Insurance Overview

While they are rare, we understand that accidents can happen. For this reason, we’ve organised insurance to help protect you from unexpected costs if something goes wrong.

The insurance policy only applies to all Pet Services paid for through the Mad Paws and Mad Paws Fetch platforms.

Read on to learn about the kinds of events that are covered by our insurance policy.

What is Covered?

While many Owners already have pet health insurance, our policy aims to reduce the financial risk even further by covering certain events for our clients and Sitters.

Veterinary coverage:

• Injuries sustained by the Mad Paws guest pet while in the Sitter’s care

• Illness to the Mad Paws guest pet directly caused by the Pet Sitter’s actions

Public liability:

• Injury to members of the general public caused by the pet while in the Sitter’s care

• Damage to the property of a third party caused by a Mad Paws pet.

The Monetary Details

• Each claim will be subject to a $350 excess payment (to be covered by the Sitter).

• There is a claim limit of $5,000 in veterinary costs per pet.

• There is a $10m limit for Public Liability compensation to a third party for damage to property or personal injury as a result of the Sitter’s negligence.

What is not covered

• Damage or medical care required as a result of any Meet and Greet appointments arranged between Owners and Sitters

• Any property damage caused by a Sitter or a pet to an Owner’s property, a Sitter’s property, a landlord’s property or any other person’s property visiting or living in the residence; bodily harm or physical injuries caused by the guest pet to the Sitter, Sitter’s family, or any other person visiting or living in the same household;

• Treatment of pre-existing veterinary conditions, self-inflicted wounds caused by allergies, pre-existing illness, or any other type of pre-existing condition; old age or conditions that can be prevented such as flea/tick/insect bites.

• Please review the full list of exclusions in our policy below.

Who is eligible?

To qualify, the issue resulting in the claim must have occurred during a service that was booked and paid for via Mad Paws or Mad Paws Fetch before the start of the service.

The issue must be a direct result of the actions or inaction of the Sitter and there must be evidence to prove this.

As there is a $350 excess for all Insurance claims, the value of the claim must exceed $350 for it to be lodged.

Extra conditions?

Our insurance coverage is also always secondary to any relevant pet insurance the Pet Sitter or Pet Owner may already have. Therefore, any claims must be lodged and finalised with the Owner/Sitter’s insurance first. For more details, please visit our full Terms of Service.

What do I need to do to claim insurance?

First and foremost, in the event of an emergency, please follow our emergency protocol. Once you have done this, you can proceed with the insurance process.

If you believe that an incident is covered by insurance, you must provide us in writing (service@madpaws.com.au):

• A full description of the events leading up to the Incident;

• Written notice of the incident no later than seven (7) days after the end date of the relevant booking;

• All documentation available to you (e.g. invoices and veterinary notes from the initial veterinary examination);

• Contact details for the veterinary practice or hospital the pet attended;

• The Pet Owner’s own pet insurance coverage details (if applicable).

Frequently Asked Questions:

Who do I contact to check if an incident is covered by insurance?

You can speak with our Customer Experience Team by emailing service@madpaws.com.au  or via phone on (02) 8046 6536.

Why is the excess not covered by Mad Paws when they take a fee from every booking? 

As highlighted above, Mad Paws insurance covers relevant expenses over $350. While this may not seem helpful if you face an expense of $340, it can make all the difference for an expense of, say, $3,000. Beyond the insurance policy, Mad Paws’ fee covers a range of other expenses. These include:

• Marketing and advertising to attract new clients for Mad Paws Pet Sitters;

• Maintenance of and improvements to our app and website;

• Our Customer Experience Team, who are available 7 days a week to assist with all bookings and queries.

How long does it take for an insurance claim to process?

Although it varies with each case, as some cases require detailed investigation, we expect a resolution within 2 – 6 weeks of lodging your claim.

How do I know if my insurance claim will be successful? 

We cannot guarantee a claim will be successful as the decision is made by the insurance company. However, the Mad Paws team can guide you through the claim process to ensure you have all the evidence you need to present a compelling case.

What do I do if my insurance claim is rejected? 

In the event that an insurance claim isn’t covered, please look at our Terms Of Service to determine which party may be responsible for any unexpected costs.

Insurance Policy Details

Last Updated: 16 July 2019

At Mad Paws, the safety of our Users, Sitters and Pets is of the utmost importance and concern.

In Australia, Public Liability cover is a legal requirement for people looking after pets for money. As in accordance with Australian law, if a domestic animal causes an accident or injures a third party, the person who is in control of the animal at that moment is responsible.

As a Pet Sitter you have a duty of care to your client. Mad Paws Public Liability Insurance policy protects you, the Pet Sitter, for any financial risk you may incur whilst looking after a pet. If you are deemed to be negligent resulting in death or injury to the pet, members of the general public or damage to property of a third party, then the Mad Paws Insurance provides you with the necessary financial protection.

That’s why we, at Mad Paws, have organised and arranged an Insurance which provides cover for all Pet Services booked and paid through the Mad Paws website.

*Note 1: All bookings must be paid in full before the start date of the booking.
**Note 2: Public Liability insurance cover should not be confused with the usual illness cover that most pet owners may already have for their pets.
***Note 3: Our insurance cover is also always secondary to any relevant pet insurance the pet sitter or pet owner may already have.

General overview and definitions

• $10m – Public Liability – for any one occurrence and in the annual aggregate;
• $100k – Care, Custody & Control – up to a maximum of $5k for any one animal and $100k in the annual aggregate.

