Do I need third party dog liability insurance?

In the UK, you don’t legally need third party dog liability cover, unless: 

• Your dog is considered dangerous under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991
• You live in local authority or housing association rented accommodation and it’s required as part of the tenancy agreement
  
  

While this type of liability cover isn’t a legal requirement, it’s often an important consideration for dog owners as it provides an extra layer of cover if your dog does something to impact a third party. It covers you if your dog:

• Injures a person
• Injures or harms another pet
• Damages property
  
  

For example, if you’re out for a walk and your dog is running off the lead, they could accidentally knock someone over, which could injure that person quite badly. Even if your dog didn’t intend to cause them harm, you could be liable for personal injury compensation. If you have third party dog liability insurance in place, you’ll be covered for that compensation.

What does third party dog insurance cover?

Third party dog insurance usually covers:

Injuries to people: This could include your dog knocking over a pedestrian, biting someone or attacking another person. Third party dog insurance will usually cover these compensation claims made against you by a third party.

Damage to property: If your dog damages someone else’s property – whether chewing their sofa, digging up their garden or staining a carpet – your insurance should cover the cost to repair or replace.

Injuries to other pets: If your dog bites another dog or harms another pet and they need to visit the vet, third party dog liability insurance may cover the cost of the vet bills.

Some third party dog insurance policies will also cover you for legal defence costs if the claim against you goes to court. Most compensation claims are settled out of court, but it’s important to check whether legal expenses are covered just in case it does happen.

What’s not covered by third party dog insurance?

Third party dog insurance doesn’t usually cover:

Injuries to yourself or family members: This type of insurance is in place to protect third parties and doesn’t cover injuries to people in your household. If you asked someone to look after your dog and the dog subsequently injured them, this may not be covered either.

Damage to your property: It covers damage to other people’s property, but not your own.

Intentional acts: If your dog harms a person, animal or property intentionally – or you use them to do so – this is unlikely to be covered by your insurance.

Business use: If your dog is a guard dog or used in another way for commercial activities, this is not likely to be covered by your insurance.

How much does third party dog insurance cost?

Third party dog insurance cover is included in our Lifetime and Time Limited pet insurance policies through Asda Money. The cost of your dog insurance policy depends on a range of factors, including:

• Where you live: Some areas of the UK have higher average vet costs than others, meaning the costs to cover vet treatments may be higher. This will potentially push up your premiums.
• Your dog’s age: Older dogs are more likely to sustain an age-related illness or injury and may visit the vet more often. The more likely they are to need vet treatment, the higher the potential costs of insurance.
• Your dog’s breed: Certain pedigree breeds are more susceptible to hereditary conditions, which can push up the cost of your insurance premiums.
• Their health history: If you’ve claimed on your insurance previously for vet bills and treatments, this can increase the cost when it comes to renewing your policy or finding a new one elsewhere.

How to get third party dog liability insurance

Third party dog liability insurance is included in both our Lifetime and Time Limited pet insurance, with claim limits of £1,000,000.

To buy dog insurance through Asda Money*, you can get an online quote in minutes.

Simply tell us a little about you and your dog. We’ll need to know their breed, sex, date of birth and a few things about their medical history.

You’ll also need to let us know some details about you, including your name and address. You’ll then need to choose the type of pet insurance policy you want, and we’ll provide you with a quote.

*Asda Pet Insurance is arranged and administered by Insurance Factory Limited.