Turning your passion for animals into a career can provide you with a rewarding way to earn a living. However, it’s important to recognize that anyone who works with animals, regardless of the species, is vulnerable to a range of unique financial and legal risks. For this reason, whether you operate an animal shelter, veterinarian clinic, kennel, pet retail store, cattle farm, or zoo, it’s crucial to have adequate business insurance in place to protect you. All it takes is a single mishap for everything you’ve worked so hard for to be in jeopardy. Here are a few essential types of coverage you’ll need.  

What Kind of Business Insurance Should You Consider if Your Work Involves Animals? 

1. General Liability 

General liability coverage serves as the foundation for any business insurance plan. This will cover third party injuries and property damage that occur at your place of business or because of an employee’s actions. For example, you can be held liable if one of the animals you’re in charge of bites another person while in your care or someone slips and falls on the wet floor of your grooming facility. Liability insurance will pay for the victim’s medical expenses and property replacement, as well as any judgment awards and legal fees you’re responsible for in a lawsuit.

2. Property Insurance 

If you work out of a physical location, property insurance will help to mitigate your losses in the event your building or its contents are damaged. Should a covered disaster strike, such as fire, lightning, vandalism, or theft, your policy will pay to repair or rebuild your structure and replace all the property you need to operate your business, including electronics, furniture, machinery, equipment, and animal supplies. 

3. Workers’ Compensation 

You will be required to carry workers’ compensation insurance if you have any employees. This coverage is designed to protect employees who suffer an injury or illness while performing their job duties. Say one of your staff gets hurt by an animal staying at your kennel, workers’ comp benefits will help pay for their medical expenses and lost wages. In turn, this will also help you avoid a lawsuit.

4. Commercial Auto 

Commercial auto insurance is essential if you operate any kind of mobile pet service or a business that requires you to transport animals. Vehicles that are used for work purposes won’t be covered under your personal auto policy; so, if you or an employee got into an accident while driving cats and dogs back to the rescue facility, your personal insurer would deny the claim.

Properly insuring a company that works with animals requires specialized knowledge and experience. Fortunately, you can count on the professionals at Somers Agency LLC to fulfill all your business insurance needs. Since becoming an established part of Lorain County, OH, in 1898, they have worked with entrepreneurs in a variety of industries. They understand that there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to choosing coverage and will take the time to help you put together a policy that offers the right protection for the risks you face. Call (440) 324-3447 to schedule an appointment or visit their website to view all the business insurance products they have available.