The best protection for your four-legged friend through insurance
For many people, the dog belongs to the family. He is loved like every family member. Since there is no classic “statutory health insurance” for a dog, keeping such an animal can quickly become expensive for the owner. It is therefore all the more important to deal intensively with the best protection options for the four-legged friend in advance. Insurance provides at least financial compensation in the event of problems with or caused by the dog. A good dog owner liability insurance should also cover puppies. Not every insurance covers damage from young animals.
In the event of damage to others: dog liability insurance helps
Basically, the dog owner is always liable for damage caused by his animal. This is what the Civil Code stipulates in paragraph 833. This means that a dog owner has to pay for property, property and personal damage caused by his pet. In order to keep the damage to the keeper as low as possible, some federal states have already introduced a liability obligation for dogs. This includes:
- Berlin
- Hamburg
- Lower Saxony
- Saxony-Anhalt
- Schleswig-Holstein
- Thuringia
In Baden-Württemberg, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hesse, NRW, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Saxony, insurance is only compulsory for so-called dangerous dog breeds. There is currently no compulsory insurance in Bavaria and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Nevertheless, good dog liability insurance is recommended for every dog owner. A dog liability arises for claims for damages that other dog owners or people could make to the dog owner. If, for example, there is a bite attack between dogs or if a dog destroys someone's furniture, the liability insurance covers the damage. When choosing dog liability insurance, dog owners should carefully review the terms of the contract. Some insurance companies require a leash or muzzle or only insure dogs from a certain age. Here it is important that the insurance fits your dog and the life situation.
When choosing a dog breed: keep your eyes open
As already described, there are some federal states that require dog liability insurance for dangerous breeds. In principle, the choice of dog breed should be carefully considered. Not every dog fits every owner. The living situation, family size and other pets are criteria that should be considered in the choice. For example, some dog breeds need more exercise and more exposure than other animals. Here it is important to remain realistic and to choose a dog not only according to the “sweet appearance”.
There are also the so-called list dogs. These are usually fighting dogs that tend to be classified as dangerous. Each state has its own lists of dangerous dog breeds and requirements that keepers must meet. The lists of the Bull Terrier, the Pit Bull Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the Dogo Argentino, the Dogue de Bordeaux and the Mastiff are particularly frequent. Before purchasing such a dog, owners should inquire at the responsible state interior ministry about the requirements they have to meet and what to look out for.
By the way: Mixed breeds from one or more of these breeds are automatically considered to be list dogs because they can have characteristics of the fighting dogs.
It is therefore essential to deal with the breeds and their differences before buying them. So there is no later disappointment if the dog does not fit the family.
Take out insurance that pays for veterinary expenses
Unfortunately, there is still no classic statutory health insurance for dogs. Nevertheless, dogs can of course also get sick or injure themselves. Here, the owners quickly suffer high financial damage because all veterinary and clinic costs are borne by themselves. More and more insurance companies are therefore offering special OR and health insurance specifically for four-legged friends. The following benefits are part of good dog surgery insurance:
- Reimbursement of veterinary expenses
- Taking over the examination before the operation
- free choice of veterinarian and clinic
- Surgery aftercare
- Assumption of the costs for the inpatient hospital stay
- worldwide protection
It is important that the assumption of costs concerns more than the usual rate of the fee regulation for veterinarians. This is the only way to keep dog owners safe even during complicated operations. If health insurance is taken out for dog surgery insurance, the insurer also bears additional costs for diseases of the animal. Dog owners should make sure that the tariffs do not automatically increase when the dog reaches a certain age. Some insurance companies want to adjust their premiums because older animals tend to get sick more often or need treatment.
Protection if something happens to the dog owner
Just as the dog is the best friend of the person, the person is often the most important caregiver for the four-legged friend. It is all the more important that the animal always has a stable environment that it can rely on. There is hardly anything worse for the dog and owner than if the dog is torn from its familiar surroundings due to the owner's illness or accident. A dog owner protection insurance provides financial protection in the event of difficulties for the dog owner.
An accident that resulted in the owner being in the hospital happened quickly. Now someone else has to take care of the dog. There are many dog boarding houses, which lovingly look after the four-legged friends. However, the accommodation there costs money. Dog owner protection insurance pays for exactly these costs. It also takes over legal disputes if the dog owner has to make claims for damages to other dog owners because something has happened to his pet. This insurance serves as accident insurance for the dog owner and legal protection insurance for cases that directly affect the dog.
Dog owners who take out such insurance should pay attention to two points. The daily hospital allowance should be paid indefinitely so that even long hospital stays due to serious accidents are covered. And the sum insured under legal expenses insurance should correspond to the usual rates for classic legal expenses insurance. So dog owners are always on the safe side.
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