Dog Insurance: when it is recommended and when it is mandatory

Insuring the dog can be either an obligation or a duty on the part of the owner.

The ordinance of March 3, 2009, with which the list of dangerous breeds was extinguished, governs this aspect in detail, in order to give the owner all the information necessary to insure his four-legged friend. Many Italians host pets of all species and races in their homes; very often it is a dog. When our four-legged friend becomes part of the family unit, new duties and responsibilities emerge towards him, family, friends, neighbors and passers-by. Dogs need a lot of care and a good portion of our time if we want to keep them fit and happy.

In some cases, however, all our affection is not enough and we need other tools to defend our animal and the people who come into contact with it. It can happen at times, for various reasons, that our animal can get sick or suffer accidents or injuries and, unfortunately, injure or cause serious damage to third parties. In this case, to avoid compensation to be paid out of your own pocket, it is highly recommended to take out a policy Dog Insurance.

The ordinance of March 3, 2009 makes animal owners responsible for any type of damage, regardless of the species or presumed Dangerous Breeds. For this reason it is always advisable to take out insurance. With the aforementioned ordinance the one of 12 December 2006 is repealed, in which the presumed dangerous breeds were listed and there was an obligation to stipulate a Dog policy. The new ordinance, in relation to the RC (civil liability), establishes the simple concept for which the owners of the animals will always be responsible for any damage caused to third parties. Furthermore, the latter establishes that the vet will decide whether that dog is dangerous or not. In the event that the dog has been the protagonist (sadly) of episodes of aggression or has shown an unbalanced character, the veterinarian may decide to oblige the owner to take out insurance that can protect third parties from possible aggressions. In all other cases, it will be a free choice of the owner whether to insure his / her friend.

It is not always necessary to insure large dogs such as Great Danes or Neapolitan Mastiffs, or dogs considered (wrongly) to be particularly aggressive such as Dobermans or Pitt Bulls. There are no dangerous breeds, but only irresponsible owners who stimulate the dog to be aggressive. The one who writes to you, for example, found himself in front of two rottweilers of a friend who as soon as they saw me for the first time one lay down on the ground to have his belly stroked, the other left without caring about the my presence (obviously everything happened in the presence of my friend). In some cases it is advisable to insure even a small dog such as a dachshund or a chihuahua. Because? For example, think that a small dog can lash out at a child or an elderly person and cause them damage. The bite of a dog weighing a few kilos can still be annoying. The damages, regardless of the breed, are always and in any case the responsibility of the owner. In addition, dog insurance can include not only civil liability, but also medical care and surgery, which are not very cheap.
Insurance companies offer a number of solutions, depending on the dog's breed, lifestyle and age. The cost of insurance starts from very low rates of 30/40 euros per year, up to higher costs depending on the level of coverage of the animal.
In any case, you must think about dog insurance not only in terms of avoiding compensation for any damage to things or people, but also and above all to guarantee support and medical care that can save his life.