The offers that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site, including, for example, the order in which they may appear within the listing categories. But this compensation does not influence the information we publish, or the reviews that you see on this site. We do not include the universe of companies or financial offers that may be available to you.
We are an independent, advertising-supported comparison service. Our goal is to help you make smarter financial decisions by providing you with interactive tools and financial calculators, publishing original and objective content, by enabling you to conduct research and compare information for free – so that you can make financial decisions with confidence. Bankrate has partnerships with issuers including, but not limited to, American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Discover.
Definition and cost of a service dog
Service dogs, also known as assistance dogs or helper dogs, are working animals that have been trained to assist people with disabilities. Because they require years of specialized training, service dogs can be quite expensive.
According to the National Service Animal Registry, a service dog costs between $17,000 and $40,000 to purchase, in addition to several thousands of dollars for food, supplies, and veterinary care.
The cost will depend on the provider as well as the type of service dog. For instance, psychiatric service dogs are usually less expensive than service dogs for visually impaired individuals. This is because these service dogs tend to require more effort and time to train.
The Risk of Owning a Working Dog
The issue with working dogs, as opposed to pet dogs, is that they are working with new people or strangers on a regular basis. This carries a certain amount of risk. In the unfortunate event of a working dog causing an injury, those people are more likely to sue the owner or organization for using what they perceive as an unsafe animal.
Despite the risk, however, there’s no doubt about it: working dogs are an essential asset to many individuals and organizations.
Training the dogs takes considerable time, effort, and, of course, money. With the added possibility of facing a lawsuit, these dogs can quickly become very expensive to maintain.
While working dogs are generally considered reliable and safe, we must not forget that they are animals and that they have minds of their own.
Dogs can deliver a powerful bite, particularly if they are startled or feel unsafe. This is where people who have working dogs can find themselves in difficulty. And this is the reason that insurance for working dogs is so important.
Take a look at these statistics. Although these are statistics for all dogs, working dogs make up a proportion of the numbers.
You can protect yourself from potential lawsuits by getting liability coverage. The problem is that most insurers won’t provide coverage for working dogs. Or, if they do, you’ll find that they only cover certain breeds. These will not be the breeds that are classified as “dangerous.”
Fortunately, there is an answer to this problem. We are specialists at providing liability insurance solutions for a wide range of activities and businesses that other insurers refuse to cover.
XINSURANCE is powered by Evolution Insurance Brokers, LC (“EIB”), an excess and surplus lines insurance brokerage. With over 40 years of experience, we can offer customized coverage via our all-in-one approach.
This approach means we look at each business or person individually. We assess their situation and needs. Then we create a plan that covers their requirements for liability. Our unique offering allows us to provide broader coverage as well as higher limits (up to $10 million limits with higher limits available through reinsurance partners).
For those that have working dogs, we are proud to be able to offer insurance for working dogs:
Please note that our insurance for working dogs does not cover bites to the insured or insured’s family. Nor do we cover damage to property that the insured owns or rents.
The types of working dog that we can provide coverage for include:
This list is not exhaustive. If you have a working dog that doesn’t fit into these categories, please give us a call to see how we can help you.
If you have a pet that isn’t classified as “working” and you would like to protect yourself from liability, XINSURANCE can also help you via our Animal Liability coverage.
If you provide therapy dogs as a business, you’ll probably already be familiar with insurance for therapy dogs. You’ll likely have it in place already. A lot of people don’t realize, however, that the coverage tends only to cover volunteering activities. This means the insurance is only covering your therapy dogs if they engage in activities that do not involve payment.
If at any point you plan to use your therapy dogs for commercial work, you could be in for a shock if something happens and you find that your insurance is invalid. An incident could be devastating financially, so it’s important that you find an insurance that covers you for commercial therapy dogs and gives you peace of mind.
XINSURANCE’s solution to Commercial Therapy Dog Insurance is designed to provide comprehensive insurance no matter what the activity is that your dog engages in. We pride ourselves on giving our customers peace of mind knowing they’re covered adequately for commercial activities.
The policy protects from claims against you as well as litigation and the coverage can be fully customized to suit your requirements. Furthermore, we cover any breed of dog, regardless of the experience they have so if you have a specific breed of dog that’s usually difficult to find insurance for, we at XINSURANCE can help you.
XINSURANCE is powered by Evolution Insurance Brokers, LC (“EIB”), an excess and surplus lines insurance brokerage. Our underwriting team has over 40 years of experience so you can be reassured that we are the experts in providing insurance solutions that perfectly fit your needs.
Is Pet Insurance Worth It? Advice From A Veterinarian
Therapy dogs are working animals, but the job they perform involves much more than task completion. Dogs who have completed obedience training and have been tested for appropriate temperament may continue onward, with their handler, to be trained to provide therapy services. Therapy dogs travel, with their handler, outside of their home to provide service in various facilities including but not limited to hospitals, nursing homes, schools, daycare, rehabilitation centers, and offices. Dogs are affectionate creatures, and highly trained therapy dogs offer psychological or physiological intervention to individuals who are striving to overcome difficult physical, medical, and emotional situations.
Observing dogs in public places is all too familiar as establishments become more pet-friendly. Sometimes it is difficult to determine whether dogs are pets or whether they are providing therapy or service to individuals in need. Often, dogs providing therapy or service are designated by visible gear such as a vest or walking harness. It is important to note the distinction between therapy dogs and service dogs, as each receives specific training and each interacts differently with the individuals, not handlers, whom they are providing a service.
These working dogs are trained by their owners and typically provide service on a volunteer basis. Therapy dogs are expected to not
be easily startled, should be commanded by voice, should not eat dropped food or beg for food, and should be well adapted to working with a variety of people in situations where petting is highly encouraged. Dogs providing therapy are not granted access to establishments such as service dogs are granted access via the Americans with Disabilities Act.
These working dogs are trained by professionals and taught to provide assistance to persons with disabilities. Persons assisted by a service dog must be accompanied by the dog in a variety of public places, therefore, service dog access is enforced by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Service dogs assist individuals to achieve safety and independence, typically by providing mobility assistance. Petting of service dogs is not encouraged.