Animal Welfare Professionals

I was wondering with more organizations using fosters, how is your liability insurance set up, who is your insurance company, and what does it cover for fosters?  

#FosterPrograms
#OrganizationalManagement
#PetSupportServices*

------------------------------
Susan MIller
Director of Operations
PACT for Animals
------------------------------

I was wondering with more organizations using fosters, how is your liability insurance set up, who is your insurance company, and what does it cover for fosters?  

#FosterPrograms
#OrganizationalManagement
#PetSupportServices*

------------------------------
Susan MIller
Director of Operations
PACT for Animals
------------------------------

I was wondering with more organizations using fosters, how is your liability insurance set up, who is your insurance company, and what does it cover for fosters?  

#FosterPrograms
#OrganizationalManagement
#PetSupportServices*

------------------------------
Susan MIller
Director of Operations
PACT for Animals
------------------------------

I was wondering with more organizations using fosters, how is your liability insurance set up, who is your insurance company, and what does it cover for fosters?  

#FosterPrograms
#OrganizationalManagement
#PetSupportServices*

------------------------------
Susan MIller
Director of Operations
PACT for Animals
------------------------------

Foster-based rescue here.  Our commercial general liability policy specifically requires us to identify how many foster homes we have -- not identify them by address bc that's constantly changing, but the number -- and that's the upper limit of animals we can ever have in foster.  If we raise the number, the insurance goes up.  It covers liability for the rescue not for the foster (who's an excluded volunteer) but for others who might be injured -- e.g, if our dog were to bite a visitor to the home, which I hope never, ever happens.

We also have fosters check with their homeowners carrier to verify there's not a breed restriction on their policy regarding GSDs as that's the policy that covers themselves. 

The foster contract has specific instructions about communicable zoonotic diseases (like roundworms) and waives liability for such things as well as damage to premises for dogs in their care.  Our insurance carrier is very proactive about that stuff. 

FWIW, I think any rescue that cannot afford liability insurance shouldn't be in business.  It's just irresponsible.....and it happens a lot.   I've known several rescues that had 5-figure settlements for issues that happened at adoption events, so we don't do those any more.  We had to pause operations for a bit last year when our carrier left the state and our agent couldn't find replacement coverage -- it's become really hard to find coverage in my state and took me a few months to find a carrier still writing shelter/rescue policies. 

------------------------------
Maggie Thomas
President
Red Stick German Shepherd Rescue

Original Message:
Sent: 07-25-2023 01:28 PM
From: Susan MIller
Subject: Foster Home Insurance Coverage

I was wondering with more organizations using fosters, how is your liability insurance set up, who is your insurance company, and what does it cover for fosters?  

#FosterPrograms
#OrganizationalManagement
#PetSupportServices*

------------------------------
Susan MIller
Director of Operations
PACT for Animals
------------------------------

Hi Maggie,

I have a question on liability insurance and wonder if you can tell me what company you are working with. I am a trainer and have liability insurance for my service. I started to work with some rescue and am thinking of fostering dogs short term to work with them. I don't know if this is different from board and train but wondering what kind of insurance I should carry for fostering or board and train. Thanks.

Foster-based rescue here.  Our commercial general liability policy specifically requires us to identify how many foster homes we have -- not identify them by address bc that's constantly changing, but the number -- and that's the upper limit of animals we can ever have in foster.  If we raise the number, the insurance goes up.  It covers liability for the rescue not for the foster (who's an excluded volunteer) but for others who might be injured -- e.g, if our dog were to bite a visitor to the home, which I hope never, ever happens.

We also have fosters check with their homeowners carrier to verify there's not a breed restriction on their policy regarding GSDs as that's the policy that covers themselves. 

The foster contract has specific instructions about communicable zoonotic diseases (like roundworms) and waives liability for such things as well as damage to premises for dogs in their care.  Our insurance carrier is very proactive about that stuff. 

FWIW, I think any rescue that cannot afford liability insurance shouldn't be in business.  It's just irresponsible.....and it happens a lot.   I've known several rescues that had 5-figure settlements for issues that happened at adoption events, so we don't do those any more.  We had to pause operations for a bit last year when our carrier left the state and our agent couldn't find replacement coverage -- it's become really hard to find coverage in my state and took me a few months to find a carrier still writing shelter/rescue policies. 

