Is Buggledoo Pet Sitting, LLC "licensed, bonded and insured"?

Many pet sitters advertise that they are "licensed, bonded and insured." Buggledoo Pet Sitting, LLC is "licensed" and insured. It is not bonded. Let me explain....

Buggledoo Pet Sitting has pet sitters' liability insurance from Pet Sitters Associates, LLC.

I am/we are not bonded because I am the only person providing services for the company at this time. Owners are generally not eligible for bonding and even when they are, it really does not make sense. Bonding is intended to compensate the owner of a company for damages resulting from theft or dishonesty of employees of the company. Even though some policies now permit an owner/sole service provider to purchase a dishonesty bond, I have not purchased this because I know that I am not going to steal from my clients. In lieu of bonding, I do have an additional rider on my insurance policy that covers loss of the client's property while in my care. Many people in the industry argue that this is actually better for the client than bonding because with bonding, the client generally must first prove guilt in a court of law (which I'm sure you understand can be difficult, onerous, time-consuming and expensive) before the bond will cover the losses. If you are interested in hearing more about this, I would be happy to discuss or you could read the relevant portions of the following pages (from the 2 major providers of pet sitter liability insurance): http://www.petsitllc.com/faq.php (See "What about bonds?" and "What does the special property of others endorsement for $95 include?") and http://www.petsitterinsurance.com/napps/faq.asp (See the question that begins with "I've read & understand coverage, etc. There is debate as to whether sole proprieter needs bonding.").

"Licensing" in the pet sitting industry just means that the pet sitter has a local business license. Buggledoo Pet Sitting, LLC does have a local business license from the Albemarle County Business License Office.

I also recently completed PetTech's PetSaver course on pet first aid and CPR and received PetTech's certification on those subjects.