Insurance for all dogs

[zebidee]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8556195.stm

Okay - I'm not a dog owner ... don't really like the things prefer cats myself; but am I the only person in the world who's thinking that of all the people who wouldn't take out 3rd party insurance for their dog the most likely are "gangs who are using dangerous dogs as status symbols"?!??!

 :roll: :roll: :roll:

[V8MoneyPit]

No, you are not alone. Just another vote gaining exercise. Being seen to do something will go towards their brownie points however ineffective it it is.

[dxmedia]

Fully comp to the eye balls !!!


Not fussed about the dog licking someone to death or knocking down a small kid with a too enthusiastic wag from his tail, but have you seen vet bills  :shock: :shock: :shock:


disclaimer - I've not got a fighing dog, I've a thick as pig dodo (not being unkind, he really is) springer....

[Hightower]

Same here.  We've got two working cocker spaniels, also daft as brushes, and never going to hurt anyone intentionally.

Insurance purely for vet bills (had one last month for £2600 after one ate a towel and it got stuck in her gut).

[mark-d]

we cant really insure our dog now as in the last year its cost well over 5 k and our insurance only cover upto 2500 so they have now ended our policy, and cant seem to find another insurer

[V8MoneyPit]

The insurance being suggested is for public liability. It would be in addition to any cover for vet bills, etc.

The insurance companies must love it. They get a whole chunk of extra income without having to do anything. The government just creates more business for them.

I might be wrong, but public liability insurance isn't mandatory for horses is it? My wife has cover on her dog meat.... err, sorry... horses for public liability as well as vet bills. The damage half a ton of spooked horse can do is pretty significant! But the rare occurance of a child getting savaged by a dog is more media worthy, so gets politicians all steamed up.

[zebidee]

... after one ate a towel and it got stuck in her gut ...

Shouldn't laugh but just have this image of a spaniel with half a towel hanging out it's mouth and the other half out the other end.

Giving it a good floss!

[Saffy]

How about re-instating the dog license and a large cut of it to go to a non profit state run insurance fund. In cases of insurance claims made against owners without a license the 'fund' is used to both pay out the victim and prosecute the owner. A registration requirement of breeders to weed out puppy farms. Compulsory neutering of dogs unless holding the breeding license. The cost of neutering be subsidised by the dog license fee.

[Hightower]

The insurance being suggested is for public liability. It would be in addition to any cover for vet bills, etc.

Most pet insurance policies include this as standard.

[mark-d]

How about re-instating the dog license and a large cut of it to go to a non profit state run insurance fund. In cases of insurance claims made against owners without a license the 'fund' is used to both pay out the victim and prosecute the owner. A registration requirement of breeders to weed out puppy farms. Compulsory neutering of dogs unless holding the breeding license. The cost of neutering be subsidised by the dog license fee.

i agree with that

[dxmedia]

we cant really insure our dog now as in the last year its cost well over 5 k and our insurance only cover upto 2500 so they have now ended our policy, and cant seem to find another insurer

Try 'more than'  we've 7 1/2K cover per single incident iirc, not too expensive either.

[lambert]

as both a spaniel owner and strict uncle can i suggest the following;

how about parents of children having forced public liability insurance cover for all the wanton damage wrought by their precious little angels? (theses are the same little angels that have on different occasions seen fit to molest my springer and when challenged to stop have given me abuse and set their fawning parents onto the nasty man who did not think it was right to pull a dogs tail or stab fingers in its eyes.)

also if we take the argument of there being no bad dogs just bad owners can we introduce compulsary neutering of people who train dogs as weapons thus removing the problem of idiots in one generation.

ggrrrrrrrr off back under my landrover to calm down.

[zebidee]

How about re-instating the dog license and a large cut of it to go to a non profit state run insurance fund. In cases of insurance claims made against owners without a license the 'fund' is used to both pay out the victim and prosecute the owner. A registration requirement of breeders to weed out puppy farms. Compulsory neutering of dogs unless holding the breeding license. The cost of neutering be subsidised by the dog license fee.

i agree with that

+1 from me.

[JumboBeef]

I've never had insurance for my dogs (I've currently got three).  I've saved thousands over the years.

[mark-d]

we cant really insure our dog now as in the last year its cost well over 5 k and our insurance only cover upto 2500 so they have now ended our policy, and cant seem to find another insurer

Try 'more than'  we've 7 1/2K cover per single incident iirc, not too expensive either.

thats not bad for the smaller things, like ours had something wrong with one of her claws that cost £400 altogether. but she has developed epilepsy in the last year and has cost thousands and will continue to cost money for the rest of her life and she is only 3, the first question they ask is has she got any medical conditions we say yes they say sorry we cant insure you. but thanks i will try them anyway

[muddyjames]

My dog is insured and gotmy money back each year so far!

But imagine the situation. al dogs are fully insured and micro chipped. A dog runs up to you, takes a chunk out your arm, runs off. How will you know who to go to and who it is insured by? Are you supposed to fight it and pin it to the ground and some how get it to a vet with a micro chip reader and get the details? Or will dogs have to have a tax disk like for a car except with insurance details on, on a simple to break off tag so you can keep it? I dont think so. The idea is there but totally un workable. Even if the owner is there, they can give false details and then never to be seen again.

