We live in the UK, do I have to legally have pet insurance for my dog? Whether I should or not is not what I am asking, is there any law governing it?
hepp t thanks is that why its in the pets /dogs section why do we allow the stupid here??
We live in the UK, do I have to legally have pet insurance for my dog? Whether I should or not is not what I am asking, is there any law governing it?
hepp t thanks is that why its in the pets /dogs section why do we allow the stupid here??
27 Responses
2008 Jun 29
No law.
2008 Jul 01
I don’t know the answer to this Rod.. call your insurance company.. probably your homeowners
2008 Jul 02
No, it’s optional
2008 Jul 05
No, its not a legal requirement, or law governing it
Hope that helps
2008 Jul 07
No, and if you are a householder, you probably are insured on your home insurance, anyway!
2008 Jul 08
you dont have to have insurance its just a very good idea to have it.
2008 Jul 09
No. You do not have to have it, but it works out cheap in the long run if you dog needs surgery.
2008 Jul 11
Health insurance, No, not even in the UK. You dont need health insurance, but in some countries, not really sure about the UK. You sometimes need extra Home Owners Insurance to own and raise certian breeds of dogs, that are considered dangerous. Anyway in the US in certian states you do.
2008 Jul 13
I’m not sure what is required in the UK. The US requires pet provisions in home owners insurance.
2008 Jul 15
no you don’t have too, but it would be a good idea to - vets bills over here in the UK are high, I wish I’d had it for my dog ended up spending loads on vet bills - so if I was you get it, your more likely to claim on that than house and car insurance
2008 Jul 16
No it aint a car , that you sit in and use the road, its an animal
2008 Jul 17
no pet insurance is not a legal requirement,but is in fact a very useful thing to have,if you have a dog and it knocks someone down they can sue you,if dog has illness/accident,majority of vet bill is paid for,if animal is stolen they help with cost of advertising etc,if animal dies they cover purchase price of that also,so all in all a pretty good thing to have,all my dogs are insured,
Wendy
2008 Jul 20
No there is no law.
But if your pet is valuable, it is VERY advisable.
2008 Jul 23
Pet insurance in America is not mandatory, I am not sure about the UK. However it is SMART and CHEAP to have. I would encourage you to get it.
2008 Jul 24
no you dont need insurance but it is a good idea to have it vet bills can be very expensive!
2008 Jul 27
There is no law in the US like that.
2008 Jul 29
only if taking it on a public highway without a lead
2008 Aug 01
HOLY CrAP I am an animal lover to the t but I cant even afford health insurance for me and my husband I would hope you wouldnt have to have it for an animal…
2008 Aug 02
Absolutely not. Your home contents policy will cover you against any liability taken out against you in regards to your dog.
For example. If your down at the local park and your dog bites a person, or is so excited runs in to an old lady and knocks her over and she decides to sue against the broken hip then that is where your liability under your home contents cover comes in. However if you do not have contents insurance you personally will be liable for any damages caused. Pet insurance itself covers for any illness or accident (up to a certain amount) for the animal itself. example if your dog has cancer, can you afford the thousands of pounds to treat it?
Remember liability for animals is cobvered under the contents policy of your house not the actual building insurance (they are 2 seperate things)
2008 Aug 04
No but its nice to have…all pets get into some kind of trouble, broken legs, hit by car by accident, cancer…its nice to have and helps with the bills..since accidents always happen when unexpected and when your broke
2008 Aug 07
No there is no law. Its just recommended if your dog were to have something major like an accidental swallowing of a forgein object, got hit by a car and needed surgery\x-rays, prescription meds, vaccinations, heartworm meds, or to get cancer someday and need treatments, yearly exams, all basically similar to peoples coverages. It really does save you a lot of money in the long run. Neither one of my dogs are currently insured but I am considering it soon especially as they get older. I have been researching the different plans and seeing some that only require you to pay like 10 bucks a month and like 20 a year for any emergency afterhours vet. trips. It seems worth it. Because you just never know, you know?
2008 Aug 08
Pet Insurance isn’t currently a legal requirement but I fill forms out for pet claims in my job (vet nurse) and would strongly recommend insurance. i filled out over 1,500 of claims this week and that doesn’t include referral work for them patients. Also you will be liable to pay compensation if your dog damages anyones property, get hit by a car whilst off the lead or bites another dog so what its worth get it covered, Make sure its covered for life not just for 12months. Ps I expect theres a clause in your house insurance that wont cover you third party
2008 Aug 10
legally no you dont have to have insurance but in the long term it will save you a lot of money,as i found out when my dog took ill.
2008 Aug 12
no law at all.
2008 Aug 14
No there is no law but it is agood idea.
2008 Aug 17
you dont legally have to have pet insurance but vet bills can be expensive. i found that the insurance was a bit silly as a had a dog for 8 years and he only went to the vet once it seamed that i spent alot more on the insurance than what they gave back to me. so now iv got a bank account that i pay 10 pounds a week into and when any of my pets need to see a vet the money is there straight away and i dont have to wait or fill any forms out.
2008 Aug 18
There is no legal requirement to have pet insurance. However it is recommended in order to safeguard pet owners from spending large sums of money on veterinary bills in the long term.