------------------------------
Maggie Thomas
President
Red Stick German Shepherd Rescue

Original Message:
Sent: 07-25-2023 01:28 PM
From: Susan MIller
Subject: Foster Home Insurance Coverage

I was wondering with more organizations using fosters, how is your liability insurance set up, who is your insurance company, and what does it cover for fosters?  

#FosterPrograms
#OrganizationalManagement
#PetSupportServices*

------------------------------
Susan MIller
Director of Operations
PACT for Animals
------------------------------

Foster-based rescue here.  Our commercial general liability policy specifically requires us to identify how many foster homes we have -- not identify them by address bc that's constantly changing, but the number -- and that's the upper limit of animals we can ever have in foster.  If we raise the number, the insurance goes up.  It covers liability for the rescue not for the foster (who's an excluded volunteer) but for others who might be injured -- e.g, if our dog were to bite a visitor to the home, which I hope never, ever happens.

We also have fosters check with their homeowners carrier to verify there's not a breed restriction on their policy regarding GSDs as that's the policy that covers themselves. 

The foster contract has specific instructions about communicable zoonotic diseases (like roundworms) and waives liability for such things as well as damage to premises for dogs in their care.  Our insurance carrier is very proactive about that stuff. 

FWIW, I think any rescue that cannot afford liability insurance shouldn't be in business.  It's just irresponsible.....and it happens a lot.   I've known several rescues that had 5-figure settlements for issues that happened at adoption events, so we don't do those any more.  We had to pause operations for a bit last year when our carrier left the state and our agent couldn't find replacement coverage -- it's become really hard to find coverage in my state and took me a few months to find a carrier still writing shelter/rescue policies. 

------------------------------
Maggie Thomas
President
Red Stick German Shepherd Rescue

Original Message:
Sent: 07-25-2023 01:28 PM
From: Susan MIller
Subject: Foster Home Insurance Coverage

I was wondering with more organizations using fosters, how is your liability insurance set up, who is your insurance company, and what does it cover for fosters?  

#FosterPrograms
#OrganizationalManagement
#PetSupportServices*

------------------------------
Susan MIller
Director of Operations
PACT for Animals
------------------------------

Hi Maggie-

Our local shelter has been adverse to setting up a foster program for the dogs and we (me and 2 other volunteers) are trying to get our proposal in order to start a program.  

They have specifically been hesitant because of "liability".  Can you share your foster agreement form and if you have any training programs for new fosters, how you go about training fosters to come on board?  Thank you so much.

Foster-based rescue here.  Our commercial general liability policy specifically requires us to identify how many foster homes we have -- not identify them by address bc that's constantly changing, but the number -- and that's the upper limit of animals we can ever have in foster.  If we raise the number, the insurance goes up.  It covers liability for the rescue not for the foster (who's an excluded volunteer) but for others who might be injured -- e.g, if our dog were to bite a visitor to the home, which I hope never, ever happens.

We also have fosters check with their homeowners carrier to verify there's not a breed restriction on their policy regarding GSDs as that's the policy that covers themselves. 

The foster contract has specific instructions about communicable zoonotic diseases (like roundworms) and waives liability for such things as well as damage to premises for dogs in their care.  Our insurance carrier is very proactive about that stuff. 

FWIW, I think any rescue that cannot afford liability insurance shouldn't be in business.  It's just irresponsible.....and it happens a lot.   I've known several rescues that had 5-figure settlements for issues that happened at adoption events, so we don't do those any more.  We had to pause operations for a bit last year when our carrier left the state and our agent couldn't find replacement coverage -- it's become really hard to find coverage in my state and took me a few months to find a carrier still writing shelter/rescue policies. 

------------------------------
Maggie Thomas
President
Red Stick German Shepherd Rescue

Original Message:
Sent: 07-25-2023 01:28 PM
From: Susan MIller
Subject: Foster Home Insurance Coverage

I was wondering with more organizations using fosters, how is your liability insurance set up, who is your insurance company, and what does it cover for fosters?  

#FosterPrograms
#OrganizationalManagement
#PetSupportServices*

------------------------------
Susan MIller
Director of Operations
PACT for Animals
------------------------------

Fosters are desperately needed everywhere! Without them, so many more dogs will not even get a chance. Please ask everyone here and vet your foster families well. We need them :)

Hi Maggie-

Our local shelter has been adverse to setting up a foster program for the dogs and we (me and 2 other volunteers) are trying to get our proposal in order to start a program.  

