Pet insurance companies are claiming to have forked out millions due to third party liability claims made by dog owners in the last few years and the trend is still spiralling upwards. It appears that third party cover is deemed not so much an optional extra nowadays but a downright essential. In fact, many pet insurers now insist on including third party liability cover automatically in their policies.

Once a dog owner has been proven to be legally liable for the illness, death or injury of a third party caused by the involvement of their dog, a successful claim can usually be made to a pet insurance company. However, if an owner does not possess this type of insurance, they may well be liable themselves to pay any costs and compensation awards against them or face a huge legal bill in order to defend the claim. This is a daunting prospect for any dog owner!

People might be lulled into a false sense of security, thinking that they are safe from these incidents because their dog is well behaved, loyal and simply would not hurt a fly. Think again! There have been all manner of occurrences where the pet is not malicious or dangerous but a claim has been made none-the-less. For example, one case was cited where an over-protective dog chased the local postman out of his garden, a perfectly normal behaviour response for any dog. However the postman fell and badly injured himself. A subsequent personal injury claim coupled with a loss of income and legal fees raked in a sum of £65,000!

Another frightening example is that of an owner out walking his dog, who possessed third party liability cover with a well-known pet insurance company. The dog became excitable at seeing a passer-by and jumped up, knocking an old, frail lady to the ground. The lady was so badly injured that damages came in at around £40,000. In this case however, the costs were fortunately covered by the third party insurance policy.

It is quite clear that short of never letting dogs venture outside, the types of claims made in these examples could happen to any dog owner. This seems an extremely high and somewhat unfair price to pay for what could be little more than an unfortunate incident. In today’s litigious society, the public is becoming increasingly educated in their rights to claim damages when they have been aggrieved or injured in some way. Pet owners must also therefore ensure they are educated in a way that will give them, as well as their pets, security and protection.

Pet insurance customers should not make the assumption that their policy automatically covers them for third party liability if there is an incident with their pet. It is worth scrutinising the small print in the policy very carefully. Customers that do find they are covered for third party liability can hopefully rest in the knowledge that their policy will cover any compensation damages or pay for the defence of a claim.

Third party liability cover typically covers dog owners in a variety of eventualities, such as when damage to someone else’s property occurs or if someone is injured, killed or made ill due to an incident with the owner’s dog. The exact specifics will vary with different companies and policies however and so, just to re-iterate, one should always read the small print!

In March 2010, the UK government was on the verge of forcing all dog owners to take out third party insurance anyway, as a means to protect the public against the increasing numbers of savage attacks by dangerous dogs. In the end this proposal never materialised because it was deemed unworkable. For one thing, the policies would not cover breeds deemed as dangerous (such as the pit bull terrier) because they are already banned under the law anyway and yet responsible dog owners might end up being penalised unfairly.

So dog owners are left with the free choice of third party pet insurance. In the end, it is a case of weighing up the risks of an incident occurring against the cost of the insurance and in times where the economy is struggling, this decision is not an easy one.

Those of us who have been exposed to the recent ‘quit smoking’ campaign showing small children inhaling and exhaling smoke will know that the plight of the passive smoker is now a key factor in encouraging smokers to think twice about the habit.

It may be common knowledge that smoking is bad for both the smoker and anyone else who happens to be in lung-shot of the cigarette but how many people have considered the effects of passive smoke inhalation on the dogs we share our airspace with?

Tobacco is unique. It’s one of the world’s few legally available products that will actually kill its customers if used correctly. Over 120,000 smoking related deaths per year in the UK alone pay testament to this gruesome statistic.

As a nation of dog lovers we spend time and money keeping our pets fit and healthy. We pay attention to the food they consume and the amount and style of exercise they require. We spend billions of pounds a year on veterinary care, scientifically developed diets, insurance and products to make their lives pleasurable.

So who would have thought, with all this effort to enhance their lifestyle and wellbeing going on, that millions of us could actually be killing our dogs by lighting up in their presence?

It seems the typically British thing to do nowadays is to import Americana. Where they have Jerry Springer we have Trisha, where they decide to get stuck into a good old fashioned bombing campaign, we follow and so surely will adopt some parts of America’s extreme anti-public smoking legislation.

