# Insurance for dog breeders and dog businesses in Canada

URL: https://pawtrace.ca/insurance-for-dog-breeders-and-dog-businesses-in-canada/
Updated: 2026-10-20

The short answer

For a dog business, the first policy to ask a broker about is commercial general liability (CGL) insurance. It responds when a client or a member of the public is hurt, or their property is damaged, because of your business. A standard CGL policy can exclude property in your care, custody or control, and a client’s dog can fall into that gap, so ask your broker how the policy treats animals in your care. Walkers with client keys should ask about crime or bonding coverage. Trainers and groomers should ask about professional liability. In Ottawa, a boarding kennel licence requires proof of at least $2,000,000 in CGL coverage. Check any broker or agent on the RIBO or FSRA register before you buy.

Photo: [Александр Гросс / Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/man-brushing-dog-hair-dHIRbh9En6I)

This guide is general information for Canadian dog businesses, with Ontario and Ottawa examples. It is not insurance or legal advice. Policy wordings differ between insurers. A licensed broker or agent can tell you what a specific policy covers.

### Key takeaways

- Commercial general liability covers bodily injury and property damage to others that your business is legally liable for, plus the legal costs to defend you.

- A CGL policy can exclude damage to personal property in your care, custody or control. Ask how your policy treats a client’s dog in your care, and whether you need separate cover for it.

- Your home insurance is not business insurance. Tell your home insurer if you run a kennel, salon or daycare from home.

- In Ontario, a person who possesses or harbours a dog counts as its “owner” under the Dog Owners’ Liability Act. That can include a walker, daycare or kennel.

- Ottawa requires proof of CGL insurance for boarding kennel and pet shop licences. We found no City of Ottawa or Ontario rule that requires insurance for walkers, trainers, groomers or in-home breeders.

- Ontario brokers are licensed by RIBO. Insurance agents are licensed by FSRA. Both publish a search tool.

### The coverage types, in plain words

#### Commercial general liability (CGL)

The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) describes commercial liability insurance as cover for amounts you are legally obliged to pay for bodily injury or property damage to others, plus the legal costs to defend you in a lawsuit. For a dog business, typical risks are a client tripping over a leash in your salon, a dog in your group knocking down a cyclist, or a visitor bitten on your property. IBC notes that the personal liability section of a homeowner’s policy will typically not cover a home business. If clients come to your house, that matters.

#### Care, custody and control (animal bailee) coverage

This is the gap to ask about first. A CGL policy can exclude property damage to “personal property in your care, custody or control,” the wording quoted in a 2001 Ontario adjusters’ journal article. A 2001 article for the Ontario Insurance Adjusters Association explains that courts read this exclusion case by case, and that the law on it is unsettled. Holding someone else’s property is called bailment, and the article points to bailee’s insurance as the cover written for that relationship. Ask whether the insurer offers this cover for animals in your care, and what the policy calls it. Ask your broker one direct question: “If a client’s dog is injured, lost or dies while in my care, which part of my insurance responds, and what is the limit per animal?”

#### Professional liability (errors and omissions)

IBC describes professional liability as cover for claims that arise from professional negligence, such as inaccurate advice. IBC names dog grooming as an example: it says this insurance covers you if a service “such as hairdressing or dog grooming” goes awry and causes damage or injury. Trainers who give behaviour advice and breeders who advise buyers on care should ask whether they need it. IBC also notes that insurers define “professional” differently, so ask how yours does.

#### Property and equipment

Commercial property insurance protects your business’s physical assets. IBC lists tools and equipment, stock, furniture, signs, leasehold improvements and customer property at your site among the things you can insure, plus tools and equipment in transit or used off-site. For a groomer that means tables, dryers, clippers and a mobile van’s fit-out. For a breeder it can mean kennel buildings, whelping equipment and fencing. IBC warns that a homeowner’s policy offers only a small limit for business tools, and may not cover them away from home or in a vehicle.

#### Commercial auto when you transport dogs

Auto insurance is mandatory across Canada. IBC says any vehicle used by your business needs coverage under a commercial auto insurance policy. If you drive client dogs to a park, run a pick-up service, deliver puppies or operate a grooming van, tell your insurer how the vehicle is used. Ask whether your auto policy, your liability policy or neither covers a dog injured in the vehicle.

#### Bonding and crime coverage for walkers with keys

IBC lists crime insurance among the common types of business coverage. Walkers and pet sitters hold keys, alarm codes and access to homes. Ask your broker whether a fidelity bond or crime policy would cover theft from a client’s home, whether it covers you as the owner or only your staff, and whether a client must prove a conviction before a claim is paid.

