A campaigner is calling for mandatory third-party insurance for dog owners after her own pet was killed in a dog-on-dog attack. Despite the owners of the attacking dog cooperating fully and taking responsibility, they had no insurance.
“Financially, I think I shouldn’t be in this situation when I was responsible and had insurance,” Joanne Newbury said. “They owned up, went to the police, did what they had to do, but it’s all on me to chase everything. It’s exhausting, especially while grieving.”
She argues that compulsory third-party insurance would ensure pet owners are better protected in the event of accidents or attacks involving their dogs. At present, third-party insurance for dogs is optional in the UK unless the dog falls under one of the banned types. Joanne says that, just as drivers must have car insurance to cover third-party damage, dog owners should be legally required to have similar protection in place.
Supporters believe that mandatory insurance would encourage responsible ownership, reduce disputes, and ensure victims are not left out of pocket. They also argue that it could help cover costs in cases where dogs cause injury to people or damage to property, which can otherwise result in lengthy and expensive legal proceedings.
However, others say that enforcing such a law would be difficult and could unfairly penalise responsible owners. Critics argue that most dogs will never be involved in an incident, and adding another legal requirement could increase costs for owners already facing rising veterinary bills.
What do you think – should third-party insurance be compulsory for all dog owners?
Tell us what you think here, or write to editorial@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk with “Great Debate” in the subject line.
Great debate – you know my views on this but I would like to add that in Spain this is mandatory – if they can implement it then so can we.. the cost for this insurance is minimal – as to the critics view, most car owners are not in accidents but we insure ourselves…