Yes, no doubt we like to follow in the footsteps of our North American allies but unlike the increase in gun crime and identikit coffee houses, this latest American import is likely to be welcomed by millions here in Britain.

That smoking harms you and others around you is well documented and the point need not to be stressed further than to look at the figures for the volume of deaths of both smokers and non-smokers through a variety of smoking related illnesses each year around the world. What’s never really been given much consideration is the damage going on to the critters who live around our feet in our homes.

When a smoker takes a drag on a cigarette they inhale around 15% of the fumes, the rest they pump straight back into the atmosphere. Smoke, being heavier than air, sinks. Slowly. You can probably see where this is leading but consider the bare facts. 85% of the dangerous chemicals available to the smoker is passed on to the surrounding area’s airspace. If you stand anywhere above 3”4 the chances are you’re going to have a small time slot where the 85% is floating around your breathing space.

If you’re above 5”5 then you’ve much less exposure to the descending smoke, if, however you stand little more than a couple of feet off the ground then you’re in for the maximum exposure time available, especially if you spend a good proportion of your day taking big whiffs through the highly sensitive smelling tool that’s stuck on the end of your muzzle. It’s stating the obvious to point out that dogs live on the ground below us and tend to use the nasal abilities that God gave them to put most of their time into sniffing some place or another.

So there you have it, for smokers consideration to their dogs health must be given as dogs can indeed suffer from second hand smoke. Maybe we may even see dog insurance companies asking whether the dog they are about to insure lives in a home with a smoker?

If the figures are to be believed, there are around 7 million or so dogs in Britain who are not covered by a specialist pet insurance policy. That begs the question, is pet insurance a luxury financial product with which UK dog lovers can happily live without or are there 7 million dog owners who could potentially be gambling their dog’s health for the sake of about £15 per month?

We put forward some of the common concerns held by our readers about pet insurance to Chris Price and David Keel, who are professional dog insurance experts.

K9) Surely there is an upper-limit as to the amount of financial burden a pet could leave you with? It can’t be the same as a car or home when potential expenses could run into thousands. Is insurance for pets a gimmick or a genuine necessity?

Chris) – There is no absolute upper limit on how much a pet’s veterinary treatment could cost someone, although for the majority of consumers it will not exceed the limits most insurance companies put on their policies. Certainly the costs could run into thousands if the pet had an ongoing condition that required regular check ups, treatment and medication.

Pet insurance is certainly not a gimmick. Whilst the cost of veterinary treatment may not be as much as the value of someone’s car or house or home contents, the cost is very much unknown and therefore it could be argued that it is a harder risk to self insure against. Also, as our country is becoming increasingly litigious, having protection for any damage a dog does to a person or to someone’s property for which the owner is legally liable, is almost essential.

David) – The costs of veterinary treatment are rising all the time as the science of veterinary medicine advances and it is common for courses of treatment to run into thousands of pounds. Petplan pays out over a million pounds in claims a week so pet insurance is far from being a gimmick.

Third party cover is also becoming increasingly important as the concept of strict liability for owners has been enforced by the courts. In these cases the potential cost of a single claim could run into tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Pet insurance is there to meet the potential cost of unexpected veterinary treatment to help make sure that an animal can receive the best possible care and to avoid the owner facing heart-breaking decisions.

12.Melanie Silcox had to rush Duke, her six month old Rottweiler, to the vet after her three year old son fed him the contents of a pub ashtray with his dinner.

13.A Dalmatian puppy called Jordan caused trouble for himself in Portsmouth after licking the wet paint from the side of his kennel. Luckily he only suffered a mild case of poisoning .

14.Charlie, a Yorkshire Terrier from north Wales, managed to damage his left eye severely after pulling a cuckoo clock from a wall and onto his face. The cost of his treatment more than £1,000.

15.‘Sam has always been a naughty dog, but he has done nothing like this before’ was the response of a woman rendered homeless by her dog’s actions. Sam chewed through an empty aerosol can, sending a fire ball through the property completely destroying it. No dogs were hurt, just two cats.