They have specifically been hesitant because of "liability".  Can you share your foster agreement form and if you have any training programs for new fosters, how you go about training fosters to come on board?  Thank you so much.

Foster-based rescue here.  Our commercial general liability policy specifically requires us to identify how many foster homes we have -- not identify them by address bc that's constantly changing, but the number -- and that's the upper limit of animals we can ever have in foster.  If we raise the number, the insurance goes up.  It covers liability for the rescue not for the foster (who's an excluded volunteer) but for others who might be injured -- e.g, if our dog were to bite a visitor to the home, which I hope never, ever happens.

We also have fosters check with their homeowners carrier to verify there's not a breed restriction on their policy regarding GSDs as that's the policy that covers themselves. 

The foster contract has specific instructions about communicable zoonotic diseases (like roundworms) and waives liability for such things as well as damage to premises for dogs in their care.  Our insurance carrier is very proactive about that stuff. 

FWIW, I think any rescue that cannot afford liability insurance shouldn't be in business.  It's just irresponsible.....and it happens a lot.   I've known several rescues that had 5-figure settlements for issues that happened at adoption events, so we don't do those any more.  We had to pause operations for a bit last year when our carrier left the state and our agent couldn't find replacement coverage -- it's become really hard to find coverage in my state and took me a few months to find a carrier still writing shelter/rescue policies. 

------------------------------
Maggie Thomas
President
Red Stick German Shepherd Rescue

Original Message:
Sent: 07-25-2023 01:28 PM
From: Susan MIller
Subject: Foster Home Insurance Coverage

I was wondering with more organizations using fosters, how is your liability insurance set up, who is your insurance company, and what does it cover for fosters?  

#FosterPrograms
#OrganizationalManagement
#PetSupportServices*

------------------------------
Susan MIller
Director of Operations
PACT for Animals
------------------------------

Fosters are desperately needed everywhere! Without them, so many more dogs will not even get a chance. Please ask everyone here and vet your foster families well. We need them :)

Hi Maggie-

Our local shelter has been adverse to setting up a foster program for the dogs and we (me and 2 other volunteers) are trying to get our proposal in order to start a program.  

They have specifically been hesitant because of "liability".  Can you share your foster agreement form and if you have any training programs for new fosters, how you go about training fosters to come on board?  Thank you so much.

Foster-based rescue here.  Our commercial general liability policy specifically requires us to identify how many foster homes we have -- not identify them by address bc that's constantly changing, but the number -- and that's the upper limit of animals we can ever have in foster.  If we raise the number, the insurance goes up.  It covers liability for the rescue not for the foster (who's an excluded volunteer) but for others who might be injured -- e.g, if our dog were to bite a visitor to the home, which I hope never, ever happens.

We also have fosters check with their homeowners carrier to verify there's not a breed restriction on their policy regarding GSDs as that's the policy that covers themselves. 

The foster contract has specific instructions about communicable zoonotic diseases (like roundworms) and waives liability for such things as well as damage to premises for dogs in their care.  Our insurance carrier is very proactive about that stuff. 

FWIW, I think any rescue that cannot afford liability insurance shouldn't be in business.  It's just irresponsible.....and it happens a lot.   I've known several rescues that had 5-figure settlements for issues that happened at adoption events, so we don't do those any more.  We had to pause operations for a bit last year when our carrier left the state and our agent couldn't find replacement coverage -- it's become really hard to find coverage in my state and took me a few months to find a carrier still writing shelter/rescue policies. 

------------------------------
Maggie Thomas
President
Red Stick German Shepherd Rescue

Original Message:
Sent: 07-25-2023 01:28 PM
From: Susan MIller
Subject: Foster Home Insurance Coverage

I was wondering with more organizations using fosters, how is your liability insurance set up, who is your insurance company, and what does it cover for fosters?  

#FosterPrograms
#OrganizationalManagement
#PetSupportServices*

------------------------------
Susan MIller
Director of Operations
PACT for Animals
------------------------------

Hi Maggie-

Our local shelter has been adverse to setting up a foster program for the dogs and we (me and 2 other volunteers) are trying to get our proposal in order to start a program.  

They have specifically been hesitant because of "liability".  Can you share your foster agreement form and if you have any training programs for new fosters, how you go about training fosters to come on board?  Thank you so much.

