For many our pet is as much a part of the family as the children, aunts and uncles. It’s for this reason that many pet owners opt to take their family pet away with them when they go on the annual summer holiday. However, a recent survey has found that around a quarter of pet owners are taking their furry friends abroad without adequate pet insurance.
When travelling abroad with your children, it’s unlikely that you’ll be willing to travel without the relevant insurance in place; so why would you put your pet at risk?
How To Cover Your Pet:
When it comes to pet insurance, you shouldn’t take it for granted that cover abroad is automatically included. Although many insurance providers do offer it, in a handful of cases it is often included as an add-on, which if left unchecked will mean your pooch or feline doesn’t have the cover you think they have.
In the instances where cover for foreign travel is included, this will be subject to the policy terms and conditions and so it is vitally important that you read through these to determine if there are any limitations or restrictions. These can range from only offering 30-days cover per year or offering cover for a maximum of three trips abroad within any twelve month policy.
Each insurance provider will differ with the protection they offer, and many insurance providers will offer varying levels of protection, so it’s always worth checking each policy carefully; after all, for the sake of a couple of pounds you could be covered for overseas travel with your pet, for longer periods.
Insuring your pet for travel abroad, although is a lot easier than it once was, still isn’t as simple as finding the right policy and heading for the airport/ferry port. Instead, along with having pet insurance which comes complete with overseas travel protection, it is also mandatory for you to have your animal registered for a PETS passport.
PETS Passport:
The PETS (Pet Travel Scheme) Passport was launched in February 2000 to make it easier for animal lovers to travel in and out of EU countries with their cats, dogs and ferrets.
To be successful in obtaining a PETS Passport your pet will need to undergo a few criterion including:
• Being micro-chipped, which helps increase the chance of your pet being located should it stray away from the family whilst away
• Been vaccinated against rabies
• Have passed a blood test which determines that a relevant antibody has built up
It’s also advisable to ensure that your pet is protected from ticks and tapeworm; however should you have any questions about what is required to obtain a PET Passport, your local vet will be able to advise you.
Whilst you and your furry friends are enjoying a family holiday abroad, should your pet become involved in an accident, ill or require emergency veterinary surgery; you can be confident that you’ll be covered by having the right level of protection in place via the right pet insurance policy complete with a PETS passport.
Written on behalf of Debenhams Finance; providers of Pet Insurance, Home Insurance and Travel Insurance.