#### Business interruption

Business interruption (BI) is an optional add-on to commercial property insurance. IBC explains that it replaces lost income if a covered peril, such as a fire, forces you to close. Insurance Bureau of Canada describes it as cover triggered by physical damage from a covered peril, paying until the business is restored or the cover period ends; ask your broker how long that period is on your policy. A daycare or boarding kennel that depends on one building is the clearest case. An “extra expense” form can pay for a temporary location so you keep serving clients.

#### Workplace insurance if you hire staff

Workplace injury cover is separate from your private policies. The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) says most Ontario businesses with employees must register, within 10 calendar days of hiring the first employee. Sole proprietors outside construction are not covered automatically but can buy optional coverage. Use the WSIB online questions to confirm your own position.

### Which coverage fits which business

The table below matches each coverage to each business type, based on what IBC says each coverage does. It is a starting list for your broker conversation, not a recommendation for your business.

| Coverage | Breeder | Walker | Trainer | Groomer | Daycare | Boarding kennel

| Commercial general liability | Yes, if buyers visit | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (required for an Ottawa licence)

| Care, custody and control (animal bailee) | If you board or stud client dogs | Yes | If dogs stay with you | Yes | Yes | Yes

| Professional liability | Ask, if you give paid advice | Ask | Yes | Yes (IBC example) | Ask | Ask

| Property and equipment | Kennel buildings, equipment | Leashes, gear | Training gear | Tables, dryers, van fit-out | Building contents | Building contents

| Commercial auto | If you deliver puppies | If you drive dogs | If you drive dogs | Mobile vans | Pick-up services | Pick-up services

| Crime or bonding | Rarely | Yes, if you hold keys | If you enter homes | If you enter homes | If staff handle cash | If staff handle cash

| Business interruption | Ask | Rarely | If you lease a facility | If you rent a salon | Yes | Yes

Coverage types against dog business types. Source for what each coverage does: Insurance Bureau of Canada. Ottawa requirement: City of Ottawa insurance certificate checklist. The fit for each business type is PawTrace’s general reading, not insurance advice.

### What each business type commonly needs, and why

- **Breeders.** Buyers visit your home to meet puppies and the mother. A home-based business needs its own liability cover, and IBC says you must tell your home insurer about a business on the premises. If you board other people’s dogs, offer stud service or keep a buyer’s puppy past pick-up, the dogs in your care raise the custody question.

- **Dog walkers.** You control several dogs in public. Under Ontario’s Dog Owners’ Liability Act, the “owner” of a dog includes a person who possesses or harbours it, and an owner is liable for damage from a bite or attack on a person or domestic animal, whether or not the owner was at fault. Liability cover, custody cover for the dogs themselves, and crime or bonding cover for keys are the core three.

- **Trainers.** Your advice is the service. Professional liability matters if a client says your method caused harm. Group classes add liability for the people and dogs in the room.

- **Groomers.** Sharp tools, dryers and restraint carry injury risk to the dog. IBC uses dog grooming as its own example of professional liability. A mobile groomer also needs to look at auto and equipment cover.

- **Daycares.** Many dogs together, staff and one building. Liability, custody cover, property, business interruption and, once you hire, WSIB.

- **Boarding kennels.** Overnight care is the longest custody period of any dog business. In Ottawa it is also the only dog-care business in this guide with a written insurance requirement for its licence.

### What Ottawa and Ontario rules require

**City of Ottawa, boarding kennels.** Under the City’s Animal Care and Control By-law (No. 2003-77), a boarding kennel is a premises where more than three dogs over 20 weeks old are boarded, raised or trained for pay, for any period that includes an overnight stay. The City’s insurance certificate checklist for boarding kennel and pet shop licences asks for $2 million in commercial general liability coverage, with the City of Ottawa named as an additional insured, and 30 days’ written notice of cancellation.

**City of Ottawa, other licences.** The City’s insurance certificate checklist lists “Boarding Kennel” and “Pet Shop” among the licence types that need an insurance certificate. Dog walkers, trainers, groomers and daytime-only daycares are not among the businesses regulated by Ottawa’s Licensing By-law (No. 2002-189), and we found no City insurance rule for them. Ask the City (3-1-1) before you open, because by-laws change.

**Other Ontario cities.** Rules differ by municipality. Toronto, for example, requires walkers who hold a Commercial Dog Walker Permit (four to six dogs on a commercial basis) to carry $2,000,000 in CGL coverage that names the City as an additional insured. Check your own city’s licensing page.

**Province of Ontario.** Ontario’s animal welfare law (the PAWS Act and its standards of care regulation) contains no insurance requirement, and we found no other Ontario law that requires breeders, walkers, trainers, groomers, daycares or kennels to carry liability insurance. IBC notes that auto insurance is mandatory across Canada, and WSIB registration applies to most Ontario businesses once they hire staff. The Dog Owners’ Liability Act shapes your risk even where insurance is optional.

