Provider Policies

7. Insurance — general requirements

7.1 Required coverage

Every active Provider on WellKept Pet must carry and maintain commercial pet-care liability insurance meeting at minimum the following limits:

• Commercial General Liability: $1,000,000 per occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate
• Care, Custody and Control (Animal Bailee): $25,000

Personal homeowner's, renter's, or umbrella insurance does not satisfy this requirement, regardless of whether such policies appear to cover pet-related incidents. The policy must be commercial pet-care liability coverage.

Service-specific Addenda may recommend or require additional insurance lines or higher limits (for example, Trainers are strongly encouraged to carry Professional Liability — see Addendum C). Where an Addendum imposes a higher requirement, the higher requirement controls.

7.2 Certificate of Insurance and verification

Providers upload a Certificate of Insurance ("COI") during onboarding and on each renewal. WellKept Pet classifies each COI into one of the statuses below; the Provider's booking access depends on that status.

7.3 Additional Insured status — three acceptable paths

You represent that the policy or policies meeting the insurance requirements of these Policies and any applicable Addendum either:

• (a) name WellKept Pet LLC as an Additional Insured;
• (b) contain blanket Additional Insured language covering any entity you contract with in writing (in which case these Policies constitute such written contract); or
• (c) you will obtain such Additional Insured status within thirty (30) days of executing these Policies.

You further indemnify WellKept Pet LLC for any claim arising from your Services, regardless of whether WellKept Pet LLC is named as an Additional Insured on your policy.

7.4 Continuous coverage; notice of lapse

Your insurance coverage must remain continuously in force during all periods you are active on the Platform. You shall provide WellKept Pet with notice within forty-eight (48) hours of any cancellation, non-renewal, lapse, or material reduction in coverage. WellKept Pet may automatically restrict your access to new bookings during any period in which your coverage has lapsed or cannot be verified.

7.5 Owner access to COI

Owners may request your Certificate of Insurance through the Platform once a booking is in progress. Any incident occurring during a Service is handled by your policy, not by WellKept Pet. See also Section 6 of our Terms of Service.

Addendum A — Sitting Services

A.1 Sitter-specific conduct standards

• If sitting in the Owner's home, do not invite guests, host gatherings, or permit any other person to enter the home without the Owner's written authorization.
• If boarding in your own home, ensure the environment is safe for the Owner's pet: secured fencing if applicable, no exposed hazards, no incompatible pets without Owner consent, and adequate separation from any other pets in your home if requested.
• Maintain the Owner's feeding schedule, exercise schedule, and any prescribed medication regimen exactly as instructed.
• Sleep arrangements must accommodate the pet's normal needs (e.g., a senior dog that sleeps in the bedroom should not be separated overnight without the Owner's explicit authorization).
• Provide at least one (1) photo or video update per twenty-four (24) hour period of a boarding or house-sit booking, in addition to acknowledgments at feeding and walk times.
• Do not bathe, groom, or alter the pet's appearance (including trimming nails or fur) without Owner authorization.

A.2 Sitter-specific prohibitions

• Do not take a pet to your own home if booked as house-sitter at the Owner's home, except in a documented emergency (fire, flood, etc.) and only with immediate notification to the Owner.
• Do not leave a pet unattended for longer than the period specified in the booking confirmation or, if not specified, longer than four (4) consecutive hours for dogs and eight (8) consecutive hours for cats. Special-needs pets may require shorter intervals per Owner instructions.
• Do not bring the Owner's pet into contact with pets you do not personally know to be vaccinated and healthy.
• Do not enter areas of the Owner's home outside what is reasonably necessary to provide care, unless the Owner has specifically permitted it.

A.3 Sitter insurance

The general insurance requirements in Section 7 apply to Sitters. No additional insurance lines beyond Commercial General Liability ($1M/$2M) and Care, Custody and Control ($25K) are required for Sitters.

Addendum B — Walking Services

B.1 Walker-specific conduct standards

• Always use a properly fitted leash and harness or collar appropriate to the pet's size and behavior. Retractable leashes are prohibited in any walking Service due to elevated injury and escape risk.
• Maintain physical control of the pet at all times. Off-leash walking is prohibited unless (i) the location is a fully enclosed off-leash area legally permitted by the operator, and (ii) the Owner has expressly authorized off-leash access for that specific location.
• Adapt walks to the pet's physical condition: shorten walks for puppies, senior dogs, and pets with known mobility or respiratory limitations; avoid heat-exposed surfaces in summer; avoid icy or salted surfaces in winter that may injure paws.
• Carry water for walks expected to exceed twenty (20) minutes or in warm weather.
• Collect and properly dispose of pet waste on every walk.
• Stay alert to environmental hazards: traffic, other dogs (especially off-leash), wildlife, and broken glass or other debris.
• Begin and end each walk at the Owner's designated location; do not deviate from the agreed-upon walk plan without the Owner's consent.

