Running a pet sitting business by the rules: licences and compliance

What to take away

This article covers business licensing, insurance and recordkeeping for pet sitting and dog walking operators. It is not veterinary, legal, tax or insurance advice. Rules vary by state, province and city, so confirm each item with the authority named.

The licences that actually apply to pet sitting

There is no national pet sitting license in the United States, Canada or the United Kingdom. Permits come from a city or county animal services office, and sometimes a state agency sits on top. The requirements stack from three levels, and each level covers different work.

In the United States, four gates come before the first booking. Work through them in order.

The permit you hold depends on the service you sell. A walker who never takes a dog home needs less than a sitter who boards six dogs overnight.

City or municipal business license. Almost every jurisdiction requires one to operate a business at all, including a home-based one. Your city clerk or revenue department issues it. Fees are typically $50 to $500 a year, and they depend on the city, the business type and the number of employees.

Los Angeles calls its version a Business Tax Registration Certificate. Chicago issues business licenses through its Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection. In New York City, sole proprietors file a Business Certificate with the county clerk.

A home occupation permit often comes with the business license. It restricts client parking, signage and how many animals can be at the address.

Animal care or kennel permit. Many cities and counties require a separate permit for commercial animal care, boarding or walking. Proof of insurance is often a condition of issue. Permit fees typically run $100 to $500 a year, and renewals are annual.

States run their own versions. Colorado's Pet Animal Care Facilities Act (PACFA) licenses boarding kennels, day care and grooming through the state Department of Agriculture. Virginia requires a boarding establishment license from its Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

North Carolina licenses kennels under the Animal Welfare Act, administered by the NCDA&CS Animal Welfare Section.

Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 349 is the clearest city example. It licenses dog walkers, caps how many dogs one person may walk at once, and requires the operator to hold insurance.

Your own city may have an equivalent chapter buried in its municipal code. Search the code for animal care, kennel and dog walker.

State veterinary practice act. Every state has one, usually enforced by the board of veterinary medicine. This is the boundary that catches new sitters.

Administering medication on a veterinarian's written instruction is generally allowed. Deciding what to give, or treating an illness, is the practice of veterinary medicine.

Keep the vet's written instruction on file for every medicated animal. For anything beyond following that instruction, refer the client to their veterinarian.

State business registration and CRA registration. A US sole proprietor registers with the state and gets an EIN from the IRS on Form SS-4. Trading under a name other than your own usually means filing a DBA with the county clerk.

In Canada, GST/HST registration becomes mandatory once revenue passes the small-supplier threshold. The CRA sets that at $30,000 in taxable supplies in one calendar quarter or across four consecutive quarters. Ontario sitters follow the same rule, registering once revenue crosses that threshold.

Check the current figure on the CRA site rather than using a number from an old blog post.

Certification. Certification is not a license, but clients ask. Pet Sitters International runs the Certified Professional Pet Sitter program, the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters offers its own certification, and the American Red Cross sells an online Cat and Dog First Aid course, typically under $50.

Canada runs on a separate rulebook. Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 349 covers dog walker permits there, the Ontario Consumer Protection Act covers contracts, PIPEDA covers client data, and the CRA sets the GST/HST threshold.

Insurance and bonding, in plain terms

Insurance for a pet sitting business means three policies: general liability, care, custody and control, and bonding.

General liability covers third-party injury and property damage. It usually excludes animals in your care.

Care, custody and control cover is the endorsement or policy that responds when a client's animal is injured, lost or dies while with you. Ask your broker whether your policy has it, what the per-animal limit is, and whether it covers overnight stays as well as walks. Get the answer in writing.

A solo sitter typically pays a few hundred dollars a year for this cover, and more with overnight boarding.

General liability is widely available for small service businesses. Ask a broker for quotes from carriers such as The Hartford, Hiscox or Next Insurance. Specialist pet care programs, including the pet sitting liability plan sold through Business Insurers of the Carolinas, write cover for animals in your care. Pet Sitters Associates sells care, custody and control cover as well.

Bonding covers theft by an employee. If you send staff into client homes, clients will ask. A dishonesty bond is separate from your liability policy, and a small operation typically pays a few hundred dollars a year or less.

Some cities require proof of insurance before they issue the animal care permit. Toronto's dog walker license does. Check the requirement before you pay for a policy you cannot use.

