Only around 40% of pet owners in the UK have pet insurance.  Are you one of those who haven’t?  The Association of British Insurers reported that their members paid out more than £1billion for the third consecutive year in 2024 so with vets fees seemingly going up every year, can you afford not to be insured?

We strongly advise all dog owners to get the best policy they can afford, to give you the peace of mind that if your pet needs veterinary care that you can get the treatment done without worrying about the cost.  Naturally, you should do your homework before you take out insurance, including researching things such as:-

• the price of the premium being charged, and
• what is the scope of the cover being offered, and
• what are the terms and conditions, and
• what is the company’s reputation for handling claims

Did you know that Cooper & Co Solicitors are retained by Petplan?  We have been their Doglaw advisers for several years and we are proud to have them as business partners.

Petplan asserts that its policies cover some things that some other policies don’t and they claim to be the UK’s No.1 provider.  Check out what pet insurance options are available to you from Petplan on the link below.  We believe that most Petplan pet insurance policies for dogs include third party liability cover (terms and conditions apply).  Petplan has been helping pet owners access the best care for their pets for over 45 years and they could well have the right policy for you and your pet.

Petplan

Disclosure : This link to Petplan contains an affiliate link and we receive commission if you visit their website and choose to purchase a policy. It doesn’t cost you any extra for you to click on this link.  Currently, Petplan insures around 1.3 million pets, which is more than any other provider and they say that they pay out on 97% of the claims they receive.

Why would a firm of Solicitors want to promote pet insurance?

Why wouldn’t we!  In particular, we urge you to consider having third party liability cover as part of that pet insurance (also known as public liability insurance) as we have seen too many cases where someone doesn’t have cover and the huge impact it can have.

Compensation claims

A few things you may want to bear in mind when it comes to third party liability cover for dog bite incidents:-

If you have no public liability insurance

• Not every pet insurance policy includes public liability cover
• We frequently act for owners who have no cover and in this kind of situation it can be life-changing not only for the victim but also the uninsured dog owner.
  • Did you know that there is no Legal Aid available to defend a personal injury claim?
  • Even if you successfully defend a claim, did you know that you generally can’t recover your legal fees if the Claimant was being advised on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis?
  • Can you imagine how stressful it can be to face a compensation claim if you don’t have the back-up of an insurer?
• If there is a judgment against you, how could it be enforced by a successful Claimant if you have no insurance?
  • They could garnishee it from your bank.
  • Have an attachment of earnings order from your salary.
  • They could apply for a charging order on your home and then apply for the property to be sold.
  • They could issue bankruptcy proceedings.
  • They could instruct bailiffs to seize goods.

Even if you do have public liability cover, are any of these situations important to you?

• If you’re fostering a dog from a rescue or looking after a dog as a favour for a friend or family member, as you wouldn’t be regarded as the dog’s owner, do you have cover? If not, do they have cover that extends to you?
• Are you insured if you take the dog into work with you?
• If you’re paying for someone else to look after your dog, some pet insurers provide an exclusion so if the incident applies while they have the dog your policy would be of no effect. If that applies to you, make sure that the person who is looking after your dog does have insurance cover (don’t just assume that they do) and check if you get the benefit of that cover yourself.  This may apply if your dog is with a dog walker, pet sitter, doggy day care, home boarding or boarding kennels.
• Does your policy cover you for dog on animal incidents and damage to property, or is it only for dog on people incidents?
• If you have failed to disclose a previous incident when your dog has behaved dangerously, you may find that when it comes to claim that the insurer can exclude cover
• Are you covered if the victim is a member of your family or an invited guest?
• You must notify your insurers as soon as you are aware of a potential claim
• If there should be an incident, DO NOT ADMIT LIABILITY without speaking to your insurers first

Disclaimer : Nothing in this blog should be taken as legal advice in and of itself and so you should check your own individual circumstances, if required, by a lawyer.  We do not sell insurance nor do we recommend any particular insurance policy.  While we exclusively work with Petplan as our sole pet insurer client, other pet insurers are available.

The way pet insurance works is that you need cover available BEFORE an incident and not take it out after, otherwise you’d be too late.

Trevor Cooper
Solicitor

If you need legal help because of your dog (or cat), please call Cooper & Co Solicitors on 01227 20 33 20 during normal office hours.  For many cases, we can offer a fixed fee telephone advice call with a qualified Solicitor for only £60 for up to 20 minutes. 

Cooper & Co Solicitors is regulated & authorised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority SRA 258139.

www.doglaw.co.uk

Petplan is part of Allianz Insurance PLC.

Trevor Cooper has been qualified as a Solicitor since 1987 and is regarded as a leading Solicitor in England & Wales who deals with civil and criminal cases involving dogs.