What Pet Care Services Are All About:
There are various pet care professionals that provide services for pet owners whether it’s grooming, sitting, caring for or training pets. If you are a pet care professional working in one of these roles, it is important to consider what risks are involved and how to mitigate them.
Dog Grooming
Dog groomers provide aesthetic, health and cleaning services for dogs. There are several reasons as to why someone would have their dog groomed. These reasons can include cleaning and trimming a dog’s fur for hygiene, health or for show in a competition. Regardless of the reasons, clients will entrust dog groomers to care for their dogs without incident.
Dog Trainers
Dog trainers work to condition dogs to adopt behavioural skills. These behavioural skills can include learning to urinate and defecate outside rather than inside a home, to become leash-trained, to not bark loudly and to not be overly aggressive with other animals. Dogs learn these skills through environmental conditioning, motivational training, award-based training and other methods.
Pet Care
People in this field take care of pets while their owners are away. This care can include having a safe place for a pet to occupy and also having a pet’s basic needs taken care of in the absence of their owner. Pet care can vary and include different services. While one pet care service may only cover the necessities, others may include more extensive care, such as training and providing a variety of opportunities for the pets to play. Furthermore, the extent to which an owner is absent can also impact the type of care needed.
Pet Sitters
Pet sitters often work out of their own home or the home of a client to care for a pet in the absence of an owner. A pet sitter may provide a range of services to clients which can include covering the basic necessities of the animal alongside grooming, walking, cleaning and other services. The services provided will vary depending on the needs of a particular client.
What are the risks of working with pets?
Whenever you are working closely with someone’s pet, there are risks involved that can result in negative consequences. Whether you are grooming, training, caring for or sitting a pet, there is the risk that the animal may be injured or even die while in your care. If either of these situations occur, it is important for you to protect yourself in the event a pet owner wants to sue you. If a pet owner sues, there may be damages to both your reputation and financial future.
Not only can a pet be injured or die while in your care, you may also be subjected to injury. Some dogs may be naturally aggressive and if startled, bite you. If you are injured while at work, you may need to take time off of work to recover which can, in turn, stop you from taking care of other pets. You may also want to file a claim to recover lost wages and to cover medical treatment.
Additionally, a pet may cause damages to your property or other animals. If this is the case, you may need to replace property or pay for medical treatment for another animal. While these risks can indeed be severe, there are several ways to mitigate them.
How to Protect Your Business
Investing in different types of insurance can protect you against any of the aforementioned risks.
Workers Compensation
If you are self-employed, an investment in Workers Compensation can protect you financially in the event that you are injured by a pet in your care and need to take time off work or access medical treatment.
Professional Liability
If you are a dog trainer and provide your client with advice regarding their dog which they later feel has negatively impacted their pet, they may file a claim against you. In this scenario, having Professional Liability Insurance will protect your reputation against anyone who is dissatisfied with your services.
Business Owners Policy
Investing in a Business Owners Policy can assist petcare service employees in protecting their businesses from several different risks. This particular insurance policy incorporates several distinct protections such as property insurance, liability insurance, crime protection and more into a single comprehensive policy. A Business Owners Policy can protect your personal property when you are providing petcare services as well as your business in the event a claim is made against you.
Whenever you are caring for, grooming, walking, training or in close contact with a dog or pet, it is important to be aware of the risks involved and how to mitigate them. By investing in insurance, you are safeguarding your reputational and financial future.