Comprehensive Insurance for Therapy Dogs

Customized Coverage for Therapy Dog Handlers

Some dogs serve as pets, while others are specially trained to perform tasks. Working dogs are valuable in supporting humans in various ways, such as search and rescue or therapy.

Therapy dogs are working animals, but the job they perform involves much more than task completion. Dogs who have completed obedience training and have been tested for appropriate temperament may continue onward with their handler to be trained to provide therapy services.

Therapy dogs travel, with their handler, outside of their home to provide service in various facilities, including but not limited to hospitals, nursing homes, schools, day cares, rehabilitation centers, and offices. Dogs are affectionate creatures, and highly trained therapy dogs offer psychological or physiological intervention to individuals who are striving to overcome difficult physical, medical, and emotional situations.

The Many Types of Working Dogs

The types of working dogs that may need insurance coverage include:

• Police dogs (K9)
• Explosive sniffers
• Narcotic sniffers
• Guard dogs
• Service dogs
• Bed bug dogs
• Search and rescue dogs
• Ranch dogs
• Emotional assistance dogs that work in commercial settings, such as schools, dentists, hospitals, hospices, and other medical facilities

This list is not exhaustive. If you have a working dog that doesn’t fit into these categories, you can still find insurance coverage. Learn more about our coverage below.

Get A Therapy Dog Quote

Therapy Dog vs. Service Dog

Seeing dogs in public places is all too familiar as establishments become more pet-friendly. Sometimes, it is difficult to determine whether dogs are pets or whether they are providing therapy or service to individuals in need. Often, dogs providing therapy or service are designated by visible gear such as a vest or walking harness. It is important to note the distinction between therapy dogs and service dogs, as each receives specific training, and each interacts differently with the individuals, not handlers, to whom they are providing a service.

Therapy Dogs

These working dogs are trained by their owners and typically provide service on a volunteer basis. Therapy dogs are expected not to be easily startled, should be commanded by voice, should not eat dropped food or beg for food, and should be well adapted to working with a variety of people in situations where petting is highly encouraged. Dogs providing therapy are not granted access to establishments, such as service dogs, which are granted access via the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Service Dogs

These working dogs are trained by professionals and taught to provide assistance to persons with disabilities. Persons assisted by a service dog must be accompanied by the dog in various public places. Therefore, service dog access is enforced by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Service dogs assist individuals in achieving safety and independence. Petting of service dogs is not encouraged.

Many types of service dogs assist people in different ways. Common services include:

• Offering hearing assistance for sounds like alarms or a baby crying
• Guiding those with low vision or blindness
• Supporting people with seizures by barking for help or retrieving medicine
• Assisting with mobility by retrieving dropped items or offering physical support
• Protecting people with autism while out in public
• Detecting allergens to alert their owners
• Alerting those with diabetes when their insulin levels are low

Therapy Dog Benefits

While service dogs assist a particular person with disabilities, therapy dogs support many individuals in need of care. These dogs work in various facilities, offering benefits like:

• Lowering the risk and aiding recovery from heart attacks, strokes, and seizures
• Reducing stress, anxiety, and fear
• Lowering the risk from other ailments and diseases
• Creating calmness and lowering blood pressure
• Encouraging interaction and giving companionship
• Aiding recovery from those who have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other trauma
• Providing a respite from isolation or loneliness
• Offering comfort and reassurance
• Helping individuals recover from the loss of a loved one
• Creating a sense of well-being and love

Many different organizations use therapy dogs, including schools, hospitals, care and nursing homes, and even offices. There’s no limit to who can benefit from a therapy dog.

Working Dog Training Costs

Working dogs serve specialized functions and require targeted training to prepare them for their jobs. The cost of training varies based on the level of skill required for various jobs.

Therapy dogs are highly skilled and trained. Training a therapy dog takes around two years and can cost up to $20,000, so it’s a considerable investment in time and money.

Police dogs receive patrol, detection, and urban tracking training, often costing $12,000 to $15,000 per dog. A service dog’s training often costs between $10,000 and $30,000.

Whether you train a working dog or purchase a trained dog, you make a significant investment. Therefore, protecting these beautiful animals is essential, as is protecting your investment.

The Risk of Owning a Working Dog

The issue with working dogs, as opposed to pet dogs, is that they regularly work with new people or strangers, which carries a certain amount of risk. In the unfortunate event of a working dog causing an injury, those people are more likely to sue the owner or organization for using what they perceive as an unsafe animal.

People may seek legal action when dogs bite or otherwise harm them. While working dogs have extensive training, they can get overstimulated or overexcited in certain situations and cause harm. They may also mistakenly perceive an individual as a threat.

Working with dogs always involves risk. Despite this, working dogs are undoubtedly an essential asset to many individuals and organizations.

Training the dogs takes considerable time, effort, and, of course, money. With the added possibility of facing a lawsuit, these dogs can quickly become very expensive to maintain.

Accidents Happen

While working dogs are generally considered reliable and safe, we must not forget they are animals with minds of their own.

Dogs can deliver a powerful bite, particularly if startled or unsafe. When dogs cause harm accidentally, people who have working dogs can find themselves in difficulty. Insurance for working dogs is important because it can provide protection in the event of a bite or other damage.

Take a look at these statistics. Although these are statistics for all dogs, working dogs make up a proportion of the numbers.

