Since pets are an important part of the family, therefore insurance for pets are also important, similar to life insurance and health insurance for the human members of the family. Dog is one of the most popular pets and almost all pet insurance companies offer dog insurance (insurance for cat, bird, horse, and other exotic animals are also there but they are less popular than dog insurance). Even in country like India, where pet insurance is not a very common subject of insurance, whatever few agencies offer pet insurance, they are mostly centered on dogs.
Here is made a brief discussion on the various pet insurance agencies that offer dog insurance (insurance which pays the veterinary costs if one's pet dog is ill, injured due to an accident, or has died, is lost, or has been stolen):
• Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) offers comprehensive coverage for dogs by means of VPI Superior Plan (it protects dogs from accidental injuries, illnesses and covers prescriptions, diagnostic tests, x-rays, lab fees, etc.), Vaccination & Routine Care Coverage (covers routine benefits worth $200) and VPI Standard Plan (covering injuries and illnesses with lesser reimbursement).
• Petplan Pet Insurance offers six plans including economical accident only coverage, comprehensive accident coverage, illness and preventive care coverage. Some of its plans are PetMedic Plans, Cover for Life Plans, etc.
• PetCare Insurance offers dog insurance programs like QuickCare Gold and QuickCare Preferred (covering all accidents and illnesses), QuickCare (covering only selected accidents and no illness), QuickCare Senior for Senior Pets (covering selected accidents and illnesses), and others.
• National Insurance Company Limited in India provides insurance for pet dogs of cross-breed and exotic breeds (between 2 months to 8 yrs old). It covers death caused by diseases and accidents, and even permanent total disability can be covered by paying additional premium.
• The Oriental Insurance Company Limited covers indigenous, cross bred, or exotic dogs (Pet dog, watch dog, sheep dog, and hunting dogs) between 8 weeks to 8 years of age and provides insurance against death caused by accident or diseases.
However, although dog insurance is a popular custom in Western societies, there are also insurance companies which are reluctant to insure dogs which are not so friendly in nature. Breeds like Pit Bulls, Boxers, or Dobermans are less popular among the insurance companies and many insurance companies are inclined to insure dogs of such breeds only if they are said to have achieved awards like Canine Good Citizen Award.
