Pet Sitting Regulations by Country: What You Need to Know

Pet sitting rules depend on where you work, which animals you care for and whether care takes place at your premises or the owner’s home. Home boarding and daycare can be regulated businesses even with a small number of animals. Check the rules for your actual service before accepting bookings.

Checked 2026-09-21: boarding licensing in Victoria, Great Britain and Belgium; France’s care qualifications; Victoria’s compulsory cover and Germany’s owner/carer insurance distinction.

Pet sitters operate within a complex web of animal welfare legislation, business registration requirements, tax obligations, insurance considerations, and local council regulations. These vary significantly between countries and often between states or regions within the same country.

This guide covers the regulatory landscape in the key markets where pet sitting platforms operate: Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the European Union (with a focus on Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France). We also touch on North America for context. If you are pet sitting professionally — or thinking about starting — understanding these rules is essential for protecting yourself, your clients, and the animals in your care.

Important disclaimer: This article provides general guidance and is not legal advice. Regulations change frequently, and local requirements may differ from national frameworks. Always verify current requirements with your local authority and consider consulting a professional advisor.

Australia

Australia's pet care regulations are set primarily at the state and territory level, with local councils adding additional requirements in some areas.

Animal Welfare Legislation

Each state and territory has its own animal welfare act:

• New South Wales: Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979
• Victoria: Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 and the Domestic Animals Act 1994
• Queensland: Animal Care and Protection Act 2001
• Western Australia: Animal Welfare Act 2002
• South Australia: Animal Welfare Act 1985
• Tasmania: Animal Welfare Act 1993
• ACT: Animal Welfare Act 1992
• Northern Territory: Animal Welfare Act 1999

These acts establish baseline standards for animal care, including provision of food, water, shelter, and veterinary attention. Pet sitters must comply with these standards. Failure to provide adequate care can result in fines or criminal charges.

Business Registration and Tax

If you are pet sitting for income in Australia, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) considers this self-employment income. Key requirements:

• Australian Business Number (ABN): Required if you earn more than $75,000 per year from your pet sitting business (the GST registration threshold). Recommended even below this threshold for professional credibility and to claim business expenses.
• Tax reporting: All pet sitting income must be declared in your annual tax return, regardless of amount. You can claim deductions for business-related expenses including insurance, platform fees, pet supplies used for client pets, and a proportion of home costs if you provide in-home boarding.
• GST: Required once your annual turnover exceeds $75,000. Below this threshold, GST registration is optional.
• Superannuation: As a self-employed person, you are not legally required to pay superannuation, but it is strongly recommended.

Local Council Requirements

In Victoria, an enterprise boarding dogs or cats for profit must register its premises with the council as a domestic animal business. This includes home boarding and daycare; registration does not start at four animals. Planning permission and local animal limits are separate checks.

The Victorian boarding Code defines its home-boarding class as a maximum of 2 animals at the carer’s residence, with no other boarding on the property. That is a class of regulated boarding, not an exemption below a registration threshold.

Insurance

Insurance duties depend on the jurisdiction and service. Victoria’s boarding Code requires boarding establishments, including its home-boarding class, to carry at least A$10 million in public liability cover. Check local requirements and arrange cover for your actual activities; a licence alone does not prove a policy is current.

• Public liability insurance: Covers claims if someone is injured as a result of your pet sitting activities (e.g., a dog you are walking bites someone). Policies typically cover $5-20 million.
• Professional indemnity insurance: Covers claims of negligence or failure to provide adequate care.
• Care, custody, and control insurance: Covers the value of the pet itself if the animal is injured, becomes ill, or dies while in your care. This is particularly important and often not included in standard public liability policies.

Some pet sitting platforms provide insurance as part of their service. Always read the fine print to understand what is and is not covered, and whether coverage applies to off-platform bookings.

New Zealand

New Zealand's regulatory framework for pet sitting is relatively light, with animal welfare legislation providing the main framework.

Animal Welfare Act 1999

This is the primary legislation governing animal care in New Zealand. It establishes a duty of care for anyone responsible for an animal, including pet sitters. Key obligations include:

• Providing proper and sufficient food and water
• Providing adequate shelter
• Providing the opportunity to display normal patterns of behaviour
• Providing appropriate physical handling
• Protecting from and rapidly diagnosing injury and disease

The Act is enforced by the SPCA and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). Breaches can result in fines of up to NZ$50,000 for individuals or imprisonment for up to 12 months for serious offences.