B.2 Walker-specific prohibitions

• Do not walk more than three (3) dogs at once unless the Owner of every dog has been disclosed and consents in writing to a multi-dog walk.
• Do not allow the pet to approach unfamiliar dogs or people without first assessing temperament and obtaining Owner consent for socialization.
• Do not use any vehicle to transport the pet, whether yours or anyone else's, at any point during the walking Service.
• Do not tie or tether the pet to fixed objects (poles, benches, posts) at any point during the walk, even briefly.
• Do not extend a walk to perform errands, social visits, or other personal activities.
• Do not use aversive equipment (prong collars, electronic collars, slip leads used as primary control) on a walk you are conducting through the Platform, even if the Owner has provided such equipment.

B.3 Walker insurance

The general insurance requirements in Section 7 apply to Walkers. Walkers face elevated dog-bite and leash-failure risk; while no additional insurance line is mandated beyond Section 7, Walkers are strongly encouraged to carry the optional Bonding coverage available through most pet-care insurers.

Addendum C — Training Services

C.1 Trainer-specific eligibility

In addition to the general eligibility requirements in Section 1, Trainers must:

• Hold or be actively working toward a recognized training credential such as CPDT-KA (Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers — Knowledge Assessed), KPA-CTP (Karen Pryor Academy), CDBC (International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants), PMCT (Pat Miller Certified Trainer), or equivalent credential approved by WellKept Pet. Self-taught experience does not satisfy this requirement absent a credential.
• Complete a Trainer-specific onboarding module on the WellKept Pet platform, including review of prohibited methods in Section C.3.
• Disclose all training methodologies you offer and consent to display them on your Provider profile so Owners can make informed booking choices.

C.2 Trainer-specific conduct standards

• Use only humane, evidence-based training methods consistent with current best practices from professional bodies such as the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB), the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), and the Pet Professional Guild (PPG).
• Discontinue any training technique that causes the pet observable distress, fear, or pain, and adjust the approach.
• Recommend referral to a veterinary behaviorist or licensed veterinarian for any behavior issue that may have a medical cause (e.g., sudden aggression, anxiety, repetitive behaviors).
• Provide written session notes to the Owner within twenty-four (24) hours of each session, documenting what was worked on, the pet's response, and recommendations for between-session practice.

C.3 Prohibited training methods

The following training methods, techniques, and equipment are prohibited on the Platform. Use of any prohibited method is treated as a Major violation under Section 4 and results in immediate permanent removal.

Owners may request the use of methods or equipment WellKept Pet prohibits; you must decline such requests and may notify the Owner of this Platform-level restriction. WellKept Pet supports your right to decline.

C.4 Owner-present vs. owner-absent training

Owner-Present Training

Owner-Present sessions are the default and the lower-risk mode. The Owner observes and participates in the session. Trainers must:

• Confirm at the start of each session that the Owner understands what will be worked on and the methods to be used.
• Pause or stop the session if the Owner expresses concern about the pet's welfare or the training approach.
• Provide between-session homework instructions for the Owner to reinforce learning.

Owner-Absent Training (board-and-train, day-train, in-home without Owner)

Owner-Absent Training carries elevated risk and is subject to additional requirements:

• Written authorization. The Owner must provide separate, explicit written authorization within the Platform for any Owner-Absent session.
• No board-and-train at Provider's home longer than fourteen (14) consecutive days without renewed Owner authorization at the fourteen-day mark.
• Health and welfare check. For multi-day board-and-train, the Owner must be permitted a video check-in at any reasonable time of day, on request.

C.5 Trainer insurance

The general insurance requirements in Section 7 apply to Trainers. Trainers face an elevated risk of professional liability claims arising from training methods, advice, or instructions provided to Owners. Trainers are strongly encouraged to carry Professional Liability (Errors & Omissions) coverage of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence — available as an add-on endorsement or a separate policy from most commercial pet-care insurers (Pet Sitters Associates, Business Insurers of the Carolinas, Pet Care Insurance, and others).

WellKept Pet may, at its discretion, require Professional Liability coverage of all Trainers at a future date with thirty (30) days' written notice; if it does, the COI verification process will track Professional Liability status separately and a Trainer's COI without it would be classified "Insufficient — Missing required endorsement" until cured.