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Claim Examples

No matter how big or small your animal welfare organization is, there are many potential risks involved with your operations.

It is essential that your organization have reliable insurance that protects you and takes the blow for the unexpected results of these risks such as lawsuits, defense costs, property damage, and more. To help you in understanding some of the real-world implications of risks your organization may be exposed to, below are a few common examples of claims seen in the animal welfare industry:

1

An animal escapes and is running freely in the sanctuary or shelter while visitors are present and scratches or bites a visitor resulting in injury and medical expenses, general liability could protect you for this.

2

While cleaning an enclosure, a volunteer catches their hand on part of the enclosure resulting in a visit to the emergency room and stiches. Volunteer accidental medical could cover this.

3

You are showing an animal at the shelter or a local adoption event and a visitor trips over a leash, or worse, is bitten unexpectedly by one of the animals and files a lawsuit against your organization. Liability insurance could provide defense costs and settlement costs for lawsuits like this one.

4

You have about $3,000 worth of property in your home for your foster-based rescue and your home is destroyed in a fire ruining these items. Your homeowner’s policy does not provide coverage for business property (including Nonprofits). The right animal welfare organization insurance policy would extend coverage and cover the cost of replacing these needed items.

5

A female board member is forced off the board because her decisions don’t match the overall mission of the nonprofit animal welfare organization. That former board member files a lawsuit against the remaining board members claiming she was discriminated against. Directors & Officers liability insurance could protect your board members from losing their personal assets if a lawsuit like this occurs.

6

A volunteer is transporting one the organization’s animals and causes a car accident. The other parties are injured and file a lawsuit against your organization.  Non-Owned Auto Liability is important protection to have in place as the volunteer’s personal auto doesn’t provide coverage for the organization.

7

A potential adopter comes to your shelter or a foster home to meet a dog or cat and while there they slip and fall and injure themselves. Having a liability insurance policy in place that extends to your foster homes is essential in an instance like this.