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Pet Store Insurance
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Authored and Reviewed by: Sam Meenasian, Licensed Insurance Professional (CA License #0F75955) Last Updated 1/20/2026 |
| This overview is for educational purposes only and is not legal, tax, or insurance advice. Coverage terms and availability vary by state, carrier, and risk. |
Owning a pet store and pet supply establishment is similar to owning a retail store. One key difference is that you work with live animals in addition to the supply products. This means you have the added responsibility of caring for your inventory as well as keeping your employees and customers happy. While rewarding, owning a pet store can have its share of pitfalls as well. Protect your company and all parties involved by making sure you have the right types of small business insurance coverage.
We’ve specialized in pet store insurance since 2007, backed by nearly two decades of experience in commercial insurance.
General Liability Insurance
General liability insurance helps protect your pet store from certain third-party claims, such as a customer’s injury in your shop, damage to someone else’s property, or specific personal and advertising injury allegations. Coverage depends on the policy’s terms, conditions, and exclusions.
GL typically does not cover damage to your own building or inventory (that’s usually commercial property coverage), and it generally won’t replace lost revenue after a shutdown (that’s typically business income/interruption coverage).
Business Owners Policy (BOP)
A Business Owners Policy (BOP) commonly bundles general liability with commercial property coverage and may include business income coverage for many small-to midsize businesses. Insurers often offer optional endorsements to tailor the BOP to your pet store’s risks.
- Equipment Breakdown – A BOP may help cover the cost of repairing or replacing equipment if it malfunctions.
- Buildings and Contents – A BOP helps pay for repairs to your business structures when they’re damaged. Your pet store itself, for example, can receive roof damage in a storm. The BOP also protects the tangible assets you have inside the store.
- Business Income and Extra Expense – Sometimes events cause enough damage to cause you to suspend business operations until repairs or replacements can be made. Your BOP can help with lost income during those times, and provide for extra temporary expenses you may incur as a result of the shutdown. For instance, if you had to pay for temporary shelter for your pets while your store's roof was being repaired, the BOP could cover the temporary shelter expenses for you.
- Products and Completed Operations (Included in General Liability) – Helps with covered third-party claims alleging that a product you sold (or your operations) caused bodily injury or property damage.
- Electronic Data – If you keep important business files and information in digital format, a BOP can cover the replacement and recovery expenses if those files are ever damaged.
- Newly Acquired or Constructed Buildings – If you buy or build new spaces for your pet store, a BOP can protect them from damage and loss as well.
- Valuable Papers & Records – Any critical paperwork that you keep in physical form needs to be protected from loss by your BOP. If you retain pet registration, licensing and breeding information for example, they can be quite expensive and time consuming to replace if they were damaged in a flood or destroyed in a fire.
- Employee Dishonesty Coverage – When you have employees there is always the risk that one will perform dishonest acts. As the owner of the pet store, you can be held liable for those actions.
Workers Comp Insurance
Workers’ compensation insurance is regulated at the state level. In many states, it’s required once you hire employees, but requirements and exemptions vary. Workers’ comp can help pay for covered medical care and wage benefits if an employee is injured on the job.
Commercial Auto Insurance
A commercial auto insurance policy protects you from losses that can occur when you or an employee has an auto accident.
Pet-Store-Specific Add-Ons
Depending on your operations, these coverages can be important:
- Animal Bailee / Care, Custody & Control (CCC): Helps address incidents involving animals while they’re in your care.
- Crime / Employee Theft: Helps with certain theft losses involving money, securities, or property.
- Cyber Liability: Helpful if you store customer data, accept card payments, or rely on digital systems.
- Employment Practices Liability (EPLI): If you have employees, EPLI may help with certain employment-related claims (coverage varies).
- Excess Liability: Additional limits above underlying liability policies.
Why choose us
Numbers that prove it.
Independent. Licensed in all 50 states. Backed by partnerships with the carriers that matter to your business.
1,000+
Trades Insured
18+
Years In Business
240+
Years In Business
Our Partners
We partner with A-Rated AM Best Insurance Companies (ratings subject to change)
FAQ for Pet Store Insurance
Is general liability required by law?
Often no—but landlords, lenders, vendors, and commercial leases frequently require it.
Does insurance automatically cover animals in my care?
Not always. Ask specifically about animal bailee / CCC-related options if animals are part of your operations.
Does a BOP include cyber coverage?
Some policies include limited electronic data coverage, but cyber events often require a dedicated cyber policy depending on your risk profile.