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Can not insuring your dog cause legal issues?
With nearly half of Australia’s population embracing the joy of owning a pet dog, it’s alarming to note that a large number of these dog owners are living on the edge due to it not being mandated.
Grace Robbie
In Australia, “48 per cent of households have at least one dog”, as per Animal Medicines Australia’s Pets in Australia report. However, it has been found that a significant number of dog owners don’t have pet insurance.
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A survey conducted by the pet insurance comparison site Compare the Market revealed that out of over 1,000 pet owners surveyed who were over 18, seventy-three per cent didn’t have insurance.
Plaintiff law firm Slater & Gordon expressed its opinion regarding why a notable number of dog owners choose not to obtain pet insurance. It noted that “with the cost of living rising and home ownership declining, home and contents insurance may not be a priority”.
This is prevalent, as Peter Mileto, senior associate in public liability at Slater & Gordon, outlined that “home and content insurance policies will cover liability for dog owners if their dog causes injury to another person”.
As Slater & Gordon noted, “there is currently no mandate for dog owners to have insurance”, which doesn’t make it mandatory for individuals to obtain it.
However, not having insurance for your furry friend can pose significant issues, as it makes dog owners “financially vulnerable in circumstances where a dog attacks another person in potentially negligent circumstances”.
Mileto also expressed that it can “leave an injured person looking for some support to pay for medical expenses, care, or loss of earning incredibly vulnerable”.
In the event that an uninsured individual’s dog causes harm to another person, the plaintiff’s law firm has stated that the “injured party may only be able to take legal action against the dog owner personally. This can result in financial and legal challenges for the dog owner, who may need to sell off their assets to meet a judgement or settlement.”
To ensure that change occurs, Mileto underscored that there needs to be “lobbying around the need for dog owners to insure their pets just as there are requirements for dog owners to register their dogs”.
Encouraging this action, Mileto outlined that it “will assist dog owners in minimising their personal responsibility to pay compensation in the event their dog attacks another person. It will also ensure that there are means to assist victims of dog attacks in circumstances where the dog attack has occurred in negligent circumstances.”
