DOG INSURANCE POLICIES – A GUIDE
Dog insurance policies give you peace of mind for
illness, injury and third party liability cover
As ever with insurance policies, there are a myriad of options for dog owners so I have put together a brief guide on dog insurance policies to help you ensure your dogs are covered in case of illness or injury:
Medical claims
These days, the majority of owners choose to take out an insurance policy for their dogs, as they are aware of the ongoing need during their dogs’ lives for medical cover. What you may not be aware of:
- It is wise to spend time ensuring you choose the right insurance policy before you even get your dog. This is because once your dog has experienced a medical condition it becomes a ‘pre-existing’ condition and is usually excluded from your policy, leaving you to pay the cost of medical condition.
- Most policies do not give cover immediately so please do not wait until your dog is ill.
- Even if you have several weeks’ cover included when you buy a puppy, bear in mind the points above, particularly if you are going to change to another insurer.
- Some insurance policies require you to pay not just an excess per claim but also a percentage of the remainder of the total vets’ fees.
- Even with a ‘life-time’ policy the premium, the excess and the percentage of total vets’ fees (if applicable to your policy) may be increased as your dog ages or as you claim.
Third Party Liability
Some dog owners are still unaware of the necessity for third party liability cover, which they may lack if they do not take out a suitable policy. Without this cover, owners could find themselves having to settle claims out of their own pocket for any claim against them relating to injuries or damage to a person or their property.
In this day and age, where dog law puts increasingly more pressure on dog owners to have their dogs under control, it is a wise owner who ensures their dogs are covered not just for medical requirements for also for Third Party claims – see the Kennel Club’s Dog Law guide.
Your own household insurance might cover you but not all policies do, and some will only cover you on your own property but not in public.
Another method of receiving cover for third party liability insurance is to become a member of the Dogs Trust. For more details please see:
www.dogstrust.org.uk/get-involved/membership
www.dogstrust.org.uk/get-involved/membership/faqs
Useful links for more information on taking out a pet insurance policy
www.abi.org.uk/Insurance-and-savings/Products/Pet-insurance
Association of British Insurance Pet Insurance Guide
www.thekennelclub.org.uk/media/66386/insurance.pdf
Link to the Kennel Club Pet Insurance Guide for Dog Owners
www.bva.co.uk/You-and-your-vet/BVA-advice-leaflets
British Veterinary Association (BVA) Benefits of Pet Insurance
You may also be interested in my previous articles regarding your dogs’ health:
- Snake bits and insect stings to dogs
- Harvest mites and dogs
- Parasite risks to dogs travelling abroad in Europe
© 2017 Sally Bartlett
www.co-operativecanines.co.uk
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