What is Third Party Liability in Pet Insurance?

You probably know pet insurance can help protect you financially if your pet gets sick or has an accident. But what if your pup gets overexcited at a dog park and bites another dog, leading to an infection and hefty bills? Or your cat ruins the expensive rug at Grandma’s during a holiday visit? That’s where third party insurance for pets is key (aka “third party liability insurance”).

Understandably, the owner of the other dog is probably reluctant to cough up thousands due to an accident caused by your dog. And you probably don’t want to spend your life’s savings on someone else’s pet, even if you feel guilty. So what to do?

Are you or the third party liable?

It is true that, under New Zealand law, dog owners are liable for damages for injury caused to another dog. This is when where your third party liability insurance would kick in to financially protect you, as long as your dog doesn’t have a history of aggression or violence. It helps you pay for the other party’s vet bills and care.

However, establishing who really is liable – who exactly is at fault in the situation – isn’t as straightforward as you may think.

Our Chief Operating Officer says, “Most people assume if their dog bites another dog they’re automatically at fault and responsible for the bitten dog’s vet bills. That isn’t always the case.”

“In the eyes of the law, pets are considered a person’s property. For a pet owner to be legally liable for a third party’s loss or damages – like injury to someone else’s pet – they need to have been negligent in some way. They need to have failed in keeping control of their dog.”

So if the other dog owner is negligent somehow, and their negligence led to the accident, you’re not liable. For instance, if you had your dog on a short lead close by your side at an on-lead dog park, even though when an off-lead dog ran up to him your dog nipped at her, you wouldn’t be liable for any of its vet bills. The other owner would have to cover them due to their negligence.

But if your dog was off the lead when he got bitten, you’d likely be liable. Why? Because you didn’t take the necessary steps it an on-lead area to properly control your dog and it lashed out.

Third party insurance for pets can help in other ways

So, if your dog or cat is responsible for an accident because you didn’t adequately control them then you’re liable. You need to pay for the damage.

Third party liability cover, included in all PD Insurance plans for pets, not only covers damage to other pets but other property and people too. It’s specifically designed to provide a safeguard against the expenses of your cat or dog injuring a person or animal, or damaging someone else’s belongings or property.

Yes, other people and their other types of property are covered too. However, this doesn’t include your home – rental or own – or the people who live on your premises.

For example, if your cat knocks over a neighbour’s valuable statue or claws a friend’s child who needs antibiotics as a result, you’d have financial protection against those costs too. Again, as long as there are no other violent/aggressive incidences in your pet’s past.

It’s just one of the many reasons why cat insurance and dog insurance is worth it.

Side note: If you do have issues with aggressive behaviour in your pet, read these before their behaviour gets worse:

• 3 Tips to Stop a Cat Biting and Scratching You
• My Dog Bit Me – What Should I Do About It?
• Why Do Dogs Bite?
• Dogs and Kids: Respecting Each Other’s Boundaries

Third party insurance isn’t a cure-all

Of course, having third party insurance for pets doesn’t give you licence to let your dog or cat run wild. Even with cover for other people and their property, remember it’s a legal requirement for dog owners to keep their dogs controlled. The Dog Control Act 1996 says so.

Failure to comply with the Act can result in prosecution and a fine of up to $3,000 if convicted. If any attack by your dog causes serious injury or death to a person or protected wildlife, you may be liable for a prison term of up to three years and/or a fine of $20,000. Your dog will also likely be euthanised.

Click here to read a joint statement by PD Insurance and the Department of Conversation about how to control pets to protect our wildlife and other animals.

Even if it wasn’t a legal requirement, nobody wants to be the nightmare neighbour with the awful pets. So that means keeping those cats and dogs under control.

Moral of the story? Third party liability cover can be a relief when something truly does go wrong. But you should still be a responsible pet parent. Similarly, a car insurance policy doesn’t mean you can drive 200km/h or ignore the rules of the road.

Peace of mind = third party insurance for pets

Hopefully, you’ll never be in a situation where your pet harms another animal, person, or their belongings. Though socks, shoes and couches should pretty much be a given 😉. But even the most obedient and kind-natured pet can be unpredictable sometimes.

Whether it happens through a scare, a pain response, or simple over-exuberance on your pet’s part, a lapse in judgement could cost you thousands. Avoid that stress by taking out an affordable pet insurance policy that includes third party insurance for pets. Then everyone is protected!