Third party liability insurance for dogs

You’re probably interested in pet insurance to make sure you can pay for any veterinary care your dog or cat might need. But some pet insurance policies also include third party liability cover, or legal cover and many dog owners overlook just how important it might be.

You might see it called different things by different pet insurers:

• Legal action cover

• Public liability cover

• Third party liability insurance

We like to say what we mean, so in our policy documents we call it ‘cover for legal action against your pet’ and all of our dog insurance policies include it as standard.

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It’s not included with dog insurance policies from all providers though, so always check. Some will ask you to pay extra to add this cover to your policy.

So what is it, do you need it and why does it only cover dogs and not cats?

What’s third-party liability cover?

This happens when someone brings legal action against you and/or your pet (we call this Legal Claims Against You in the handbook). 

For example, if your pet caused an injury to someone or damaged their property.

It helps with compensation and legal costs.

How much is third party liability insurance for dogs?

We include cover for legal action against your pet as standard with all our dog insurance policies, but not all pet insurance providers do.

Some insurers will add it but charge extra for it, although it’s usually fairly inexpensive compared with the cost of your main pet insurance policy.

You can also buy third party liability cover for dogs as a stand-alone policy from some providers. This is usually considerably cheaper than pet insurance that includes cover for vet fees, but remember you won’t be covered for your own dog’s vet bills with third-party only cover.

Dogs Trust includes public liability insurance if you become a member. Membership costs £25 a year, so it can be a cost-effective way of getting cover for public liability if you don’t want conventional pet insurance.

Self-insurance and third party cover

Some people choose to ‘self-insure’ to pay for vet bills. They simply put money aside monthly instead of  paying for insurance. While that might be the right strategy for you, it does leave you without third party liability cover for your dog.

Make sure you understand the implications of that. For peace of mind you might want to take out a stand-alone third-party liability policy for your dog alongside your self-insurance plan.

Why don't cats have third party liability cover?

It’s all because of the different way the law treats cats and dogs.

Dogs are seen as completely the owner’s responsibility and they’re mentioned in the Road Traffic Act and Dangerous Dogs Act. They must be in control in public places and that’s why any harm or damage caused is also the owner’s responsibility.

Cats, on the other hand, are treated as ‘free spirits’ by the law. That means owners aren’t held responsible for their behaviour when they’re out and about.

What isn’t covered by third-party liability cover?

Please refer to your policy book for an exact list of what isn’t covered.

What to do if your dog bites someone

It’s every owner’s worst nightmare, but sometimes accidents happen and you could find yourself facing a situation where your dog has bitten a person or another animal. Here’s what to do.

1. Control the situation – If your dog was off lead, get them back on immediately and remove them from the immediate situation. But do not leave the scene. If there was a fight between your dog and another, leave it to the other dog’s owner to re-leash their own dog. You don’t want to risk being bitten by someone else’s pet trying to defend itself.

2. First aid – Assess any people or animals that are injured. Offer to call an ambulance if it’s needed. If anyone needs to leave to seek medical or veterinary attention, make sure they have your contact details.

3. Remain calm, helpful and factual – Make sure everyone gets the help they need at the scene but remember, you shouldn’t admit responsibility. Feelings will be running high and it’s hard to see the full picture at the time. It’s the job of insurance companies to decide where liability lies, just like they do after a car accident.

4. Contact your pet insurer – You need to let your insurance provider know what’s happened as soon as possible. it can be very upsetting or embarrassing to admit your dog’s bitten someone, but any dog can be unpredictable in the wrong set of circumstances and that’s what this cover is for. They’ll tell you what you need to do next.

You’ll probably be feeling very upset in the wake of the incident, but one-off dog bite incidents do happen. It’s your job now to make sure it never happens again.

Take practical steps to avoid any future incidents, for example you could consider muzzle training your dog if it’s left you feeling under-confident and booking some sessions with a qualified trainer.

It’s a good idea to make an appointment with your vet to try to get to the root of the cause. Sometimes an underlying health problem can cause a dog to lash out.

Your vet may also recommend some behavioural treatment. Our policies cover behavioural treatment when needed as a result of illness or injury, when referred by your vet.

So if an underlying illness is causing the problem and you're a ManyPets insurance customer you may be covered.

Behavioural treatment covered up to your vet fee limit.

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