The doggy day care sector is booming with owners in the UK spending over £1.5bn a year on people to take their pet for walkies.
Dog owners these days treat their pets more like family members, so it’s little wonder that businesses in the doggy day care sector are in demand.
But as anyone who runs such an enterprise will tell you, it is not a walk in the park, and the lack of proper insurance cover could end up costing unprofessional business owners dear.
Cheadle Dog House was launched in 2018 to help support the growing number of people in the Cheadle locality who wanted a safe and stimulating alternative to kennels whilst dog owners are at work or on holiday. People think it’s an easy way to earn money, but it’s a lot harder than it looks, and a huge responsibility. You have to keep the dogs under control, be on the lookout for potential problems and, of course, be meticulous with the clean-up operation.
At Cheadle Dog House we only take the smaller, friendlier type of dog breeds. Our walks are planned and, in most cases, are personal 1-2-1 walks. With home boarding, we vet new dogs very carefully at our meet and greet sessions – they have to fit in with our own young dogs and other dogs who may be staying with us. We also don’t overload, only ever taking in a very small handful of dogs at any one day to ensure the safety of the dogs we look after.
But dogs can be unpredictable and accidents can happen, so insurance is essential. Without it, a dog that is let off the lead and causes an accident could leave the walker facing massive legal costs. Even a dog walking on a lead can sometimes present a problem.
Doggy day care business owners who walk or board dogs in their own homes need public liability insurance. It is not a legal requirement, but it is strongly advised. At Cheadle Dog House our insurance covers pretty much everything, from dogs getting injured or picking up a bug, to causing damage to property.
Nothing like that has ever happened, but it’s peace of mind and well worth the cost.
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