Transportation is better, and it is now easier for your furry family members to tag along with you on your trips. Your travel insurance covers certain aspects of your trip, making your experience pleasant. Do pets also get travel insurance?
Pets get travel insurance as an additional coverage included in regular pet insurance. There is also exclusive pet travel insurance that can usually be purchased separately.
This article will review whether pets are covered under insurance and if travel insurance covers pet boarding. I also describe how pet insurance works, what it covers, and how to choose an insurance policy for your pet.
Do I Need Pet Insurance to Ship a Pet?
If you are not traveling with your pet, you may have to ship it, and the requirements are daunting. Is Pet insurance one of these requirements?
It is not a legal requirement to have pet insurance before shipping a pet, but it saves you money and makes things easier if something happens. A good pet transportation service usually provides some insurance, but your pet could also have different insurance in place.
Are Pets Covered under Insurance?
There are pet insurance providers that offer insurance policies only for pets. Besides this, other insurances cover pets, and they are:
- Homeowners Insurance
Although pets are a part of your home/family, homeowners insurance does not cover pets in the way it protects your couch. Insurance companies consider pets as properties and they fall under your liability coverage.
The liability portion of this insurance provides coverage if your pet damages someone’s property or bites the person. Your pets’ medical bills are not covered if they fall ill or are harmed. Liability coverage will only cover pet injuries if your pet bites and injures another person’s pet.
This coverage does not apply to your belongings or family members. If your pet damages your property, injures you or a family member, your liability coverage won’t pay for the damages. Your medical insurance will cover any injuries your pet gives you or your family members.
- Car Insurance
If an accident involves your pet or the other party’s pet, car insurance may cover the pets if they are considered liabilities or properties.
Both car and homeowners insurance only cover pets if the policies add a pet insurance endorsement. Some insurance companies offer this combination, and they may have breed-specific inclusions, e.g., aggressive breeds like Rottweilers.
How Does Pet Travel Insurance Work?
Pet travel insurance covers all expenses related to accidents and issues that may arise when pets are traveling.
Pet Travel Insurance is one of the few pet travel insurance companies available. They only work with pets traveling under registered members of the Independent Pet and Animal Transportation Association (IPATA). It is safer to ship pets using professional services or travel with them yourself.
This travel insurance covers travel costs and vet bills up to your pet’s insured limit. You will have to take up any expenses that exceed this limit. Pet travel insurance goes into effect when your pet is dropped off at one airport and ends when the receiver picks up your pet at its destination.
What Does Pet Travel Insurance Cover?
When you take your pet with you on holidays, having pet insurance covering your pet during the journey and at your destination can set your mind at ease.
Pet travel insurance covers injury, travel costs, loss, or death when a professional transport service transports your pet, and it does not offer protection for illnesses or death during transportation from your home to the drop-off point.
There are standard pet insurance policies that include overseas travel or holiday packages. If you travel with your pet a lot, consider choosing pet insurance that has this offer.
You cannot enjoy your holiday if you face an emergency with your pet, e.g., your pet goes missing or sustains an injury, and you have to worry about how to pay for treatment or rescue.
Does Travel Insurance Cover Pet Boarding?
The fine print of travel insurance is what you want to read with extra care before purchasing one. Most travel insurance policies cover trip cancellation, medical emergencies, trip interruption, lost, damaged, or stolen luggage, and medical evacuation.
The exclusion list of travel insurance varies. If you do not look out for it, you might be frustrated when your travel insurance refuses to cover any unexpected expense incurred.
Travel with your pet is not always possible, and you may need to lodge it at a pet hotel or care facility. What happens if you cannot pick up your pet at the agreed time?
Some travel insurance plans have a pet coverage plan covering pet boarding up to a limited amount and for a limited time. The coverage is available only under certain conditions, such as if a flight delay prevents you from picking up your bet from a pet boarding facility.
If you cannot return because of a medical emergency (you are in the hospital), this coverage plan also arranges for transporting your pet back home and extra boarding fees incurred if you left your pet at home.
To claim this insurance, you must provide the necessary documents. The documents include proof of your current medical condition or delay, as well as your pre-scheduled date to pick up your pet and your current pickup date. The boarding facility may have to sign off on the cost of boarding per night
Choosing an Insurance Policy for Your Pet
Choosing a good insurance policy for your pet is one means of providing the best care possible. It would be terrible if your pet couldn’t receive medical care because you could not foot the bill.
You must consider many factors when selecting an insurance plan for your pet, and some of them are:
- The age of your pet–medical care for pets increase as they age.
- Where you live–the cost of vet care will be higher in cities than in rural areas
- Your pet’s species and breed–dogs are cheaper to insure than cats, and some pet breeds at risk for more medical care will cost more to insure.
Besides the price you will pay for a premium, these factors can affect the insurance coverage and quote. Pet insurance is a good idea if your pet is relatively healthy and you can afford the premiums.
