Is Dog Insurance Necessary?

When we think about taking out insurance for a dog, we probably think that this type of service will only be useful if it bites someone or another dog. If you have a furry, one of those that doesn’t hurt anyone and that looks more like teddy bears than aggressive dogs, you’re likely to believe that you don’t need to take out insurance for it.

However, the usefulness of insurance goes beyond cases of attacks on another dog or person. In this article, we’ll talk about the importance of this service and what types of insurance you can take out to protect your pet.

Why take out pet insurance

Unlike other countries, in Brazil there is no legal requirement that dogs, aggressive or not, have civil liability insurance. But this type of service has several advantages, such as:

• Economy. Dogs don’t have social insurance like we do. Therefore, if an accident happens, we are obliged to bear all of the animal’s expenses. Imagine that you are walking your dog and he manages to escape when he sees another animal and ends up going to the street and being run over by a car. Depending on the type of insurance chosen, veterinary expenses will be covered.

Another example: Your dog is so affectionate that he greets everyone. Loves jumping on people. It’s not aggressive, but a little rough. Imagine that he does this to an old lady and she falls and breaks some bone. If you have pet insurance, the insurance company will cover the medical expenses that the accident may incur.

• Tranquility.  Knowing that your dog has insurance will give you the peace of mind to walk with him knowing that if something happens, both will be covered.
• It costs little money. There are very good insurances available on the market for only R$100 per year. Yes, you heard me right. Per year! This amount is tiny close to the safety offered to the pet.

Where and how to purchase insurance for my dog

There are hundreds of insurance companies that offer different types of insurance. Mapfre, AXA and others, as well as dozens that offer their services over the internet. But all these companies have some minimum requirements.

The types of coverage offered by insurance are varied and depend on the contracted modality. The most common are:

• Civil responsability. This type of service will cover expenses arising from damage caused to your dog or to other dogs and people due to your pet. This is what we can call third-party insurance.
• Theft or loss. If the animal is lost or stolen, the insurance company will indemnify you with the value of the animal. It is recommended to hire this type of service if you are the owner of a very expensive breed dog. We know that money doesn’t make up for the emotional damage, but it will help financially.

• Accidents. The insurance company will be responsible for all medical expenses that an accident may cause your dog.
• Sacrifices. If your dog, for reasons of force majeure, needs to be sacrificed, the insurance company will bear the costs of the process.
• Veterinary assistance. It’s like health insurance for the animal. Your pet can be attended to by any veterinarian and the insurance company will reimburse all expenses. But remember to keep all invoices and medical records.
• Legal assistance. If your pet causes an accident and you find yourself involved in a lawsuit, the insurance will be responsible for the costs of notary offices, lawyers, etc.

As we have seen, taking out insurance for your dog is very important. Even though many people think that “this will never happen to me”, we don’t imagine the attrition involved until things happen.