Does a therapy dog need liability insurance?

Therapy dogs can make a real difference in people’s lives. Whether they’re visiting schools, care homes, hospitals or workplaces, they help provide comfort, reduce stress and bring smiles to the people they meet.

While therapy dogs are known for their calm and friendly nature, even the best-trained dog can find themselves in an unexpected situation. That’s why many handlers ask the same question: Does a therapy dog need liability insurance?

Jump to:

• Do therapy dogs need liability insurance?
• Is pet insurance enough?
• What can liability insurance cover?
• What if you volunteer with your therapy dog?
• Final thoughts

Do therapy dogs need liability insurance?

Although liability insurance may not always be a legal requirement, it is something many therapy dog handlers choose to have. When your dog visits public places as part of therapy work, there is always a small chance that an accident could happen.

For example, your dog could:

• Accidentally knock someone over.
• Cause a person to trip over their lead.
• Damage someone else’s belongings.

Even if these situations are rare, they can sometimes lead to compensation claims. Liability insurance is designed to help protect you if your dog accidentally causes injury to another person or damages their property.

Is pet insurance enough?

Many people assume that standard pet insurance will cover everything, but that’s not always the case.

Most pet insurance policies are designed to help with veterinary treatment if your dog becomes ill or injured. They may not provide the level of public liability cover needed while your dog is carrying out therapy work.

If your dog regularly visits schools, hospitals, care homes or other public settings, it’s worth checking exactly what your current policy includes. Some organisations may also ask you to have liability insurance before allowing visits.

What can liability insurance cover?

Every policy is different, but liability insurance may help cover costs if your therapy dog accidentally causes:

• Injury to another person.
• Damage to someone else’s property.
• Legal costs if a claim is made against you.

Having the right cover can give you extra peace of mind while you focus on supporting others through your therapy work.

What if you volunteer with your therapy dog?

Even if you volunteer rather than work professionally, accidents can still happen. Some charities, hospitals and therapy organisations require handlers to have liability insurance before taking part in visits.

Checking the organisation’s requirements before you begin can help you understand what level of cover you may need.

Be prepared for the unexpected

Therapy dogs bring comfort and companionship to countless people every day. While incidents are uncommon, having liability insurance can help protect you if something unexpected happens during a visit.

Before starting therapy work, review your existing insurance and check whether additional liability cover is suitable for your activities. That way, you can spend more time focusing on what matters most: helping others with your therapy dog.