Should You Insure Your Dog?
Should you get your dog insurance?
You may have heard of dog insurance, but you may think it is only necessary if your dog is a potentially dangerous breed. It is true that in these cases it is mandatory, but this does not prevent anyone who wants to insure their pet from being able to do so. If you are wondering if you should insure your dog, look at this information.
Insurance for your dog, why?
The law says that we are responsible for our pets and therefore we have to ‘pay’ one way or another for the damage they do to the property of others or to other people or pets. It is possible that you know your pet or its breed well, and that you are one of those who believe that there is no danger.
This could be so or it could not. There is a saying that “under oppression even a wise man acts mad.” Your dog could find himself in a desperate situation that leads him to bite a pet, a child, or someone else.
The truth is that pet insurance does not cost too much per year and can save you many problems. It is something to consider taking into account other factors as well.
For example, the obligation that a dog has or not insurance is borne by the municipal tenure. That is, if a city council requires that certain dogs or all dogs have insurance, there is no other law that exempts you from that. It is important that you ask at the town hall of the place where you live so that you are aware of whether or not you should comply with it.
On the other hand, even if your dog is not a potentially dangerous breed, but weighs more than 20 kilos, you have an obligation to insure it. You should also make sure, if you take out insurance, that the amount for civil liability is in harmony with that stipulated by the Law of the Autonomous Community in which you reside.
Insurance, increasingly, is an added requirement to responsible pet ownership, as it is a way to avoid major problems.
Compare prices
If you have already decided that it is best to insure your dog, even if it is not mandatory, it is important that you shop around. The average price of pet insurance ranges between 70 and 80 euros a year, although you already know that insurance companies fight to win customers and you can get good discounts.
You can also ask if you have home insurance, if it covers your pet and what type of coverage it offers if so. It might interest you, since it would be included in the cost of your insurance and would not entail an extra expense.
Another aspect to consider is the value of the dog. Yes, you know that we do not like to mix money and animals, but in this case it is necessary. Many breeds of dogs cost a lot of money, and this type of insurance would cover its full value, obviously financial, in case it was lost, stolen or had an accident. In addition, they will cover your veterinary treatments and stays in kennels.
And in the case of potentially dangerous breeds , as we said at the beginning, this insurance is mandatory. When you go to hire it, the insurer will verify that you meet certain requirements:
- Be of age
- Have no criminal record
- Physical and psychological ability to take care of a dog with these characteristics
- You will have to take out insurance for damage to third parties with a minimum value of 120,000 euros
You already know that having an animal entails a series of responsibilities and, in certain situations, it will be you who must stand up and answer for it and its actions. An insurance can cover you against many of them and it will not cost you too much. Prevention is better than cure, don’t you think?