------------------------------
Carol McKee
veterinarian
Benzie Area Affordable Spay/Neuter PLLC
MI

Original Message:
Sent: 07-26-2023 01:29 PM
From: Maggie Thomas
Subject: Foster Home Insurance Coverage

Foster-based rescue here.  Our commercial general liability policy specifically requires us to identify how many foster homes we have -- not identify them by address bc that's constantly changing, but the number -- and that's the upper limit of animals we can ever have in foster.  If we raise the number, the insurance goes up.  It covers liability for the rescue not for the foster (who's an excluded volunteer) but for others who might be injured -- e.g, if our dog were to bite a visitor to the home, which I hope never, ever happens.

We also have fosters check with their homeowners carrier to verify there's not a breed restriction on their policy regarding GSDs as that's the policy that covers themselves. 

The foster contract has specific instructions about communicable zoonotic diseases (like roundworms) and waives liability for such things as well as damage to premises for dogs in their care.  Our insurance carrier is very proactive about that stuff. 

FWIW, I think any rescue that cannot afford liability insurance shouldn't be in business.  It's just irresponsible.....and it happens a lot.   I've known several rescues that had 5-figure settlements for issues that happened at adoption events, so we don't do those any more.  We had to pause operations for a bit last year when our carrier left the state and our agent couldn't find replacement coverage -- it's become really hard to find coverage in my state and took me a few months to find a carrier still writing shelter/rescue policies. 

------------------------------
Maggie Thomas
President
Red Stick German Shepherd Rescue

Original Message:
Sent: 07-25-2023 01:28 PM
From: Susan MIller
Subject: Foster Home Insurance Coverage

I was wondering with more organizations using fosters, how is your liability insurance set up, who is your insurance company, and what does it cover for fosters?  

#FosterPrograms
#OrganizationalManagement
#PetSupportServices*

------------------------------
Susan MIller
Director of Operations
PACT for Animals
------------------------------

Hi Maggie-

Our local shelter has been adverse to setting up a foster program for the dogs and we (me and 2 other volunteers) are trying to get our proposal in order to start a program.  

They have specifically been hesitant because of "liability".  Can you share your foster agreement form and if you have any training programs for new fosters, how you go about training fosters to come on board?  Thank you so much.

Foster-based rescue here.  Our commercial general liability policy specifically requires us to identify how many foster homes we have -- not identify them by address bc that's constantly changing, but the number -- and that's the upper limit of animals we can ever have in foster.  If we raise the number, the insurance goes up.  It covers liability for the rescue not for the foster (who's an excluded volunteer) but for others who might be injured -- e.g, if our dog were to bite a visitor to the home, which I hope never, ever happens.

We also have fosters check with their homeowners carrier to verify there's not a breed restriction on their policy regarding GSDs as that's the policy that covers themselves. 

The foster contract has specific instructions about communicable zoonotic diseases (like roundworms) and waives liability for such things as well as damage to premises for dogs in their care.  Our insurance carrier is very proactive about that stuff. 

FWIW, I think any rescue that cannot afford liability insurance shouldn't be in business.  It's just irresponsible.....and it happens a lot.   I've known several rescues that had 5-figure settlements for issues that happened at adoption events, so we don't do those any more.  We had to pause operations for a bit last year when our carrier left the state and our agent couldn't find replacement coverage -- it's become really hard to find coverage in my state and took me a few months to find a carrier still writing shelter/rescue policies. 

------------------------------
Maggie Thomas
President
Red Stick German Shepherd Rescue

Original Message:
Sent: 07-25-2023 01:28 PM
From: Susan MIller
Subject: Foster Home Insurance Coverage

I was wondering with more organizations using fosters, how is your liability insurance set up, who is your insurance company, and what does it cover for fosters?  

#FosterPrograms
#OrganizationalManagement
#PetSupportServices*

------------------------------
Susan MIller
Director of Operations
PACT for Animals
------------------------------

I was wondering with more organizations using fosters, how is your liability insurance set up, who is your insurance company, and what does it cover for fosters?  

#FosterPrograms
#OrganizationalManagement
#PetSupportServices*

------------------------------
Susan MIller
Director of Operations
PACT for Animals
------------------------------

I was wondering with more organizations using fosters, how is your liability insurance set up, who is your insurance company, and what does it cover for fosters?  

#FosterPrograms
#OrganizationalManagement
#PetSupportServices*

------------------------------
Susan MIller
Director of Operations
PACT for Animals
------------------------------