16.Firemen in Blackpool spent two hours trying to release Danny, a two year old Springer Spaniel, from underground piping in a children’s play park near his home. He got stuck in the same place two weeks later.

17.Leo, a five year old Labrador from Harrow in Middlesex, ended up underneath his owner’s motorbike after chewing through the kickstand. Leo didn’t regain full mobility for five weeks.

18.Embarrassment was overcome by fear for one dog owner in Devon. He had to drive his Manchester terrier, Alfie, to the vet after he ate his wig.

19.Junior, a mixed breed from Warrington, put the frighteners up owner, Lindsey South. Whilst out walking, Junior ran off to fetch a stick that Lindsey had thrown for him. When he returned he had an unused firework hanging from his mouth.

20.Berry, a ten month old collie, suffered in the name of football. The family’s eight year old son had put his Manchester city strip on the dog, inadvertently restricting her walking ability. It was only a matter of time before poor Berry went flying down the stairs severely hurting her front leg. The cost of her treatment more than £1,000.

2.Rusty, a Bull Terrier from Kent astonished vets after managing to consume a pair of bicycle handle bars.

3.Mr A Mills of Motherwell, whose Border Collie was not insured, attempted to claim on his home insurance after an accident in his back garden, when he accidentally peppered poor Mandy with air rifle pellets.

4.Following an attack from a pet Burmese python, Rudy’s injuries cost his owners the princely sum of £2,400, plus the loss of the snake.

5.Bayley, a five year old Dachshund from Hinckley in Leicestershire, required urgent attention after snacking on two of his owner’s golf balls.
6.Sian, a three year old mongrel from Swansea, broke her leg after falling from a sit-down lawnmower. This cost Huw Pickering, a retired insurance broker, £2,000 in vet’s bills.

7.Lee Sidney was left in tears after falling on top of his West Highland terrier, Jake, and fracturing two of the dogs ribs during a barbecue at his rugby club.

8.Lincolnshire couple Ruth and Marco LaBrie were charged £216 by the vet that removed assorted nuts and bolts from the stomach of Nelson, their Bassett.

9.Gemma, a miniature Schnauzer from Reading, diced with danger after swallowing a tube of super-glue. A second operation was necessary when the stitches became loose.

10.Gentle giant Mal the St Bernard needed surgery after destroying his gums by trying to clean the remaining bits of potato from a potato peeler at his home in St Helen’s.

On this site you will find our guides to buying dog insurance, evaluating the best policies for your particular dog and understanding how to get the best value dog insurance cover.

Is My Dog Eligible For Dog Insurance?

Some breeds are subject to certain or are very hard to get cover for at all. In the United Kingdom, breeds that are banned under the dangerous dogs act which include:

American Pit Bull Terriers
Japanese Tosas
Dog Argentinos
Fila Braxilieros
Wolf hybrids

would not be eligible for insurance cover.

Some insurers will not offer insurance to ‘commercial’ animals as they are not considered pets. A commercial animal would be defined as one that earned its owner financial reward, such as a racing greyhound or working sheepdog. Always ensure that you clarify exactly what your dog is used for if it is in anyway possible that is might be considered a ‘commercial’ animal.

Age is a significant factor in determining whether your pet can be insured. While some companies are happy to insure a pet for it’s entire life, others will terminate the policy once a pet has reached a certain age. It may be more difficult to initially get cover for an animal over the age of 8 years old which is another good reason for insuring your pet at the earliest possible opportunity.

If a pet has suffered with a prolonged illness or injury that has been subject of regular veterinary attention, insurers may be reluctant to hand out an initial policy or the premium may be much higher. Insurance companies do have the right to check with your vet to see if a pet has been subject to ongoing treatment prior to a policy being given out.

In general, if you own a dog or cat under the age of 10, be it a mixed breed or pedigree, that is not considered ‘commercial’ or dangerous you should be able to find a company willing to offer you suitable insurance cover.

You can find out whether your dog is eligible or if you could get a more suitable policy by using our very own ‘Quote Buster’ service.