### How to check a broker or agent in Ontario

Ontario splits licensing between two regulators. Check the person and the firm on the regulator’s own website, not through a link someone sends you.

- **Brokers: RIBO.** The Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario regulates general insurance brokers. Go to ribo.com, open Licensee Directory & Status, and use Broker Search for the person and Brokerage Search for the firm. RIBO calls this check “a crucial first step” and says it helps you avoid “ghost brokers” and scammers.

- **Agents: FSRA.** The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario licenses insurance agents. Its “Agents Licensed in Ontario” search lets you look up an agent by licence number or last name. FSRA issues three classes of agent licence: life (including accident and sickness), accident and sickness, and general. FSRA states that acting as an insurance agent without a licence is an offence under the Insurance Act.

- **Insurers.** FSRA also keeps a listing of insurance companies licensed in Ontario. Confirm that the company named on your policy appears on it.

- **If something is wrong.** FSRA warns consumers not to buy insurance from unlicensed individuals. Report a person who claims to be licensed but is not listed.

### Broker checklist: questions to ask

- Are you licensed by RIBO (broker) or FSRA (agent)? What is your licence number?

- For an Ottawa boarding kennel licence: will the certificate name the City of Ottawa as an additional insured, as the City’s checklist requires?

- Does my liability policy exclude animals in my care, custody or control? If so, what covers a client’s dog, and what is the limit per animal and per occurrence?

- Are dog bites covered? Are any breeds, sizes or dogs with a bite history excluded?

- Is off-leash time, group play or walking more than one dog covered? Is there a maximum number of dogs?

- Does the policy cover vet bills for a client’s dog injured in my care, or only my legal liability?

- Do I need professional liability for training, behaviour advice or grooming?

- Am I covered when I work from home, at a client’s home, in a park and in my vehicle?

- Does a bond or crime policy cover theft from a client’s home? Does it cover me as the owner?

- Are staff, contractors and volunteers covered? Do I need to register with WSIB?

- What is the deductible? IBC notes a higher deductible lowers the premium but raises what you pay on a claim.

- Will the certificate meet my city’s licence wording, such as Ottawa’s 30-day cancellation notice?

- What is not covered? IBC reminds business owners that no policy covers everything.

- Can you get quotes from more than one insurer? BDC advises asking brokers for several quotes and comparing exclusions, deductibles and liability limits.

### For dog owners and buyers: why to ask for proof

Ottawa’s Licensing By-law does not list walkers, trainers or groomers, so insurance is one of the few checks you can make yourself. Ask for a certificate of insurance, not a verbal yes. Check that the business name matches, the policy dates are current and the coverage types include liability. Then ask how the business would pay if your dog were hurt in its care, because liability cover alone may not answer that. You can confirm a certificate with the broker or insurer named on it. Our guides to [dog walker and daycare safety checks](https://pawtrace.ca/dog-walkers-and-daycare-safety-checks-before-you-book/) and [choosing a groomer](https://pawtrace.ca/choosing-a-groomer-questions-to-ask-and-red-flags/) list the other questions to ask.

### Myth vs fact

| Myth | Fact

| My home insurance covers my home dog business. | IBC says the personal liability section of a homeowner’s policy typically does not cover a home business. Tell your home insurer about the business.

| General liability covers a client’s dog that gets hurt with me. | A CGL policy can exclude personal property in your care, custody or control. Ask how your policy treats animals in your care.

| Only the dog’s owner is liable for a bite. | Under Ontario’s Dog Owners’ Liability Act, “owner” includes a person who possesses or harbours the dog.

| Insurance is legally required for every dog business in Ottawa. | The City requires it for boarding kennel and pet shop licences. We found no City rule for walkers, trainers, groomers or in-home breeders.

| Anyone selling insurance online is licensed. | Check brokers on RIBO’s register and agents on FSRA’s search. Acting as an agent without a licence is an offence in Ontario.

| Business interruption pays whenever I have to close. | IBC describes it as cover triggered by physical damage from a covered peril, such as a fire.

### How PawTrace helps

PawTrace is not an insurer or a broker, and has no commercial agreement with any insurer. Our free Dog services directory lists boarding kennels, daycares, groomers, trainers and walkers. A business that claims its listing can upload its registration and insurance certificate, and each item is labelled on the listing so owners can see how it was checked. If your business is listed, [claim your listing free](https://pawtrace.ca/for-services/). Breeders can start at [PawTrace for breeders](https://pawtrace.ca/breeders/).

### Frequently asked questions

Do dog walkers need insurance in Ottawa?
We found no City of Ottawa rule that requires it. Liability cover is still worth a broker conversation, because Ontario’s Dog Owners’ Liability Act can treat a walker as a dog’s owner for a bite or attack.

