# Pet care business liability in Germany: cover for the animals you look after

> If you walk other people's dogs, feed cats in their owners' homes, run a boarding kennel or train dogs for money, you take charge of animals that are not yours. German law makes you answerable for the damage they do and for the harm that comes to them. The owner's own dog liability policy rarely helps, and many general business policies exclude exactly the animals in your care.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-pet-care-liability.php  
Updated: 2026-11-14

## Am I liable if a dog I am walking bites someone?

Yes, if you took on supervision of the dog under a contract. Under § 834 of the German Civil Code (BGB) you are then responsible for damage the animal causes to a third party, in the same way as the keeper under § 833 BGB. Unlike the keeper, you escape liability if you can show that you supervised with reasonable care or that the damage would have happened anyway. The burden of proof is on you, which is why a dedicated liability policy that also handles the defence matters.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory?:** No statutory insurance requirement for pet care businesses
- **Legal basis:** § 834 BGB, liability of the person supervising an animal, with a due care defence
- **Permit:** § 11 Animal Welfare Act for dog training and usually for boarding; for pet sitting it depends on the local veterinary office
- **Key extension:** damage to animals in your care, often covered only if added
- **Premium basis:** activity, number of animals or places, trainers and staff

## Taking the lead means taking the liability

German law separates the keeper of an animal from the person who supervises it under a contract. For a dog walker, a boarding kennel or a dog school, that person is you. § 834 BGB holds you liable for injury and damage the animal causes to others, such as a bitten jogger, a child knocked over or a scratched car, unless you prove that you supervised it with due care.

Proving that is hard without support. A liability policy for pet professionals examines whether you are liable at all, fights unjustified claims and pays justified ones. Many insurers point out that the owner's own pet liability policy does not respond when the care is paid and commercial.

## Care, custody and control: the animal entrusted to you

The most expensive claim is often not from a stranger but from the owner of the animal in your care. A dog slips its harness and is hit by a car, gets hurt in a group or catches something in the kennel. You are liable to the owner under your care agreement, and many general liability wordings exclude damage to property in your custody, a category that legally includes animals.

Policies designed for pet care add this cover back in, usually with a separate limit per animal and per year and often with its own deductible. Check whether vet bills, escape and injuries between animals are included. Fights within a group are restricted or excluded in some wordings.

## Permits under § 11 of the Animal Welfare Act

Anyone who trains dogs for others on a commercial basis, or coaches owners in training their dogs, needs a permit from the veterinary office under § 11 (1) no. 8 (f) of the Animal Welfare Act (TierSchG) and may only start once it has been granted. A proof of expertise is part of the process, and the procedure differs between federal states. Boarding kennels are normally treated as requiring a permit as well.

For hourly pet sitting and dog walking the position is not uniform: some veterinary offices see no permit requirement, others ask for one. Ask your local office for a binding answer. It matters for your cover too, as some policy wordings make the required permit a condition.

## Why your exact activities matter

Walking eight dogs on a field, visiting cats in clients' flats and running a kennel with runs are three different risks. Home visits bring damage in the flat and lost keys into play, a kennel brings premises, fences and runs, a dog school brings injuries to course participants.

Many policies cap the number of dogs walked at once or exclude restricted breeds, horses and breeding. Describe precisely which animals you look after and how. If you add overnight stays or start selling food, the policy has to be updated.

## What is covered

- Injury and property damage that an animal in your care causes to others
- Liability as supervisor of an animal under § 834 BGB
- Defence against unjustified claims, in court if necessary
- Damage to the animals in your care, if included
- Damage in the owner's home during home visits, depending on the policy
- Loss of client keys, if included
- Injuries to participants at a dog school, depending on the policy
- Employees, temporary staff and interns working for the business

## What is not covered

- Damage caused intentionally
- Damage to animals in your care if the policy does not expressly include it
- Illness of the animal that was not caused by the care
- Activities not described in the policy, such as breeding or trading animals
- Your own animals, unless they are named in the policy
- Damage caused with registered vehicles, which falls under motor liability

## Who needs it

- Dog walkers and dog sitters, including paid side businesses
- Pet sitters who look after cats and small pets in the owner's home
- Boarding kennels and dog day care
- Dog schools, dog trainers and behaviour consultants
- Animal shelters and rescue centres with staff or volunteers

## Who does not need it

- Occasional unpaid care for friends, if your personal liability policy covers looking after other people's animals

## What it costs

The premium depends mainly on what you do and on what scale. A single dog sitter with a few clients pays far less than a kennel with overnight stays or a dog school with several trainers. Published marketing figures start at around EUR 10 a month for small risks.

| Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- |
| Dog school, base risk without the per-trainer premium | EUR 105.90 a year, plus a premium for each trainer (published rate sheet of one insurer, February 2025) |

**What drives the premium:**

- Type of activity: walking, home visits, boarding, training
- Number of animals, places or trainers
- Whether damage to animals in your care is included, and its limit
- Limit of indemnity and deductible
- Employees and temporary staff
- Extras such as selling food or running seminars

_This figure comes from a published rate sheet and is not a quote. Your premium is fixed only once the activity, number of animals and scope of cover are known._

## The policy levels on the market

- **Entry level:** Third party liability for a small walking or sitting service, with no or only a small limit for damage to the animals in your care. Enough only for a few animals looked after one at a time.
- **Pet care package:** Designed for pet professionals, with damage to animals in care, lost keys, damage in clients' homes and staff. The right approach for most sitters, walkers and small dog schools.
- **Business liability for kennels and schools:** Adds premises, runs, damage to rented property, events and higher limits for animals in care. For boarding kennels, dog day care and dog schools with their own grounds.

