A dog groomer's biggest exposure walks in on a lead and is legally somebody else's property. Injury to the animal, an escape, a bite to a member of the public and damage to a customer's home on a mobile visit are the four claims this trade makes, and only one of them is covered by plain public liability. The section that answers for the dog itself is care, custody and control, and it is the one to buy on.
The animal is property in your care
In law the dog is the customer's property, and injury to it while in your care is a care, custody and control claim rather than an ordinary public liability one, because general liability commonly excludes property you have charge of. Clipper burn, a nick from scissors, a quicked nail, heat from a dryer and an animal that jumped from a table are the routine claims, and the inner limit on that section is what decides them.
Escape, and the bite that follows
A dog that gets out of a salon or a van can be hurt, cause an accident or bite somebody, and the claim can be large out of all proportion to the grooming fee. Insurers ask about secure doors, double gating, lead protocols and whether animals are left unattended. Those controls are cheap, they are the answer to the question and they are what a claim is defended with.
Mobile grooming, and the customer's house
A mobile van brings its own exposures: the van as equipment, water and electricity at somebody's kerb, and damage to a driveway or a garden. Working inside a customer's home adds damage to their property. Both are declarations rather than assumptions, and a policy bought for a salon will not usually reach a van parked on a street.
Licensing, where it applies
Grooming alone is generally not a licensable activity in England, while boarding, day care and home boarding are, under the animal activities licensing regime, with the detail set by the local authority. A groomer adding day care or overnight stays should check the council's requirements before the first booking, because an unlicensed activity is much harder to defend and may sit outside the policy.
Questions people ask about dog grooming business insurance
What insurance does a dog groomer need?
Public liability, care custody and control for injury to animals in your charge, equipment cover for tables, dryers and clippers, and employers' liability once anybody is employed. Mobile work needs declaring.
Is injury to a dog covered by public liability?
Not usually. The animal is the customer's property in your care, and general liability commonly excludes property in your custody. Care, custody and control cover is the section that answers, with its own inner limit.
Do I need a licence to groom dogs?
Grooming alone is generally not licensable in England, while boarding, day care and home boarding are under the animal activities licensing regime. The local authority sets the detail, so check before adding those services.
Does the policy cover a dog that escapes?
An escape leading to injury to the animal, to a third party or to property is what the liability and care sections are for, and insurers ask about secure doors, double gating and lead protocols because those controls decide the claim.