Dog walking insurance (UK): what you actually need
What insurance an independent UK dog walker needs, what a good policy covers, roughly what it costs and the records that make claims painless.
Do you legally need insurance?
Public liability insurance is not a legal requirement for dog walkers in the UK, but walking clients' dogs without it is a bad bet, and many clients (and most local councils, for commercial dog walking licences where they apply) expect it. One incident (a dog causing a road accident, a knocked-over pedestrian) can cost more than a decade of premiums.
Employers' liability insurance is different: if you take on staff, it is required by law, with substantial fines for going without.
What a good policy covers
Look for a specialist pet-business policy rather than generic small-business cover: the dog-specific parts are the ones you will actually use.
- Public liability (commonly £1m–£10m): injury or damage caused by you or a dog in your care.
- Care, custody and control: cover for the dogs themselves while they are with you, such as vet fees if a dog is injured on a walk.
- Key cover: lost or stolen client keys and the locksmith bills that follow.
- Loss of dog: search, reward and advertising costs if a dog goes missing.
- Employers' liability: legally required from your first employee or regular helper.
What it costs
Specialist policies for a solo walker typically run from a few pounds a month, usually somewhere between £5 and £20 depending on cover levels and how many dogs you walk at once. Against the cost of a single claim, it is one of the cheapest lines in the business.
Questions to ask before buying
- Are dogs covered off-lead, and does that require written owner consent?
- How many dogs am I insured to walk at once? (This cap matters for group walks.)
- Are dogs covered in my vehicle between pickups?
- Are puppy visits and home pop-ins covered, or only walks?
- Is there an excess per claim, and on which sections?
The records that make claims painless
Insurers pay out on facts. A walking business that can show which dogs were on which walk, when they were picked up and dropped off, what happened and photos from the day is in a very different position from one reconstructing events from memory. Keep walk records with timestamps, note incidents on the day, and store owner consents (off-lead permission especially) in writing.
How BearWalk helps
BearWalk keeps a timestamped record of every walk (which dogs, which walker, completion times, notes and photos), plus per-dog details and documents. If you ever need to evidence what happened on a Tuesday three months ago, it is already written down.
FAQ
Do I need a DBS check to walk dogs?
It is not a legal requirement, but a basic DBS check is cheap, reassures clients whose homes you enter, and several directories and councils ask for one.
Does my car insurance cover transporting dogs?
Check first. Carrying dogs commercially can require business use on your motor policy, and dogs in transit are often only covered by the pet-business policy, not the car's.
What about walking licences?
Some councils and parks (notably several London boroughs and popular commons) require a commercial dog walking licence and cap dogs per walker. Check the areas you actually walk.