## How to recognise a good policy

| Criterion | Minimum standard | Strong policy | Why it matters |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Limit of indemnity | EUR 3 million combined | EUR 5 million or more for injury and property damage | A traffic accident caused by an escaped dog can lead to serious injury claims. |
| Animals in your care | included with a fixed limit per animal | included with a high limit per animal and per year, without a large deductible | If the animal entrusted to you is hurt, the owner claims vet bills or its value. |
| Vet bills and escape | vet bills after an injury | escape and search costs as well | A dog slipping its harness is the most common emergency in dog walking. |
| Injuries between animals | not excluded | expressly included | Scuffles happen in groups and kennels, and some wordings do not pay for them. |
| Maximum number of animals | matches your actual group size | no tight cap or a generous one | Walking more dogs than agreed puts your cover at risk. |
| Keys and clients' homes | lost keys with a small limit | lost keys including master key systems, plus damage to furnishings | When you look after cats in clients' flats, you hold their keys and their furniture. |
| Restricted breeds and species | dogs and cats | small pets, birds and restricted breeds by agreement | A breed exclusion hits you if you accept the dog anyway. |

## Insurers on the German market

Liability cover for pet professionals is available as a trade scheme from specialist insurers and as an adapted business liability policy from large property and casualty insurers. They differ mainly on animals in care, animal numbers and exclusions. The list describes the German market; it says nothing about which insurers we work with.

- **Uelzener**: mutual insurer specialising in animals, with its own policy for dog trainers
- **Haftpflichtkasse**: mutual insurer specialising in liability, sold through brokers
- **Allianz**: business liability for many trades, sold through agents and brokers
- **HDI**: part of the Talanx group, focus on small business and professions
- **Gothaer**: commercial lines through agents and brokers
- **R+V**: insurer of the German cooperative banks

127 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance. (Allgemeine Haftpflicht). Source: BaFin company database, 2026-09-18; EU insurers without a German office excluded.

## Typical claims and who pays

- **Dog slips lead, car crash** (several thousand euros, far more with injuries): Damage to the car and to people falls under third party liability. Whether the injured dog is paid for depends on cover for animals in care.
- **Dog in your care hurt while playing** (around EUR 500 to 3,000 in vet bills): Harm to the animal entrusted to you is a care and custody loss. Basic policies exclude it, strong ones pay up to a limit per animal.
- **Cat sitter loses client's key** (a few hundred euros, more with a master key system): Third party keys are often covered only with a small limit. A master key system needs a strong extension.
- **Dog bites a passer-by** (several thousand euros including pain and suffering): This is the core case of supervisor liability under § 834 BGB. The insurer checks whether you supervised with care, then pays or defends.
- **Infection spreads in the kennel** (several hundred euros per animal): Illness spreading within a group is covered only by some wordings, and then often with a limit.
- **Client does not pay the fee** (a few hundred euros): Unpaid invoices are not a liability loss. Only legal expenses cover or clear payment terms in your contract help here.

## Myth or truth

- „When I walk someone's dog, their pet liability policy covers me." ✘ False, at least for paid care. Many pet liability policies cover only favours, so professionals need their own policy.
- „A dog sitter can escape liability by showing due care." ✔ True, under § 834 BGB liability does not arise if the supervisor exercised reasonable care. The burden of proof is on the sitter.
- „Every business liability policy pays when the dog in your care is injured." ✘ False, damage to animals in your custody is excluded in many wordings and has to be added specifically.
- „A commercial dog school in Germany needs a permit from the veterinary office." ✔ True, commercial dog training for others requires a permit under § 11 of the Animal Welfare Act, and work may only start once it is granted.
- „Liability cover also pays to fight a claim that is unjustified." ✔ True, defending unfounded claims is part of the cover, in court if necessary.

## Common mistakes

- Relying on the client's own pet liability policy
- Choosing a policy without cover for animals in your care
- Walking more dogs at once than the policy allows
- Starting overnight boarding without updating the policy
- Starting without a § 11 permit where the veterinary office requires one
- Letting your own dogs run with the group without insuring them

## FAQ

### Does the owner's dog liability policy cover me when I walk their dog?

For paid, commercial care, usually not. Many pet liability policies only cover people who look after the animal as a favour. If you care for other people's animals regularly for money, you need your own policy that describes your activity.

### What does damage to animals in care mean?

Harm to the animals handed over to you. If the dog in your care is injured, runs away or dies because of a mistake in your care, the owner claims compensation. Many general liability wordings leave this out.

### Do I need a § 11 permit as a dog sitter?

That is not settled uniformly. The permit is mandatory for commercial dog training and usually for boarding kennels. For hourly sitting, veterinary offices decide differently, so ask yours.

### How many dogs may I walk at once?

Your policy often sets a maximum, and local rules or conditions from the veterinary office may apply too. Stay within the number in your policy, or your cover may be at risk.

### Are fights between the dogs I look after covered?

Only if the wording includes injuries between animals. Some policies include them expressly, others limit or exclude them. For groups and kennels this is a central point.

### Is a client's lost house key covered?

If the policy includes loss of third party keys. Replacing a master key system in a block of flats can be expensive, so check the limit.

### Are my own dogs covered?

Not automatically. If they run with the group or live at the kennel, they should be named in the policy or have their own pet liability cover.

### Why use a broker for pet care liability?

Because policies differ widely on animals in care, animal numbers and exclusions. We check the wording against your actual work and support you if there is a claim.

## Legal basis and sources

- [Insurance Contract Act (VVG, German)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/vvg_2008/)
- [BaFin company database (licensed insurers)](https://portal.mvp.bafin.de/database/InstInfo/)

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison, free of charge. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-pet-care-liability.php#anfrage

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Your broker: Norman Nammert, trading as NAMMERT. Insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act. Broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH is a separate company. It does not arrange your contract.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.