Pet Care Insurance, usually shortened to PCI, is one of the names that comes up first when a new pet sitter or dog walker starts shopping for insurance. It sells liability policies built only for pet businesses: sitters, dog walkers, groomers, trainers and boarding operators. If you searched "PCI pet sitter insurance", you probably have a quote open in another tab and want to know whether the price is as good as it looks and what the coverage really includes. This review sets out PCI's published coverage limits, what it costs, how its bonding option works, what claims are like, and when another provider may suit you better.
Canine Cab does not sell insurance and has no referral or commission arrangement with PCI or any of the alternatives below. If you want the side-by-side view first, our pet sitter insurance comparison puts PCI next to PSA, BIC, Kennel Pro and the NAPPS program.
Who PCI is
Pet Care Insurance is an insurance agency headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is not itself the insurance company that pays claims. PCI designs and sells the policies, and the risk is placed with "A" rated insurance carriers, with Markel Insurance Company commonly named as the underwriter. That structure is normal for specialist programs. It means your policy documents will name the carrier, and that carrier's financial strength is what stands behind a claim.
PCI only insures pet care businesses. Its product range covers pet sitters, cat sitters, dog walkers, house sitters, groomers, trainers, and kennel and boarding operators, and it markets a version to people who find clients through apps such as Rover. The upside of that focus is that the policy is built around the risks a sitter actually faces. The downside is that if pet care is only one part of your business, the non-pet side will not be covered.
What a base PCI pet sitter policy includes
PCI publishes its limits on a coverage details page, which is more transparency than many small-business insurers offer. At our check in October 2026, the base pet sitting policy included these core coverages:
- General liability: $1,000,000 per occurrence with a $2,000,000 annual limit. This pays for injury to other people and damage to their property, such as a dog you are walking knocking over a cyclist, or water damage after you leave a tap running in a client's home.
- Pet Protection Coverage, also called animal bailee: $2,500 per incident and $5,000 per year. This is care, custody and control coverage, for legal claims when a pet in your care is hurt, lost or dies.
- Veterinarian expense reimbursement: up to $1,000 per accident, regardless of fault, for a client's pet in your care.
- Lost key liability: $2,000 per occurrence and $2,000 per year, for rekeying costs when you lose a client's key.
Most of these limits can be raised for an extra premium. The general liability figure is in line with what most sitter policies offer. The base animal bailee limit is the number to look at carefully. A $2,500 per incident limit is enough for many claims involving a single cat or small dog, but an emergency surgery on a large dog can cost more than that. If you care for expensive breeds, several pets at once, or animals with known health conditions, price the higher bailee limits before you buy.
Eligibility limits that catch people out
The pet sitting policy has two working limits worth reading before you buy. It covers up to five pets at a time, and stays of no longer than 30 days in a row, overnights included. Most solo sitters never come close to either. But if you board several dogs in your own home, run long house-sitting stays, or take on a household with a large number of animals, check whether you need a different PCI product, such as its kennel coverage, or a different provider.
The same applies if you employ people or use subcontractors. Ask whether they need to be named on the policy, and whether the policy responds to their mistakes as well as yours.
What it costs
PCI advertises low starting prices and updates them often, so treat any figure as a snapshot. At our check, PCI's own pages advertised dog walker coverage from roughly $15 - $18 a month, cat sitter coverage from about $23 a month, and pet sitter coverage from about $29 a month, or a little over $330 a year paid annually. Its dog walker insurance cost page says most of its walker customers pay in the low to high teens per month.
Your real price depends on which services you offer, how many pets you handle, your state, your claims history and any higher limits or add-ons you choose. Grooming and boarding policies cost more than walking or sitting because the risk is higher. Paying annually is usually cheaper than paying monthly.
| Coverage line | PCI base pet sitter policy, as published | Can you raise it? |
|---|---|---|
| General liability | $1,000,000 per occurrence, $2,000,000 per year | Ask at quote |
| Pet Protection (animal bailee) | $2,500 per incident, $5,000 per year | Yes, for extra premium |
| Vet expense reimbursement | Up to $1,000 per accident | Yes, for extra premium |
| Lost key liability | $2,000 per occurrence, $2,000 per year | Ask at quote |
| Employee dishonesty (the "bond") | Optional add-on from about $5 a month | Optional |
| Pets and stay length | Up to 5 pets at a time, stays up to 30 days in a row | Other PCI products for larger operations |
Bonding: what "bonded and insured" means with PCI
Many clients ask sitters whether they are "bonded and insured". With PCI, the bonding piece is an optional add-on called Employee Dishonesty coverage, which PCI advertises from about $4.92 a month. PCI explains on its bonded pet sitter page that this coverage protects against theft by your employees from a client's home, which is the protection most clients actually mean when they ask about a bond.
Two points to understand. First, dishonesty coverage is about theft by people who work for you, so it matters most once you hire staff or contractors. A solo sitter can still buy it, mainly so they can answer "yes" when clients ask. Second, some commercial clients, such as apartment buildings or clinics, specify the exact form of bond they want on file. If a client names a specific bond requirement, show them PCI's documentation before you sign, rather than assuming any bond satisfies it. Our guide to what clients check when hiring an insured pet sitter shows the question from the other side of the table.