What insurance does a boarding kennel need in Ottawa?
The City’s insurance certificate checklist for boarding kennel licences asks for $2 million in commercial general liability coverage, with the City of Ottawa named as an additional insured, and 30 days’ written notice of cancellation. Confirm the current rule with the City (3-1-1) before you apply.

What is care, custody and control coverage?
Cover for property you hold for someone else, such as a client’s dog. It fills a gap left by the standard CGL exclusion for personal property in your care, custody or control. Ask your broker whether your insurer offers it for animals.

Do home-based breeders need business insurance?
IBC says you must tell your home insurer about a business on the premises, and that home policies typically do not cover business liability. Buyer visits are the main exposure.

Do groomers need professional liability?
IBC names dog grooming as an example of a service where professional liability covers you if the service goes wrong and causes damage or injury. Ask your broker how the insurer defines “professional”.

How do I check that a broker is licensed in Ontario?
Search the broker and the brokerage on RIBO’s Licensee Directory at ribo.com. For an agent, use FSRA’s “Agents Licensed in Ontario” search.

How much does dog business insurance cost?
FSRA, RIBO and IBC do not publish premium prices on the pages we checked. IBC says insurers set premiums on factors such as the type of business and the risk management in place. Ask a licensed broker for quotes.

### Keep reading

- [Dog walkers and daycare: safety checks before you book](https://pawtrace.ca/dog-walkers-and-daycare-safety-checks-before-you-book/)

- [Choosing a groomer: questions to ask and red flags](https://pawtrace.ca/choosing-a-groomer-questions-to-ask-and-red-flags/)

- [Finding a trainer: credentials that mean something](https://pawtrace.ca/how-to-choose-a-dog-trainer-in-canada/)

- [Breeder rules across Canada, province by province](https://pawtrace.ca/breeder-rules-across-canada-province-by-province/)

- [What a real puppy contract includes](https://pawtrace.ca/what-a-real-puppy-contract-includes/)

### Sources

All links checked October 16 2026.

- [Insurance Bureau of Canada: types of business insurance coverage](https://www.ibc.ca/insurance-basics/business/types-of-business-insurance-coverage)

- [Insurance Bureau of Canada: how to buy business insurance](https://www.ibc.ca/insurance-basics/business/how-to-buy-business-insurance)

- [Insurance Bureau of Canada: Commercial Insurance Basics Q&A (PDF, 2024)](https://a.storyblok.com/f/339220/981f3d89cc/commercial-ins-basics-qa.pdf)

- [R. Lee Akazaki: the meaning of “care, custody or control” in CGL policies (Ontario Insurance Adjusters Association journal, June 7 2001)](https://www.mondaq.com/canada/corporate-and-company-law/12006/leave-it-here-at-your-own-peril-the-baffling-meaning-of-care-custody-or-control-in-cgl-policies)

- [Ontario e-Laws: Dog Owners’ Liability Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. D.16 (current to October 13 2026)](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90d16)

- [City of Ottawa: Animal Care and Control By-law No. 2003-77 (boarding kennel definition)](https://ottawa.ca/en/animal-care-and-control-law-no-2003-77)

- [City of Ottawa: businesses regulated by Licensing By-law No. 2002-189, checked October 16 2026](https://ottawa.ca/en/living-ottawa/laws-licences-and-permits/laws/laws-z/licensing-law-no-2002-189/businesses-regulated-licensing-law-no-2002-189)

- [Ontario e-Laws: Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019, checked October 16 2026](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/19p13)

- [Ontario e-Laws: O. Reg. 444/19, standards of care, checked October 16 2026](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/190444)

- [City of Ottawa: insurance certificate checklist, required wording (PDF)](https://documents.ottawa.ca/sites/default/files/check_2mil_en.pdf)

- [City of Toronto: Commercial Dog Walker Permit (modified January 8 2026)](https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/permits-licences-bylaws/commercial-dog-walker-permit/)

- [Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario (RIBO): Licensee Directory & Status](https://www.ribo.com/consumer-information/licensee-directory-status/)

- [Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA): Agents Licensed in Ontario search](http://alias2a.fsco.gov.on.ca/agents.aspx)

- [FSRA: licensed insurance companies in Ontario](https://www.fsrao.ca/industry/life-and-health-insurance/licensed-insurance-companies-ontario)

- [FSRA: warning about unlicensed individuals offering insurance (December 20 2021)](https://fsrao.ca/newsroom/fsra-warns-consumers-about-unlicensed-individuals-offering-automobile-insurance-ontario)

- [WSIB: do you need to register with us? (updated July 30 2026)](https://wsib.ca/en/businesses/registration-and-coverage/do-you-need-register-us)

- [BDC: what business insurance do you need? (modified February 7 2023)](https://www.bdc.ca/en/articles-tools/business-strategy-planning/manage-business/what-business-insurance-do-you-need)