Buzzwords or important assurances for customers? Make sure you know what these words mean to you and and your pet care specialist.
Licensed: A license refers to a business license. Customers often mistake the term “licensed” to mean that a pet sitter is professionally certified and has a certain level of expertise. This is not so. As of this writing, there is no license issued for pet sitting, dog walking or dog training services in our state or any other, since this industry is self-regulated. Beware of anyone who claims to have a "license" for pet care services. Such a claim is misleading and false.
Certified: A variety of pet sitting organizations offer optional training for pet sitters in the form of certification or accreditation. These programs certify that the individual has completed coursework and testing to certify that they are a qualified pet care professional.
Likewise, professional dog trainers and animal behaviorists can get nationally recognized certification through organizations such as the ADPT and CPDT. All professional pet care providers should be certified in pet first aid and CPR.
Not all of these "certifications" are legitimate guarantees. Pet parents are advised to verify any claims of certification to be sure that the certification has value.
Insured or Bonded? Reputable pet care professionals value the trust placed in them and the importance of protecting their customer's pets, home and personal property. It's important to understand what type of coverage the pet care provider has in the unfortunate event of injury, loss or damage.
Liability Insurance: Most professional pet care providers carry insurance through nationwide pet sitter insurance providers. Such coverage typically includes coverage for "care, custody, and control" of the client's pets and injury to other people and other pets. Pet care providers are generally not protected from injury to themselves by regular liability coverage.
Bonded: Traditional forms of bonding are not desirable in the context of pet care services. In order to recover any losses from a bond the covered person must first be arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced. Then and only then will the bond be paid. The chain of events from initial crime to final payment can take months, and even years, with a high possibility that the individual accused may not be convicted at all.
A more desirable option that is more commonly used by professional pet care providers is insurance that has a special personal-property endorsement. This offers wider coverage than a bond. The insurance policy can cover accidental breakage, mysterious disappearance and accidental damage much sooner than under the restrictions of a bond payout.