Please find below definitions regarding our Insurance Policy:

Public Liability: This section covers the Sitter’s legal liability for injury to third persons, and for damage to property of third persons, caused by a pet under the Sitter’s care or custody.

Care, Custody, Control: This section of insurance provides cover to registered pet sitters with Mad Paws Pty Ltd for physical loss to pet owners whilst their pets are under the Sitter’s physical control or possession.

All Claims are subject to a $350 deductible payable by the Sitter.

In case of a claim, we will endeavour to look at each situation and consider, at our own discretion, whether and if so how we can be of any support.

For which services?

The insurance policy applies for all Pet Services booked through www.madpaws.com.au. This includes:

• Boarding (Pet Sitting or Pet Hosting);
• House Visits;
• Pet Day Care;
• Dog Training;
• Dog Walking;
• Cat Care;
• Bathing;
• Grooming;
• Transportation.

Exclusions

It is important to understand that the insurance does not cover the Sitter for the following:

1. If the Service is being provided at the Pet Sitter’s home, Damage caused by the guest pet to the Pet Sitter’s personal property. This applies to the personal property of all persons living in the same household as the Sitter;
2. If the Service is being provided at the Pet Owner’s home, Damage caused by the guest pet to the Pet Owner’s personal property;
3. If the Service is being provided at the Pet Owner’s home, Damage caused by the Sitter to the Pet Owner’s personal property;
4. Bodily harm or physical injuries to the Sitter, Sitter’s family or any other person living in the same household caused by the guest pet;
5. Injuries to the Sitter’s own pet(s) or the pet(s) of any other person living in the same household caused by the guest pet;
6. Sitter cannot have any criminal convictions in past 5 years (excluding traffic violations). We will ask about this in a phone call as part of the claims process. This information will be strictly used for insurance purposes only and will in no way be publicly disclosed;
7. Pets with any medical conditions requiring ongoing treatment must be referred to Mad Paws for approval;
8. Pets involved in a previous attack with another animal or human that required medical treatment;
9. Treatment of pre-existing veterinary conditions, illness, old age or flea/tick situations. If a guest pet has or had any condition, whether diagnosed by a qualified veterinarian or not, before, during or after the Pet Service, it is considered pre-existing. Any symptoms that are found to be related to stress/anxiety are also considered to be pre-existing as this condition is inherently present depending on each pet;
10. Any self-inflicted wounds that are caused by itching, scratching, biting, gnawing, etc. due to allergies or any other type of pre-existing condition;
11. Any council fines and/or pound charges related to the Pet running away whilst under the Sitter’s care;
12. Pet Services booked outside of www.madpaws.com.au;
13. Damage or medical care required as a result of any Meet and Greet appointments arranged between Owners and Sitters;
14. All Exotic Animals – i.e. animals other than dogs, cats, rabbits, small birds or guinea pigs;
15. Boarding Kennels: no commercially run boarding kennels will be covered;
16. Reduction in Value: this policy does not cover for the ‘value’ of any pet’s ‘show’ value;
17. Breach of professional duty, such as not following the Mad Paws Rules or walking an animal off a leash in an area where this is reasonably considered not to be suitable.

Additional Details

If you believe that any incident is covered under the Insurance Services, you must provide us with written notice of the incident, along with all material documentation available to you evidencing the foregoing (e.g. invoices and veterinary notes from the initial veterinary examination), no later than seven (7) days after the end date that the Pet Services were provided under the relevant Booking.

In order for an incident to be eligible for medical coverage, it must be definitively diagnosed by a qualified veterinarian, without a doubt, to be a direct result of the Pet Service provided by the Sitter. Any diagnosis where the cause is left as undetermined will not be eligible.

In the event that a Pet does require medical treatment as the result of Our Services or Pet Services, Mad Paws will not offer any additional coverage should that Pet require treatment for further damage as the result of the relevant Owner’s negligence.

The Sitter assumes full responsibility for each and every person that enters their residence, and understands that Mad Paws will not offer any medical coverage to these visitors regardless of their affiliation to the Sitter (visitor, partner, relative, friend, etc.), as they are not considered to be a “Third-Party” by our Terms of Service. Any visitor who brings a pet to a Sitter’s home that is not booked through Mad Paws will not be eligible for any coverage under our Insurance Program.

It is every Owner’s and Sitter’s responsibility to have his/her pet(s) fully vaccinated prior to the start of a Pet Service. This also applies for flea and tick control. If any situation arises where either the guest pet or the Sitter’s pet introduces fleas/ticks, the owner of said pet shall be held responsible for all costs related to flea/tick prevention.

If Mad Paws deems that a Pet Sitter was negligent in the loss or death of a guest pet they were looking after, then Mad Paws, in its discretion, may lodge a claim up to the value of $500 for a dog and up to $350 for any other pet. For a pet to be deemed as lost, the pet must have been missing for 30 days or more. All Claims due to a loss or death are subject to a $350 deductible payable by the Sitter.

Mad Paws is not liable for any costs incurred by an Owner or Sitter in the event that they need to adjust and/or cancel travel plans due to unforeseen circumstances (i.e. hotel fees, plane tickets, etc.). Mad Paws is also not liable for any compensation related to emotional stress, loss of income, or ongoing expenses relating to the claim.

More information

The cover is provided under a policy underwritten by a third party and is subject to fulfillment of applicable terms, conditions, limitations, and exclusions.

For more details and legal definitions, please see our Terms of Service.