner from incidents involving dishonesty, negligence and fraud by their employees (like embezzlement, yes!).
Home care coverage
It covers overnight care, face-to-face visits and the administration of food, water and medicine.
Independent Contractor Coverage
Additional coverage for independent contractors and those hired by the business owner.
Daycare for pets
Covers overnight care should it occur, daytime care and exercise for the pet, and administration of food, water and medication.
Professional pet groomer
Covers pet grooming, regular teeth cleaning and other claims arising solely from pet grooming services.
Pet taxi coverage
Covers claims related to the transport of pets.
Equipment and inventory coverage
This covers damaged or stolen equipment, inventory and supplies.
Online Protection Insurance
Many payments are now made online, this insurance protects the pet care professional from cyber attacks and hacking liability.
Deductibles and claims
There is no deductible for any claim except for vet reimbursement where there is a $250 deductible listed on the website, but PCI’s independent review websites indicate that the deductible could go up to $500 depending on your policy.
Filing a claim is very easy, just log in to your account and fill out the online form. A PCI agent will be in touch within 24 to 48 hours of submitting your claim.
What does pet care insurance cover?
The following is included in every policy regardless of the pet care industry, with additional coverage available for purchase. These numbers are subject to change based on your specific needs.
| Coverage element | Annual limit |
| General civil liability coverage | $1,000,000 (each occurrence)
$2,000,000 (aggregate limit) |
| Products-Operations completed | $2,000,000 |
| Personal and advertising damages | $1,000,000 |
| Damage to rented premises | $100,000 (any location) |
| Medical expense | $5,000 (anyone) |
| Bailee of animals | $2,500 (each occurrence)
$5,000 (total limit) |
| Reimbursement of veterinary expenses | $1,000 (each occurrence)
$2,500 (total limit) $250 (deductible) |
| Key responsibility lost | $2,000 (each occurrence)
$2,000 (aggregate limit) |
PCI does not cover the following:
- Any animal owned by the insured or bred
- Daycare operations (no pets present) that generate more than 45% of your annual revenue
- Landscaping services
- Livestock or farm animals
- Pet services or daycare operations for more than 10 pets at a time
- Pet care for animals that are not regular household pets
- Pet taxi operations for more than 5 pets at a time
- Practice or participation in any competition, exhibition, activity, game or athletic sport
- Professional veterinary services
- Service, guard, protection, attack or fighting dog training operations
Waiting periods
There is no way for PCI to indicate exactly how long each claim waiting period will take, but a representative will be in touch within 24-48 hours after a claim is submitted. From an online review, it looks like most cases are taken care of within a week!
Customer comments
Customer reviews on PCI’s website (via Google Reviews) usually revolve around how easy and simple it is to get a policy and the amazing rates they offer compared to other insurance companies.
Independent reviews on websites like Reddit show that PCI is often compared to Pet Sitter Associates, LLC, which is the other pet sitting insurance company. PCI tends to get the better of PSA in online forum discussions because PCI does not have a deductible for its claims (except for vet expenses), while PSA most certainly does. Also noted that PCI was faster to respond!
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What is Animal Bailee?
Animal Bailee is a name given to a type of commercial insurance that covers animals in the care, custody or control of someone who does not belong to you. Should you find yourself legally liable for injury, damage, or (absolute nightmare scenario) death suffered by an animal, Animal Bailee will protect you.
Is the policy refundable if cancelled?
The policy is non-refundable if canceled if the policy has already started.
What about insurance for my personal pets?
PCI is for pet care professionals only, not personal pet insurance. However, PCI is partnered with Trupanion, which is pet insurance for your furry loved ones.
Our verdict
In conclusion, pet care insurance seems like a solid option for any pet care professional. Not only does PCI have exclusive coverage for the pet industry (meaning covered claims will revolve around common issues a professional in the pet care industry might face), but it’s pretty easy to get started and customize it according to your needs. Even if you have multiple pet care businesses, a single custom policy can cover them all.
While the base policy definitely won’t cover most pet industries, it really doesn’t cost much more to add all the extra customizations. The lack of deductible for most claims is absolutely fantastic, and the deductible for vet expenses is balanced out by the fact that there is no deductible for everything else. All in all, a great option for anyone who works with pets for a living!
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