I do like the idea though of Asbo's for dogs where ones who have gone to attack something needs to be muzzled and neutered.

I tend to think most of it is down to the owner any way on how the dog was brought up. If it was brought up encouraged to fight then it is bound to fight or attack someone as that is all it knows. If it was brought up as a family pet or fetch game in a field then that is most likely what it will want to do and not be vicious.

I could go on for a long time about all this but I wont!

[SteveGoodz]

After I saw this story this morning on TV I've been scanning the rest of the news for the nasty story they're trying to keep our attention away from. Haven't found it yet ... except maybe the trade deficit ....

Honestly though, with the country's economy in the toilet haven't they got something better to concern themselves with?

[Gromitt]

ALL DOGS ????

Our 13 year old Westie only ever goes out of the house for 15 minutes at 6.30am and always on a lead so I won't be insuring him no matter what  :x :x :x

Their trying to hide the "crap equipment for our troops" story.

[Thrasher]

You just wait for next months toilet tax...

[denviks]

ALL DOGS ????

Our 13 year old Westie only ever goes out of the house for 15 minutes at 6.30am and always on a lead so I won't be insuring him no matter what  :x :x :x

Their trying to hide the "crap equipment for our troops" story.

think your spot on there mate.........  release this when they want something burried 

[JPJ]

Why this will never work!!
One of the golden rules when you make a rule is that is has to be enforceable and that you have to have some sort of punishment for the offenders. e.g. If the dog warden sees your pet c***ping on the ground and you don't tidy up afterwards you'll get a fine - problem here of course is the waden has to see you!
But lets take a much easier example, we all drive cars which are all identifyable and are all insured :^o aren't they! Well we know what happens when you get caught as we all watch Traffic Cops on Dave but really we all know that there are thousands of uninsured vehicles out there on the roads and a lot that have cloned registrations. The same thing will happen if they decide to chip and insure dogs. The self respecting, law abiding majority will comply but there always be those that won't and the majority of those will get away with it as who will police this stupid suggestion?
Rant Over!

[rougemia]

Hi guys, this is a real bug bare for me, I have two (supposed) Dangerous dogs, they are Dogue de Bordeaux's which I trust more with my 2year old cousin, than I trust my yorkie. They are all chipped and insured, which currently just for the two big girls insurance costs £80 a month, so I can imagine Insurance companies having a field day and whacking up the premiums. Its such a shame the minority spoilt it and it seems to be the breed that get bad press.
I think things wouldnt change if chipping and insurance are brought in (its the law to have horses passported and thousands arnt) I feel it will go the same way with dogs and again the minority who give particular breeds bad press will continue while responsable dog/pet owners are paying for it!!

[Jas278]

The Rescue Centres are building more kennels as we speak !

[Saffy]

The Rescue Centres are building more kennels as we speak !

we need to get over being sentimental about unwanted animals, unwanted dogs = cat food, unwanted cats = dog food, unwanted horses = my belly thanks.... SORTED

[Jas278]

And what do we do with people who have silly opinion..

[Yoshi]

I am all for this after my dog was attacked by one of these vicous little dogs.

Oh and it bit bettyblue22 when she jumped in to try and remove its teeth from my dogs throat.

When the police were called they did nothing about it, because my dog wasnt on a lead.

Anyone who has met my dog knows he is soft as diarrohea and this other dog just turned on him when he went to have a sniff (a sniff is very natural for a dog!)

So yes, after shelling out in excess of £200 in vets fees and the time bettyblue22 spent in the hospital and off work the following week i think third party insurance is a must.

Yes most of us are responsible owners with our dogs, but at the end of the day, the dog is an animal and cannot be guaranteed under any circumstances not to just snap and go for someone.  I dont care how well you think you know your dog, but this is still the case.

And yes i would be happy to pay out for an insurance policy for that, just in case my dog did ever do something wrong - which is very unlikely, but not impossible.

[Lord Shagg-Pyle]

How about re-instating the dog license and a large cut of it to go to a non profit state run insurance fund. In cases of insurance claims made against owners without a license the 'fund' is used to both pay out the victim and prosecute the owner. A registration requirement of breeders to weed out puppy farms. Compulsory neutering of dogs unless holding the breeding license. The cost of neutering be subsidised by the dog license fee.

A few good ideas there. Who would enforce it though?
The 'Horse Passport' scheme was brought in for similar reasons. It cost a fortune to bring in, has numerous agencies issuing the documents, and nobody seems to know how to enforce it. It cost the legitimate owners/dealers a fortune and those who did everything illegally carried on as before and continue to get away with it.
The role I now carry out deals a lot with animal related offences and it sickens me to see unscrupulous and sick minded people abusing animals. Anything to make it better for our animals and wildlife is welcome but it has to be workable, enforceable and carry sentences heavy enough to stop people.