When Did the First Pet Insurance Start?

When and where did the first pet insurance start? You might have guessed that animal health insurance for other four-legged friends was the precursor to the cat and dog insurance we know today. But, again, when? And where!?

Was it Britain, America, China, Japan or someplace else? Then, once the first pet insurance got started, did it take a long time to find its way to our shores? These are interesting questions. Especially considering that animals have been our friends for as long as we can remember but they haven’t always had cover for medical care.

In this article, PD Insurance looks at the history of pet insurance and how we arrived at where we are today.

Does New Zealand have pet insurance?

Yes! Thanks goodness – while we may not have been the first country to have pet insurance, we most certainly have many loved pet insurance brands today.

Canines and cats have been our friends since the dawn of time. (Read about the history of dogs and when the first cat was domesticated). But in the past, when they needed costly surgery, medication and treatments, they may not always have had access to it.

Like human medical intervention, dogs and cats require a highly skilled level of expertise. (They’re flesh and blood just like humans, after all). However, in the past, sometimes nature would simply run its course, unless a pet was lucky enough to have a pet parent who could and would afford the costly outlay of medical intervention.

Vet care is costly. But what we don’t always know is that it’s not subsidised like human medical care. The moral of the story? Thank goodness pet insurance can step in and fill the gap! Read about why vet bills are as expensive as they are.

How long has animal insurance been around?

Strictly speaking, the first pet insurance to get started was a more general animal insurance. It wasn’t structured quite the same way pet insurance is today either. It was closer to life insurance and was designed for farm animals like cattle and horses.

• First pet insurance in the world. This insurance for farm animals kicked off in the late 1800s in Sweden. Also there, a few decades later, in 1924, the very first ever dog insurance policy was created.

• Runners up. After that there was a bit of a lag and a couple more decades past before the concept was launched in Britain. But finally, in 1947, the first pet insurance policy was sold in the U.K. Fast forward to the eighties and the first pet in America received a pet insurance policy in 1982.

In New Zealand it seems that pet insurance arrived as recently as the noughties. While PD Insurance entered the market as recently as 2020, we’ve quickly gained a reputation as New Zealand’s favourite pet insurer.

Perhaps that’s thanks to our having our own underwriter, Pacific International Insurance, that comes with over 20 years of operational expertise in New Zealand.

Which dog got the first pet insurance?

While we don’t know who the first dog to be insured in Sweden or Britain is, the first to get pet cover in America is a star of the silver screen. Yep, you might have guessed it… The first dog to get pet insurance in the U.S was Lassie!

Speaking of Lassie, read our interview with Bob Kerridge, animal advocate and founder of Companion Animals NZ who recollects meeting Lassie as a boy.

While Lassie had great commercial value as a star, the pet insurance of today also recognises the inherent value pets have as friends and family. We’ve certainly come a long way from the first animal insurance, that’s for sure.

What does dog and cat insurance cover in NZ?

Pet insurance for cats and dogs covers a wide range of accidents, illnesses and pet dental insurance. It just depends which tier of cover you choose. This includes veterinary treatments like surgery, X-rays, blood work, vet hospital stay overs, prescription medication and so many more line items.

Accidents

The first pet insurance level of cover is the accident cover. Pet accidents that lead to vet visits can be anything from swallowing a pair of socks or a poisonous sea slug to dog bites and cat fights, getting knocked by a car and much, much more. Just read about PD pet, Harvey the Miniature Schnauzer, who had three mishaps back to back.

Illness

Illnesses come in many forms from short term to lifelong. Like people, pets have many hereditary illnesses, allergies, viruses and diseases they can experience. Imagine your vet gives your pet the diagnosis of diabetes in dogs and cats or heart disease? The costs of treatment and management can be ongoing and lifelong.

Provided you’ve already got pet insurance in place before that happens, your plan helps cover the costs. Read about Steve the Russian Blue cat who needed vet treatment after becoming ill.

Dental

Doggy and mewser dental care can be costly, as it is for humans. Like us, they also experience painful and serious dental health issues. Gingivitis in cats and dogs can quickly lead to periodontal disease and tooth loss while a tooth abscess in dogs and cats should also be treated before things spiral out of hand.

