Anyone owning a dog could benefit from taking out dog insurance. Not getting away from owning a dog is a huge responsibility, and it often comes with high costs if and when things go wrong. Taking out insurance could help you out financially and ease the worry.
What does insurance give the owner?
There are many things included in a dog insurance policy. The coverage and limitations would depend on the insurance provider you took the approach with. However, certain events and situations are usually covered, and these include:
- Help towards your vet’s fees, including treatment, medication, and tests.
- A policy to cover the death of your pet through accident or illness. Usually, the policy pays out the cost of your pet when you buy it.
- Third-party liability insurance is usually included in your dog insurance. This will help you with the legal costs if a third party takes you to court if your dog hurts someone or damages property.
- You might get financial help towards your pet staying in a kennel or cattery if you have to stay in hospital and there is no one to look after your pet.
- Your dog insurance policy could help pay for your pet’s recovery if they are stolen or lost. This could be towards advertising costs and a reward.
Things you need to know about insurance
There are some things you need to know about dog insurance. Luckily when you search and compare insurance online, you can check out the terms of the policy to ensure that you know exactly what you are getting for your money. Always check out the summary, download the PDF documents, and review these carefully before taking out the cover. Here are some of the things that you need to check out:
- The excess
- The limits on the policy
- The exclusions in the policy
The excess is what you must pay out if you claim the insurance. This money must be paid in a lump sum before the insurance provider can spend the rest of the claim. There is a minimum amount of excess that you have to find, but there is nothing to stop you from offering to pay more. It can help keep the insurance premiums if you offer to pay more. However, you could lose any savings you make this way if you have to claim on the insurance more than once. Insurance providers always limit the total amount they pay out, so check what the maximum sum of money is that you could claim back. Finally, check out what the exclusions are in your dog insurance policy. You cannot claim these things, and they may vary depending on the insurance provider. It is better to find out what these are to avoid any nasty surprises if a claim has to be made.
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