Client agreements and the statutes behind them

A pet sitting agreement is a contract. In Ontario, the Consumer Protection Act sets out what a consumer contract must contain and gives clients cancellation rights in defined situations. Other provinces and states have their own consumer statutes.

A lawyer licensed in your province or state should review your template once, not every year.

In the US, no federal statute dictates the terms. The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule gives a buyer three business days to cancel a sale of $25 or more made in their home, which can cover a contract signed at the client's kitchen table.

Keep the version the client accepted. A signed PDF in a dated folder beats a verbal understanding every time a dispute starts.

Animal handling, sanitation and injury risk

The U.S. [Bureau of Labor Statistics: Animal Care and Service Workers entry describes the work as bathing, clipping, styling and nail care. The same entry covers animal handling, sanitation, customer communication and recordkeeping, and it flags physical injury as part of the job.

That is the compliance case for training, not a liability slogan.

Ask owners for proof of a current rabies vaccination and the city dog license tag before the first walk. Most jurisdictions require both, and a bite report usually starts with them.

Rabies vaccination proof and a business licence number are the two documents clients and inspectors ask for first. Every client file also needs rabies and distemper records plus a veterinary authorization.

• Wash hands between animals and after every clean-up. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Healthy Pets, Healthy People covers the diseases that pass between animals and people and the hygiene that prevents them.

No sitter should diagnose, treat or medicate an animal beyond a veterinarian's written instruction. Bites, injuries and emergencies go to a licensed veterinarian and, where required, to local animal control.

Privacy, records and accessibility

Client data is regulated. In Canada, PIPEDA governs how private-sector businesses collect, use and disclose personal information. Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec have their own statutes, and Quebec's Law 25 adds breach reporting and consent rules.

In the US, no single federal privacy law covers a small pet sitting business, but state laws do, and California's is the broadest.

The CCPA and CPRA apply to businesses above set thresholds, including about $25 million in annual revenue or personal data on 100,000 consumers. Most sitters fall below that line, but the rules shape what clients expect from your paperwork.

Accessibility applies to your website and your client-facing paperwork. The U.S. Department of Justice: ADA Guide for Small Businesses explains barrier removal, accessible routes and service practices for an existing facility, and how to judge what is readily achievable.

WCAG 2.2 level AA is the usual benchmark for a small website.

For a home-based business the practical items are a website that works with a screen reader and paperwork a client can read.

When you hire your first employee

Federal wage, overtime, timekeeping and recordkeeping duties begin with the first hire. The U.S. Department of Labor: New and Small Businesses sets out what a new employer must know. Your state adds its own minimum wage, overtime and scheduling rules on top of the federal floor.

The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, and overtime under the FLSA is 1.5 times the regular rate after 40 hours in a workweek.

Two decisions drive most of the cost:

Neither answer is universal. Confirm your situation with an employment lawyer or your state labor office before you build a pay model on it.

Worked example: a compliance file for one sitter

This is the pre-opening checklist format. Each row names the item, where it comes from and when it renews.

Build the same table for your own city and county. The blank cells are your to-do list.

Common questions

Do I need a license to walk dogs in my city?

Usually yes, though the name varies. Some cities issue a business license with an animal endorsement; others issue a standalone dog walker or kennel permit. Call your city clerk and your county animal services office, and ask what applies to a business walking dogs for pay. Get the answer in writing.

Does my general liability policy cover the animals?

Generally no. Animals in your care fall under care, custody and control cover, which is a separate endorsement or policy. Ask your broker to confirm in writing whether you have it, what the per-animal limit is, and whether overnight stays are included.

Can I give a client's dog its medication?

You can follow a veterinarian's written instruction. You cannot decide what to give or change a dose. Keep the written instruction on file for each medicated animal, and send anything outside that instruction back to the client's veterinarian.

What records should I keep, and for how long?

Keep these records:

These periods are typical, not legal advice. The IRS generally expects tax records kept for three years, and four years for employment tax records. Keep incident reports for at least your state's personal injury statute of limitations, commonly two to three years, and many operators keep them longer.

A common rule for client files is three years after the last visit, unless your insurer sets a longer period. Store client data under PIPEDA or your state privacy law, and delete it when the schedule says to.