Dog Control Act 1996

If you are sitting dogs, you need to be aware of the Dog Control Act. This requires dogs to be registered with their local council and places obligations on people who are "in charge" of a dog — which includes pet sitters. Key requirements:

• Dogs must be under control in public places
• Dangerous or menacing dogs have additional restrictions
• Some councils have breed-specific legislation
• Dog owners are liable for damage caused by their dogs, but as a pet sitter in charge of the dog, you may also bear some responsibility

Tax and Business Requirements

Pet sitting income is taxable in New Zealand. As a self-employed person, you need to:

• Register with Inland Revenue (IRD)
• File annual income tax returns
• Register for GST if your turnover exceeds NZ$60,000 per year
• Keep records of income and expenses

United Kingdom

The UK has a relatively well-developed regulatory framework for pet care, though pet sitting specifically occupies a gap in the licensing regime.

Animal Welfare Act 2006 (England and Wales)

This act places a duty of care on anyone responsible for an animal. Section 9 establishes five welfare needs that must be met:

1. A suitable environment
2. A suitable diet
3. The ability to exhibit normal behaviour patterns
4. Housing with, or apart from, other animals as appropriate
5. Protection from pain, suffering, injury, and disease

Pet sitters are legally responsible for meeting these welfare needs for any animal in their care.

Licensing: England, Wales and Scotland

In England, the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 govern commercial cat and dog boarding, including home boarding for dogs and dog daycare. The Defra guidance applies a business test: trading income below HMRC’s trading allowance is outside licensing; exceeding it does not by itself establish a business. There is no general exemption just because you board few animals.

Care in the dog owner’s home and dog walking are outside this boarding-licence regime. Daycare in the carer’s home falls under home-boarding guidance. Apply to the council before starting a licensable service; it sets the fee and permitted capacity.

Wales and Scotland use the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963 licensing framework, including businesses caring for other people’s cats or dogs at home. England’s 2018 rules do not extend to those nations.

Tax and Business

HMRC treats pet sitting income as self-employment. Key requirements:

• Self-Assessment registration: Register with HMRC as self-employed if you earn more than GBP 1,000 per year from pet sitting (the trading allowance threshold)
• National Insurance: Pay Class 2 and Class 4 National Insurance contributions
• VAT: Register for VAT if your turnover exceeds GBP 90,000 per year
• Record keeping: Keep records of all income and expenses for at least 5 years

Insurance

While not legally required, insurance is considered essential for professional pet sitters in the UK. Key types:

• Public liability insurance: GBP 1-5 million coverage typical
• Care, custody, and control: Essential for covering the pet's value
• Key holding insurance: If you hold clients' house keys
• Professional indemnity: For claims of negligence

European Union

EU member states set their own pet care regulations, resulting in significant variation across the bloc.

Germany

Germany has some of the strictest animal welfare regulations in Europe. The Animal Welfare Act (Tierschutzgesetz) establishes comprehensive requirements for animal care, and the constitution itself includes animal protection (Article 20a of the Basic Law).

Key requirements for pet sitters:

• Erlaubnis (Permission): Under Section 11 of the Tierschutzgesetz, commercial keeping or boarding of animals for third parties requires permission from the local veterinary office (Veterinäramt). This involves proving competence in animal care and an inspection of premises.
• Gewerbe (Business registration): Pet sitting as a business requires registration with the local trade office (Gewerbeamt). This is straightforward but mandatory.
• Tax: Register with your local Finanzamt. Income from pet sitting is subject to income tax and potentially VAT (Umsatzsteuer) if turnover exceeds EUR 22,000 per year.
• Owner and carer liability: Dog-owner liability insurance (Hundehalterhaftpflicht) and professional animal-carer liability cover are different. Berlin, for example, requires dog-owner cover; that does not establish protection for a paid sitter. Section 834 BGB addresses contractual animal supervisors’ liability. Confirm that your business policy covers your paid care activities.

The Netherlands

The Netherlands has a moderate regulatory environment for pet care.

• Animal welfare: The Animals Act (Wet dieren) establishes welfare standards. The Besluit houders van dieren sets specific requirements for keeping animals.
• Business registration: Register with the Kamer van Koophandel (KVK). Pet sitting as a business requires a KVK registration.
• Tax: Register with the Belastingdienst. VAT (BTW) registration required if turnover exceeds EUR 20,000 per year.
• Insurance: Recommended but not legally required. A beroepsaansprakelijkheidsverzekering (professional liability insurance) is advisable.

Belgium

Belgium regulates animal boarding regionally. A paid dog or cat pension with overnight stays needs regional approval (erkenning/agrément) in all three regions; this is a pension approval, not a shelter registration. Business registration with the KBO/BCE and other premises permissions remain separate.

• Flanders: paid dog or cat accommodation requires approval regardless of animal count, including daycare without an overnight stay.
• Wallonia: the pension approval described by the region covers dogs and cats with at least one overnight stay. It excludes pet sitting at the owner’s home.
• Brussels-Capital: animal pensions require approval; confirm the classification of a day-only service and any environmental permission with the region and commune.

France

France has been strengthening its animal welfare regulations in recent years.