Care, custody and control: why it is the coverage that matters
A generic small-business liability policy usually excludes damage to property in your "care, custody or control". For a pet sitter, the client's pet is exactly that property. Without a specific animal bailee clause, the most likely claim you will ever face, a dog injured or lost while you are responsible for it, may not be covered at all. This is the strongest argument for a specialist like PCI over a general business policy from a mainstream insurer, and it is why we tell new sitters to check the bailee limit before they look at the price. Our pet sitting insurance guide explains the four coverages every sitter needs in more depth.
The vet expense reimbursement line works differently. It pays regardless of fault, up to its limit, so a minor injury can be handled quickly without anyone having to prove negligence. That helps keep a client relationship intact after an accident.
Claims: what to expect
PCI says filing a claim is simple and its own reviews describe fast, friendly service, and its review profile on Feefo is strongly positive. Independent reviewers are more measured. Third-party reviews of PCI note that a claim can take weeks or months to resolve, that a deductible applies on veterinary claims, commonly cited in the $250 - $500 range, and that a few customers have reported trouble cancelling a policy. A deductible on a $1,000 vet reimbursement makes a real difference to what you get back, so check yours on the declarations page.
The practical advice for any sitter insurance claim: report the incident quickly, take photos, keep the vet invoices and your visit notes, and write down what happened while it is fresh. A clean record of the visit is what makes a claim straightforward.
What a PCI policy will not do for you
Every liability policy has edges, and it is better to find them before a claim than during one. Read your policy wording for these common gaps:
- Driving. General liability policies typically exclude accidents involving a vehicle. If you drive client dogs to parks, vets or groomers, ask whether you need commercial auto coverage, because a personal auto policy may not respond to business use.
- Your own injuries. Liability coverage pays other people. If you are bitten or hurt on the job, look at your health insurance, and if you employ people, check your state's workers' compensation rules.
- Your own pets. Animal bailee coverage applies to client animals in your care, not to your own dogs or cats.
- Activities you did not declare. If you add grooming, training or overnight boarding at your home, tell PCI first. A service missing from your application may not be covered.
- Known behavior problems. Ask how the policy treats a dog with a bite history, and keep notes on any behavior the owner disclosed to you.
None of these gaps are unique to PCI. They are the standard limits of sitter liability insurance, and the same questions apply to every provider you quote.
Buying a policy: what to have ready
Quoting with PCI takes a few minutes online. Have your business name and legal structure, your state, the services you offer, a realistic estimate of your annual revenue, and whether you employ anyone. Decide your limits before you start, especially the bailee and vet limits, so you are not nudged into the cheapest default. Once the policy is active, download your certificate of insurance. Clients, apartment buildings and app platforms may ask for it, and having it ready to send is a small professional touch that wins bookings.
Honest pros and cons
Pros
- Built only for pet businesses, with animal bailee and vet reimbursement included in the base policy.
- Low advertised starting prices, especially for dog walkers.
- Coverage limits are published openly.
- Covers sitters, walkers, groomers, trainers and kennels, so a multi-service business can stay with one agency.
- Optional dishonesty coverage is cheap to add.
Cons
- Base animal bailee limit of $2,500 per incident is modest, so many sitters will want to raise it.
- Eligibility limits of five pets and 30 days on the sitting policy.
- A deductible applies on vet claims, which reduces small payouts.
- Non-pet business activities are not covered.
- No membership community or business resources bundled with the policy.
Who PCI fits
PCI is a strong first quote for a solo dog walker or pet sitter, particularly someone starting out who wants proper care, custody and control coverage at a low monthly cost. It also suits someone who finds clients through apps and wants coverage of their own rather than relying on a platform guarantee. If you are just starting, our guides on how to become a pet sitter and dog walking insurance cover the wider setup.
The alternatives worth quoting
- Pet Sitters Associates (PSA) is a long-running specialist program for sitters and walkers and a common second quote.
- Business Insurers of the Carolinas (BIC) offers a more configurable policy and has long-standing ties to the professional sitter associations. It suits sitters who employ staff or bid on commercial work.
- Kennel Pro is aimed at facilities rather than in-home sitters. If you run a boarding kennel or daycare with a building, it is in a different category, and our doggy daycare insurance guide covers that market.
- NAPPS, the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters, offers member insurance alongside certification and education. Pet Sitters International, at petsit.com, is the other large trade association and also points members to insurance options.
Get at least two quotes with the same limits, especially the same bailee limit, so you are comparing like with like. Our pet sitter insurance comparison sets out how the five providers differ.
Is PCI legit?
Yes. PCI is an established specialist agency placing policies with rated carriers, with published coverage terms and a large base of pet business customers. The real question is not whether it is legitimate but whether its base limits are enough for your work. For most solo walkers they are. For sitters handling several large dogs, raise the bailee and vet limits before you buy.
How we sourced this review
We used PCI's published coverage, pricing and bonding pages, its public review profile, and independent third-party reviews of PCI. Limits and prices were checked in October 2026 and change often. Your policy documents are the final word, so read the declarations page before you rely on any number here.