Certified Animal-Assisted Intervention Specialists (C-AAIS) in good standing who have successfully completed AAAIP's evaluation for professional therapy animal teams or who are currently registered with Pet Partners.

No. Any therapy animal registered by Pet Partners is eligible. This includes dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, birds, miniature pigs, llamas and alpacas.

While the AAAIP evaluation for practitioners is ideal, our insurer, Century Surety, does currently recognize Pet Partners as the lowest-risk national therapy animal program. Allowing Pet Partners registrations, which require recurring evaluations, allows professionals time to arrange a more appropriate evaluation designed for professionals.

Professionals looking to purchase insurance who meet the AAAIP or Pet Partners requirements outlined here may enjoy the most competitive pricing because insurers understand a well-educated client is a preferred client.

Send a copy of your registration letter that includes your name, your therapy animal's name, and your registration expiration date.

The AAAIP evaluation for professionals is currently available to AAAIP members who have earned their AAI Specialist certification (C-AAIS). Apply to participate here, and AAAIP will be in touch to help you identify an appropriate evaluator in your area

The AAAIP insurance provides liability protection for professionals such as mental health counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, occupational therapists, educators, speech-language pathologists, physical therapists, substance abuse counselors, and other animal-assisted intervention practitioners who incorporate their own therapy animals in their practice. It also provides coverage for therapy animal handlers who opt to work with their therapy animal at facilities or settings while not acting as a volunteer. This policy is specifically for the individual for the above activities, and will not apply if performing volunteer work as part of a national organization.

The AAAIP policy is a general liability policy specifically designed to cover bodily injury or property damage to a third party caused by negligent acts by you or your therapy animal while engaging in animal-assisted interventions. It also includes coverage for your therapy animal(s) that are listed on the policy for any injuries they may sustain while they are participating in therapy work with you as their handler. In addition, the policy offers an optional professional liability endorsement sublimit of $25,000 to cover errors or omissions/professional liability arising out of your work as an animal-assisted intervention practitioner.

Based on the above, and the exposures of each individual applicant, this policy may be in addition to any current general or professional liability policy you currently carry or could potentially replace it; this will vary depending on each applicant's individual exposures as an animal-assisted intervention professional.

Most homeowners or renters policies will exclude coverage for bodily injury or property damage arising out of the rendering of or failure to render professional services.

The AAAIP policy is a general liability policy specifically designed to cover against bodily injury or property damage to a third party (including clients/patients) caused by negligent acts by you or your therapy animal while engaging in animal-assisted interventions. It also includes coverage for your therapy animal(s) that are listed on the policy for any injuries they may sustain while they are participating in therapy work with you as their handler. In addition, the policy offers an optional professional liability endorsement sublimit of $25,000 to cover errors or omissions/professional liability arising out of your work as an animal-assisted intervention practitioner. The policy also includes an option to cover domestic animal training, and any additional insureds required by lease or contract.

Your therapy animal is covered under the AAAIP policy while they are "on the job" engaging in therapy while in the care, custody, or control of you as their registered/certified handler. If your therapy animal is in someone else's care, including your spouse, domestic partner, employee(s), or independent contractor(s), they would not be covered. In addition, your therapy animal would not be covered while off duty, on personal time, while not participating in therapy work. It is recommended you consider pet health insurance to cover injuries to your animal while not engaging in therapy work.

Professionals partnering with a therapy animal team registered with a national therapy animal organization typically hold insurance when the team is volunteering their time. However, if you plan to pay/employ them, that will likely invalidate their volunteer insurance. Therefore, paid handlers should obtain their own insurance coverage as a paraprofessional. This AAAIP policy is available to therapy animal handlers who opt to perform paid work with their therapy animal at facilities or settings while not acting as a volunteer.

The professional practioner’s policy would not cover you. You would need to obtain your own policy for yourself and your animal.

All policies automatically include $1M per occurrence/$2M aggregate for general liability (bodily injury or property damage to a third party caused by your negligence). This is the only general liability limit available as this is a group policy.

In addition, all policies include $10,000 per occurrence/$25,000 aggregate to cover your therapy animals if they are injured and require vet care while engaging in therapy work, regardless of fault. Referred to as Care, Custody or Control, this coverage applies at any location where therapy work takes place, and includes injuries sustained in auto accidents while en route to perform therapy work.

