The Animal Welfare Act 2006 finally came into force in England in March 2007 and in Wales in April 2007. There was much media hype in the run up to this piece of legislation which left many pet owners worried that they would be jailed if they gave their pet dog one biscuit too many or deprived Tiddles the Cat of his favourite cushion.So what does the Act mean to you, the responsible pet owner? Are you covered by your pet insurance?A person commits an offence if he does not take such steps as are reasonable inall the circumstances to ensure that the needs of an animal for which he isresponsible are met to the extent required by good practice.Before the Act people only had a duty to ensure that an animal didnt suffer unnecessarily. The new Act keeps this duty but also imposes a broader duty of care on anyone responsible for an animal to take reasonable steps to ensure that the animals needs are met. This means that a person has to look after the animals welfare as well as ensure that it does not suffer. Of course these are very general guidelines and it would be impossible for any statute to give examples of every situation it envisaged guarding against; that is why, in England and Wales, the Courts are called on to interpret what they think a statute meant where a dispute arises and that is how a body of what is called case law grows up over the years in England and Wales which lawyers have to research when they are faced with a novel situation.Firstly I would hope that sheer common sense would be your starting point. You may have seen the recently reported case of a Labrador that was so grotesquely overweight that he could hardly move; not surprisingly the owners were found to have been in breach of the Act; they were heavily fined and prevented from keeping pets for a year.We have been concentrating on pets but does the Act apply to all animals?The duty of care applies to animals for which a person is responsible. So please note all those who work as pet sitters or dog walkers either professionally or as a favour for friend or family can be responsible for an animal on a temporary basis under the Act.What happens if someone breaks this law? The Act imposes criminal penalties so your dog insurance or cat insurance wont cover any fines. The maximum fine is 20,000 and/or prison for up to 51 weeks. Before that stage is reached an improvement notice may be issued which will specify the breaches and the steps required to rectify them. If they arent taken then a fine and/or prison will follow.

By Chris Fairfax, Legal Director, Animal Friends InsuranceYou could have a hard job to ensure that you are getting what you think and that you dont fall foul of the small print when you come to make a claim. In this article I will help you steer through the Pet Insurance maze so you will at least know what to look for and what pitfalls to avoid.The cost of Pet CareAnd what happens if your pet is diagnosed with an ongoing illness, such as arthritis or diabetes? You may have many years to provide medical care for your pet once again totalling thousands of pounds in medicines and vet fees.OK, you say, its your job to sell pet insurance. Wouldnt it be cheaper for me to put some money away each month to cover the cost of any vets fees that I may have to pay?What if your dog bites someone or causes a traffic accident? Simple, you may be personally liable to pay the injured party damages. Such a claim may cost you your house as damages for personal injury can run into hundreds of thousands of pounds even millions! With pet insurance you have Third Party liability cover which would protect you and your home in such a case. Seems worth it now doesnt it?The cost of covering you and your pet can be minimal as little as around 5 per month for cat insurance and 8 per month for dog insurance. But much will depend on the extent of the pet insurance cover you want. Ill give you some pointers so you can ask the right questions and make sure you buy the right cover at the right price!(1) Do you want full lifetime cover for your pet? If your pet was diagnosed with an ongoing illness like diabetes or arthritis that needed treatment for several years only lifetime cover would pay for it. Beware! Insurers offer all sots of cover here is what you will find:-(c) Other policies offer a fixed amount (e.g. 5,000) per condition however this will not cover every year. Again using my example, this would not cover heart condition medication for the rest of the dogs life as the treatments over 10 years.
(d) Genuine lifetime cover will offer a fixed amount (e.g. 4,000) per condition, per year. So, in my example, the owner would have 10 years worth of 4000 a year (i.e. 40,000) to cover the heart condition treatment; any other conditions would have the same levels of cover.(3) If you want to insure an older pet for the first time will the pet insurer take you on? Dont worry, there are companies who will.(5) If you make a claim will your premiums automatically go up?(7) Can you spread you premium over 12 months with interest free direct debits?Bear these questions in mind and you should find insurance to fit your needs at a price you can easily afford.

The Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the pet owner – its not just pet insurance you need but common sense too!  Read more...

Recent research undertaken by Halifax has found that people in the UK have spent over £2.6 billion on Cats and Dogs in the last 5 years.  Read more...

Someone said that a pet is the only being in this world that you will love more than yourself and how true that is! If you own a pet than perhaps you know better how mush you love them. Pet owners leave no stone unturned to ensure that the pet that they love so much gets all the attention and love that the need. Taking care of a pet whether it is a cat, a dog or any other pet takes a lot of time, effort and hard work. Now it may happen that footing the vet’s bill can prove to be very costly for you and to take care of this by taking insurance for your pet. Unlike humans, pets cannot say when they are suffering form any kind of problem and this is where a real pet lover will understand what his or her pet is going through. As owners, you need to be very careful about this and if you find any kind of abnormal behavior from your pet, you must see a vet immediately.  Read more...

We all love our pets be it a dog, cat or any other pet. We also ensure adequate precautionary measures so that our pets stay healthy. Despite this fact, we often never indulge in a pet insurance. Pet insurance is usually not on your list when you are pondering over health insurance. Health is an unpredictable issue, be it either a pet or a human, which requires constant check. In the case of pets, it is an even bigger concern. The exorbitant expenses incurred on veterinary charges can be difficult to fulfill. These expenses can lop-side your budget. Moreover, when such expenses arise our major worry is how to mobilize enough financial resources to pay off the medical expenditure for your pet?  Read more...