Are my pets Insured while travelling?
We have noticed that many other Pet Transport businesses are now advertising that they are “Fully Insured”.
We are also “Fully Insured”, but we do not tend to use that term when promoting our business because there are some limitations regarding insurance for pets in transport and we feel that it can be a bit deceptive to say that.
We have a range of insurance policies including Public Liability, Comprehensive Motor Vehicle accident and business insurances. Together with Australian Consumer protections, these provide assurance of cover for our customers for any instance that we would normally be deemed to be liable for. Essentially we would be considered to be liable in the event that our misconduct or negligence has resulted in the sickness, injury or death of your Pet.
With respect to your pets, Animals in our care, custody and control are covered up to a $20,000,000 limit of liability. This includes during Transit and in the event we have an accident in our vehicle.
However, available insurance policies and Liability do not extend to cover veterinary bills, death or loss associated with BAOS or any other pre-existing physical condition or any sickness or injury that has not come about as a result of an accident, misconduct or negligence on our part. The fact that an animal is in our care at the time that it becomes ill or is injured is not in itself an indication that we would be liable for the sickness or injury. Insurance for such events is not available in Australia to Pet Transport businesses and to the best of our knowledge no pet carrier or Airline in Australia offers such insurance or cover but we believe that some may give the impression that they do.
Private Pet Insurance
It is possible for individuals to obtain Pet Insurance for their personal animals through the RSPCA and other specialized insurance providers. These insurances offer cover for many unexpected ailments and situations that would not be covered by our Public Liability or commercial insurances and would generally apply during transport or while your Pet is in another persons care. However, as with all insurances, it is very important to read the fine print as some policies I believe do not cover your pet during transport and may not cover them while they are very young. The best Pet insurance products available may only be available if buying from a registered Breeder and we advise that all clients should discuss this with their Breeder prior to purchase.
Because many ailments or issues with your pets can be expected to occur within its first few months we strongly recommend you ask your breeder whether they hold “Breeder Insurance” or obtain your own Pet Insurance prior to your pet leaving the breeders. There are Insurance policies available in Australia that will cover your new puppy or kitten from 6 weeks of age. Further to this it is important to know that if you have purchased your pup from a Breeder that the Breeder has clear obligations under Australian Consumer law to ensure that your pup is healthy and to offer a remedy to the situation if it is not in exactly the same way that a warranty applies on any other consumer purchase.