• An estimated 4.5 million people receive dog bites in the U.S. each year.
• The number of dog bite claims nationwide increased to 19,062 in 2023, up 8.3 percent from 2022.
• About 1 in 5 dog bites require medical attention.

Getting Insurance for Working Dogs

Does insurance cover service dogs? Yes, you can protect yourself from potential lawsuits by getting liability coverage. The problem is that most insurers won’t provide coverage for working dogs. Or, if they do, you’ll find that they only cover certain breeds. These will not be the breeds classified as “dangerous.”

Fortunately, there is an answer to this problem. XINSURANCE can work with you to find liability insurance solutions for a wide range of activities and businesses other insurers refuse to cover.

XINSURANCE is powered by Evolution Insurance Brokers, LC (“EIB”), an excess and surplus lines insurance brokerage with over 40 years of experience.

This approach means we look at each business or person individually, assess their situation and needs, and find a plan that covers their liability requirements. We fill in the gaps, finding broader coverage solutions and higher limits up to $20 million through reinsurance partners.

For those that have working dogs, we are proud to be able to connect you with insurance solutions for working dogs:

• Businesses or individuals that utilize working dogs
• All breeds of dog
• Dogs with an existing bite history
• All levels of service experience
• Bodily injury and property damage to third parties

Please note that our insurance solutions for working dogs do not cover bites to the insured or the insured’s family. Nor do we cover damage to property the insured owns or rents.

If you have a pet that isn’t classified as “working” and you would like to protect yourself from liability, XINSURANCE can also help you find Animal Liability coverage solutions.

Commercial Therapy Dog Liability Insurance

If you provide therapy dogs as a business, you’ll probably already be familiar with insurance for working dogs. You’ll likely have it in place already. Many people don’t realize, however, that the coverage tends only to cover volunteering activities. The insurance is only covering your working dogs if they engage in activities that do not involve payment.

If you plan to use your working dogs for commercial work at any point, you could be in for a shock if something happens and you find your insurance invalid. An incident could be devastating financially, so you must find insurance solutions that can cover you for working dogs and can give you peace of mind.

Thankfully, we have a solution!

Commercial therapy dog insurance is designed to provide comprehensive coverage no matter your dog’s activity. We pride ourselves on identifying solutions that can give customers peace of mind when performing commercial activities with their dogs.

These solutions may protect you from claims against you as well as litigation, and the coverage can be fully customized to suit your requirements. Furthermore, we cover any breed of dog, regardless of their experience, so if you have a specific breed of dog that’s usually difficult to find insurance for, we at XINSURANCE can help you identify a solution.

Our underwriting team has over 40 years of experience, so you can be assured we are the experts in connecting you with insurance solutions that perfectly fit your needs.

Do You Have Adequate Coverage?

We can even look at your existing policy for free and tell you if it’s providing adequate coverage. We believe it’s essential for people to know exactly what they’re paying for, and our goal is to help you avoid any problems that arise from not having the right insurance coverage.

We always hope for the best when engaging in commercial activities, but unfortunately, we have become a litigious society, and the only way to combat that is to ensure you have the right protection in place.

If you get a therapy dog certification through an organization, you might already have liability insurance through the organization and certification. This insurance typically only covers volunteering, which may mean you need additional coverage for other activities.

We typically pick up where the other guys won’t cover you or if you want a solution aside from any free offering. In any case, we can provide a free policy review and let you know if there are any gaps. If there are gaps you want to be covered, we can help you find solutions!

Get in Touch With XINSURANCE for True Peace of Mind

Working dogs, like service dogs, can be covered by insurance when you find the right policy. If you need insurance solutions for working dogs, you can contact us about animal liability coverage solutions. If you require more specific information or have questions, start by requesting a quote. This step lets you learn about available insurance solutions and what you’ll pay.

Working dogs are essential, so don’t leave your protection to chance. Get a proper coverage solution in place, and your dog can continue its amazing work with less worry of facing an unaffordable lawsuit without coverage.

Talk to a Dog Liability Specialist Today

Authored by Rick J. Lindsey, President, Chairman, and CEO of XINSURANCE

Rick J. Lindsey hails from Salt Lake City, Utah. He began working in the mailroom of his father’s Salt Lake City insurance firm, getting his introduction to the business that became his lifelong career. Rick J. Lindsey quickly rose through the ranks while working in nearly every imaginable insurance industry job. As an entrepreneur, specialty lines underwriter, claims specialist, risk manager, and a licensed surplus lines broker, Rick J. Lindsey is highly skilled in all levels of leadership and execution. As he progressed on his career path, Rick J. Lindsey discovered an urgent need for insurers willing to write policies for high-risk individuals and businesses. He was frequently frustrated that he could not provide the liability protection these entities desperately needed to safeguard their assets. He also formed the belief that insurance companies acted too quickly to settle frivolous claims. Rick J. Lindsey decided to try a different approach. He started an insurance company and became the newly formed entity’s CEO. This opportunity has enabled Rick J. Lindsey to fill a void in the market and provide a valuable service to businesses, individuals, and insurance agents who write high-risk business. XINSURANCE also specializes in helping individuals and businesses who live a lifestyle or participate in activities that make them difficult for traditional carriers to insure. If you’ve been denied, non-renewed, or canceled coverage, don’t give up quite yet. Chances are XINSURANCE can help.