• I-CAD registration: France requires identification and registration of dogs and cats through the I-CAD system (Identification des Carnivores Domestiques). Pet sitters should verify that animals in their care are properly registered.
• ACACED or a recognised alternative: Under Article L214-6-1, commercial dog and cat care requires declaration to the prefect and suitable facilities. At least one person in direct contact with the animals must hold the relevant ACACED knowledge attestation, a recognised professional qualification or a qualifying earlier certificate of capacity. This competence requirement is mandatory; ACACED is one route to meeting it.
• Business registration: Register as auto-entrepreneur or create a formal business structure. Register with the Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie (CCI) or Chambre de Métiers et de l'Artisanat (CMA).
• Tax: Income declaration mandatory. Auto-entrepreneur regime offers simplified tax reporting below revenue thresholds.

Insurance Landscape: An International Perspective

Insurance is perhaps the single most important consideration for pet sitters, yet it remains poorly understood and inconsistently available across markets.

What to Look For

At minimum, a professional pet sitter should carry:

1. Public liability insurance: Protects against claims if someone (not the pet owner) is injured due to your pet sitting activities. Typical coverage: $5-20 million AUD, GBP 1-5 million, or EUR 1-5 million depending on market.

2. Care, custody, and control (CCC) insurance: This is the critical one. CCC insurance covers the pet itself if it is injured, falls ill, or dies while in your care. Without CCC coverage, you are personally liable for the value of the pet — which for pedigree dogs or cats can run into thousands of dollars.

3. Professional indemnity insurance: Covers claims of negligence or failure to provide the level of care expected. Important if a pet owner claims you did not follow their instructions (e.g., regarding medication or dietary requirements).

Platform-Provided Insurance

Some pet sitting platforms provide insurance to sitters as part of their service. This can be valuable, but it is essential to understand:

• What is covered: Does it include CCC? What are the limits per incident and per year?
• When coverage applies: Does it only apply to bookings made through the platform? What about repeat clients who book directly?
• Excess and deductibles: What are the out-of-pocket costs before the insurance kicks in?
• Claims process: How do you file a claim? What documentation is required?
• Geographic scope: Does the insurance cover your specific country and region?

Tax Obligations: A Universal Reality

Regardless of which country you operate in, one rule is universal: pet sitting income is taxable. The specifics vary, but the general principles are consistent:

• Declare all income: Whether received through a platform, by bank transfer, or in cash
• Register as self-employed: In most jurisdictions, regular pet sitting income triggers self-employment registration requirements
• Keep records: Maintain detailed records of income, expenses, and any GST/VAT collected
• Claim legitimate deductions: Insurance premiums, platform subscriptions, pet care supplies, travel expenses, and a proportion of home costs (for home boarders) are typically deductible
• Understand thresholds: Most countries have VAT/GST registration thresholds. Know yours and register when required

The Trend Towards More Regulation

The pet care industry is growing rapidly, and regulation is following — albeit slowly. Several trends suggest that pet sitting will face increasing regulation in the coming years:

1. Professionalisation: As more people do pet sitting full-time and earn significant income, governments are paying more attention to the sector from a tax compliance perspective.

2. Consumer protection: High-profile incidents of animal harm during pet sitting generate public demand for stronger regulation and oversight.

3. Platform accountability: Governments are beginning to examine the role of platforms in ensuring the quality and safety of services facilitated through their marketplaces.

4. Insurance mandates: Some jurisdictions are considering mandatory insurance requirements for anyone providing professional pet care services.

5. Standardisation: Industry bodies in several countries are developing voluntary codes of practice that may eventually become mandatory standards.

For pet sitters, the best approach is to operate as professionally as possible — even when the law does not strictly require it. Get insured. Register your business. Declare your income. Obtain relevant certifications. These steps protect you, protect your clients, and position you well as regulations evolve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a licence to be a pet sitter?

The service and location decide. Commercial home boarding can require registration or a licence even at small scale: see the Victoria, England, Wales/Scotland and Belgium sections above. France also requires a recognised competence route for commercial dog and cat care. Confirm the applicable rules with the authority before starting.

Is pet sitting income taxable?

Yes, in every country covered in this article. Pet sitting income must be declared for tax purposes, regardless of whether it is received through a platform, by bank transfer, or in cash. Most countries require you to register as self-employed once your pet sitting income exceeds a modest threshold.

Do I need insurance to be a pet sitter?

Check the rules for your service and location. In Victoria, the boarding Code requires public liability insurance, including for its home-boarding class. Elsewhere, ask the licensing authority and your insurer; animal-injury cover and public liability cover address different risks.

What happens if a pet is injured in my care?

Your obligations depend on your jurisdiction and the circumstances. In all countries covered here, you have a duty of care to the animal. If the injury resulted from negligence, you could face civil liability (claims for damages from the owner) and potentially criminal charges under animal welfare legislation. This is why insurance is so important — it provides a financial safety net and often includes legal support for defending claims.