Third party liability

Another bonus benefit of having a pet plan is that the cover can extend beyond your pet’s medical needs to damage they might actually cause. Perhaps for example, your dog is innocently frolicking in a park and accidentally trips a pregnant woman.

If she needs crutches and additional medical care for herself and baby, you could be liable for the costs. If this happens and you have third party liability pet insurance, then it helps cover these costs.

Third party liability is included in all levels of cover offered by PD Insurance. 

What is the highest level of pet insurance?

Many people pet owners aren’t sure which of pet insurance vs savings is better – but in reality, both are wise to have. Vet bills can quickly deplete savings which don’t top up each year. Unlike your annual defined benefit limit which does (hint, hint).

Speaking of your annual defined benefit limit, PD offers three dog and cat insurance plans each with a higher annual defined limit. Let’s look at them from entry level to highest level of pet insurance cover.

Here they are:

• Accident plan. $5 000 defined benefit limit
• Classic plan. $10 000 defined benefit limit
• Deluxe plan. $20 000 defined benefit limit

Just note that you may have some per-claim limits depending on your vet bill and plan type.

Regardless of whether you choose cat insurance, dog insurance, puppy insurance or kitten insurance, you get to choose from these three levels of protection. If you were still wondering ‘do I really need pet insurance?’ know that pet insurance isn’t expensive.

However, the benefits are multiple and potentially priceless. Read how to compare pet insurance plans to help you make the best decision when getting your pet’s first pet insurance plan.

When did PD Insurance launch in New Zealand?

PD launched in New Zealand in 2020 and sold it’s first pet insurance pawlicy to a puppy on North Island. Since then we’ve grown in leaps and bounds, winning the 2024 Reader’s Digest Quality Service Silver Award, the 2023 MoneyHub Favourite Pet Insurer award and 2022 Canstar Most Satisfied Customers Award for Pet Insurance

We’re also partnered with Dogs NZ, Healthy Pet NZ and the Department of Conservation.

Online pet insurance wherever you are

Importantly, part of our approach is making pet insurance fully accessible online so you can make a claim online 24/7. We’ve signed up many of the nations pets, ensuring that pet insurance can be simple, affordable and fast.

Some of our first milestones include:

• 3 August 2020, PD launches online pet insurance in New Zealand
• 3 August 2020, the PD website goes live
• That same month we paid our first claim to the tune of $1850.90 to protect a pawsome pet

Read many more of our pet insurance milestones.

Key takeaways

Since the first pet insurance only came to New Zealand in the last few decades, you could say it’s only just getting started. As that’s the case, there are still many pets that aren’t insured and many pet owners that haven’t yet discovered the safety net it provides.

Unfortunately, getting a pet insurance plan after something goes wrong won’t help. The best thing is to get it when everything is hunky dory and your pet is happy, healthy and thriving.

Find out about the value we offer pets by reading ‘Is PD good for pet insurance?’.

What age is best to get pet’s first pet insurance plan?

The best time to get pet insurance is before any pre-existing conditions emerge. Like human medical care, you can’t be covered for a health issue that already exists before you sign up. In essence, the best time to get your pet’s first pet insurance plan is now.

The sooner the better. Especially if they’re young and healthy because any health conditions are yet to happen.

When you’re with PD Insurance you have the flexibility to change your level of cover since payment is month-on-month with no lock-in contracts. That means you can start with entry level cover if you that’s what you’d most like and level up down the line.

More pet insurance FAQ

Now that you know when the first pet insurance evolved from animal insurance, here are some key related facts you might enjoy:

• Pet insurance trends
• Busting the top five pet insurance myths
• Pet plan shopping – what you need to know
• Reasons to get pet health insurance sooner than later
• Is pet insurance worth it for your indoor cat?
• How PD makes pet insurance claims easy
• 3 reasons to get multi-pet insurance
• Do kittens need kitten health insurance?

Get award winning pet cover with PD Insurance

At PD Insurance we want medical care for pets to be accessible when they need it most. Keeping darling dogs and curious cats happy and healthy is essential to our own happiness as people.

Our award winning pet insurance is all about bringing your pet and your pocket a soft landing in times of need. If you haven’t already – get your cat or dog’s first pet insurance plan started today!

Buy your plan online and you’ll be eligible for one or more months of free pet insurance. Click below to start your quote.