Dog Insurance Tips

Responsible pet ownership begins by recognising that, upon adoption, a series of obligations must be assumed. This means that, from day one, the owner must take responsibility for the welfare of the animal and its healthy coexistence with the other individuals in its environment.

Therefore, it is natural for responsible guardians to ask themselves questions such as: “Is it wise to insure the pet from day one?” or “In which cases would I need to take out pet insurance?”.

To help them be clearer about the duties of the owner, below we will analyze when it is recommendable to have the pet insured. In addition, we will see in which cases the contracting of an insurance is advisable to guarantee the integrity of the animal.

Would it be mandatory to insure the pet from day one?

The only honest answer to this question is: it depends. First of all, the obligatory nature of insuring the pet will depend on the laws in force in each country or region. Therefore, before traveling or moving with pets, it is always essential to know the legislation in force in the destination country. And logically, the same applies to our city/state of residence.Secondly, taking out insurance may be mandatory depending on which pet is adopted. For example, in the United States, it is usually mandatory to take out liability insurance for the ownership of potentially dangerous dogs.

But again, the breeds considered as potentially dangerous vary according to the laws of each country. Therefore, knowledge of the regulations applicable to your country becomes indispensable to answer the question “when is it mandatory to insure my pet?”.

It is necessary to meet a series of requirements, such as:

Be of legal age.
Not having convictions for crimes of: homicide, torture, injuries, damages against freedom, moral integrity, public health and sexual freedom of third parties, association with drug trafficking or armed gangs.
To take out civil liability insurance for damages to third parties, the minimum coverage of which should not be less than $100,000.

At national level, the following breeds are considered “potentially dangerous” in US:

Tosa Inu
Akita Inu
Fila Brasilero
Pit Bull Terrier
Dogo Argentino
Rottweiler breed dogs
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
American Staffodshire Terrier
However, each county/state has the right to modify and add certain legal requirements

In what other cases can it be beneficial to insure the pet?

The fact that it is not always compulsory to insure pets does not mean that it cannot be beneficial in certain circumstances. Nowadays, there are many types of pet insurance with different coverages and values.

Most of these insurances work in a similar way to health insurances for humans. Their main purpose is to provide protection for the animal and its guardian in the event of accidents, illness or other unforeseen events of everyday life. This includes physical and material damages that our pets may cause to the integrity and assets of third parties.

Therefore, insuring your pet can mean being protected against almost all kinds of unpredictable situations. Logically, taking out pet insurance implies adding a new investment to the family’s monthly budget. But the truth is that this sum is usually quite affordable when compared to the expenses that need to be incurred in case of accidents. It is possible to access several discounts, especially during the first year of contracting. It should also be noted that most companies only accept dogs and cats.