In addition, there are several optional coverages, as follows:

In some cases, due to increased veterinary medical expenses for surgeries and ongoing rehabilitation, or if you have more than one therapy animal covered on your policy, $10,000 of Care, Custody or Control may not be sufficient limit to cover all veterinary medical injuries sustained, such as if your therapy animal were to be hit by a car, or suffer severe injury while working and require long term care. If you do not feel

$10,000 is adequate to cover your therapy animal(s) while working, optional higher limits of $25,000 per occurrence/$25,000 aggregate, and $50,000 per occurrence/$50,000 aggregate are available for additional premiums.

If you are required to add an additional insured, such as a landlord, building owner, property manager, hospital, assisted living facility, therapy practice, municipality, etc., all can be added as needed/required by contract for additional premiums.

If you have more than one therapy animal, there is an option to add additional therapy animals to the policy, so long as you are the registered/certified handler. There is no limitation to the number of therapy animals that can be covered, but please be aware the therapy animal must be registered along with the applicant handler for coverage to apply.

If you are a domestic animal trainer, there is an option to cover your liability as a trainer, for additional premium. Please note the policy does not cover equine training or police work, protection, guard or aggression training.

General liability is for bodily injury or property damage to a third party caused by your negligence during an AAI session. Please note that legal defense is outside the limit of general liability.

Under the AAAIP Liability policy, all therapy animals owned by you, or in your care, custody or control, are automatically covered up to $10,000 for any injuries sustained while performing therapy work, regardless of fault. There is no limitation to the number of therapy animals that can be covered, but please be aware the therapy animal must be registered along with the applicant/therapy handler for coverage to apply. If you have more than one registered therapy animal, and/or wish to increase your care, custody or control limit, the policy offers additional optional limits of $25,000 or $50,000 for additional premium.

The professional liability coverage covers against claims alleging error or omissions by the handler/practitioner during AAI sessions. While general liability coverage covers you for bodily injury or property damage during therapy visits, professional liability covers you for wrongful acts. For example, if a client were to allege you or your therapy animal caused additional trauma as part of AAI services. The professional liability coverage includes legal defense within the $25,000 limit.

The minimum annual policy premium, not including any of the optional endorsements listed above, is $250 plus taxes and fees. This covers one therapy animal and handler. Premiums increase based on individual coverage needs and optional coverage enhancements. For example, if you wish to include the Limited Therapy Practitioner Professional Liability option, annual premium including taxes and fees would come to $500.

Yes. there is a $250 per claim deductible for all claims.

All policies are effective the 1st of the month. We give a 15 day grace period that depends on when the application is received and processed. For example, if the application is received on the 10th of the month, we would back date coverage to be effective the 1st, but the company would not honor any claims occurring between the 1st of the month and the date the application is received and processed (10th). If the application is received after the 15th, the policy will be effective for the 1st of the following month.

All policies are for one full calendar year, and all policies are effective the 1st of each month.

Please be aware that you must maintain a current Animal-Assisted Intervention Specialist Certification during the entire policy term for coverage to be valid.

Bodily Injury to a third party is covered via the general liability coverage form, including bodily injury caused by a therapy animal.

A Mental Anguish exclusion under a general liability policy means that there is no coverage should the insured or therapy animal cause mental anguish to a third party or client due to negligence on their part. There is not a Mental Anguish exclusion under the AAAIP policy for bodily injury or property damage.

There are currently no differences in coverage or rates by state at this time. However, the company does reserve the right to amend coverage/rates in individual states as needed, based on loss experience and other unforeseen coverage exposures. Please note policy coverage or rates will never be changed by the company during your annual policy term, and if changes are made, 60-day advance notice will be given prior to your optional policy renewal.

Yes, this policy is available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Unfortunately, there is no coverage available outside of the U.S., including, but not limited to, U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico or U.S. Virgin Islands.

When you receive your policy, you will see a statement that says "This contract is registered and delivered as a surplus line coverage under the insurance code of the state of Washington, Title 48 RCW. It is not protected by any Washington state guaranty association law." There are relatively few insurers for AAI coverage. The best provider AAAIP could find to meet the needs of our members is from a non-admitted insurance company, which is not covered by the Washington state guaranty association law. While the Washington state guaranty association law provides some protection should the insurance provider fail, dissolve, or go bankrupt before a claim is paid, the practical risk for policy holders is considered very low.