Owner of a dog? You want the best for your loyal four-legged friend, right? If you have a pet, you know this comes with a number of regular expenses such as food, vaccinations, a visit to the veterinarian… But have you thought about the unforeseen costs? What if your dog suddenly becomes (seriously) ill or is involved in an accident? The veterinarian fees or the costs of the necessary treatments can quickly add up. If your dog needs surgery, you can easily pay € 500 – € 900. For these unforeseen veterinary and/or treatment costs you could take out dog insurance.
What is dog insurance?
As the name of this insurance suggests, you insure your dog with dog insurance. It protects your best friend by reimbursing the costs of the veterinarian or the costs associated with a treatment. Note that these costs must be related to an illness or an accident. Costs arising from a veterinary visit for vaccinations or a routine check-up are not covered by the dog insurance.
At the moment Corona Direct is one of the few providers of dog insurance on the Belgian market. Regardless of the chosen plan from Corona Direct (Bronze, Silver or Gold), as the owner of the dog (= policyholder) you pay a deductible per claim (= personal contribution to the costs of treatments). This means you must pay 20% of the costs yourself, with a minimum amount of € 100 taken into account.
Here are some examples:
Example 1: Suppose your dog needs to undergo surgery and the invoice totals € 900, then you will be reimbursed € 720 (after submitting the invoice). You yourself pay 20% of the costs = € 180.
Example 2: Suppose your dog is hit by a car and at first glance appears to be fine. To be sure, you take your dog to the vet for an examination. In total you pay € 200 to the veterinarian for the examinations. You will then not be reimbursed € 160 (= 80%) by the dog insurance but € 100, since a minimum amount of € 100 applies to the deductible.
What does the dog insurance cover?
As mentioned earlier, with Corona Direct you can choose between different plans: Bronze, Silver or Gold. Each plan provides, as a basic guarantee, coverage for veterinary costs or veterinary treatments if these costs are associated with an illness or an accident.
If you choose a more comprehensive plan (Silver or Gold), the dog insurance offers many additional coverages:
- If your dog dies as a result of an illness or an accident, you will receive a compensation equal to the purchase price of your dog. The purchase price of your dog is always included in the special conditions of the agreement. There is also a maximum amount payable. If you have the Silver plan, a maximum of € 400 will be reimbursed. If you subscribe to Gold, a maximum of € 750 will be reimbursed.
Note: if your loyal four-legged friend is 6 years or older and dies from an illness, no compensation will be paid. If your dog is elderly and dies as a result of an accident, you will still receive compensation. - Has your dog suddenly gone missing or been stolen? You can then turn to your dog insurance for the advertising costs to help find your dog. You must first inform the insurer about this search and obtain written approval. Once you have received this, you can recover the advertising costs from the insurer provided you supply the insurer with an invoice. In addition, the dog insurance also reimburses the finder’s fee (= reward). The finder must not be a member of your family or someone you live with. Here too, a maximum of € 400 to € 750 is reimbursed.
- Your dog has been missing for more than 45 days. Reason: your dog ran away and you can no longer find him or her, or your dog has been stolen. If you reported this to the police within 24 hours, you can be compensated for the loss of your dog (maximum € 400 to € 750).
- Are you or someone in your family temporarily incapacitated and a stay of more than 4 days in the hospital required? Did you know you can then make a claim on the dog insurance? If you or a family member is hospitalized for more than 4 days, the insurer provides compensation for the boarding costs (maximum € 400 to € 750 per calendar year!).
Note: if someone is hospitalized because of a medical condition that was already known when the policy was taken out, a childbirth or a pregnancy, … then the dog insurer will not intervene and the boarding costs for your dog will not be reimbursed. - What if you have just booked your holiday and, seven days before your departure, your dog needs to undergo a life-saving operation? Then you can make a claim under the trip cancellation cover. The insurer will then provide a contribution ranging from €750 to €2,000 per calendar year towards the cancellation costs you were unable to recover
| Corona Direct Bronze | Corona Direct Silver | Corona Direct Gold | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum reimbursement | € 1500 | € 2500 | € 3500 |
| Compensation for death due to illness or accident | None | € 400 | € 750 |
| Compensation for theft or loss | None | € 400 | € 750 |
| Compensation for advertising costs if your dog goes missing | None | € 400 | € 750 |
| Boarding reimbursement | None | € 400 | € 750 |
| Reimbursement for trip cancellation due to illness or accident | None | € 750 | € 2000 |
More information about the basic coverage (Bronze) and the more extensive coverages (Silver and Gold) can be found in the general terms and conditions of the dog insurer (Corona Direct).
What is not covered?
To take out insurance for your dog, your dog must always be officially registered. If your dog has been officially registered by your veterinarian, then your dog has a dog passport. In addition, it is also important that your dog has received the required vaccinations; if this is not the case you cannot take out dog insurance
When you take out dog insurance, there are a number of things that are not covered. All exclusions can also be found in the insurer’s general terms and conditions. Here are some examples of matters that are not covered by the dog insurance:
- Routine costs of a veterinary visit (not due to an illness or accident)
- If your dog becomes ill within 20 days after you have taken out the dog insurance, you cannot claim on the dog insurance. If your dog becomes ill 20 days after the start of the contract, the costs for treatment, etc. are covered.
- Vaccinations for your dog are not reimbursed. If your dog is vaccinated, you as the owner must pay these costs yourself.
- Neutering or spaying of your dog is not covered, unless it is medically necessary for your dog’s welfare or if you have obtained prior approval from the insurer.
- Organ transplant
- Behavioral problems and training guidance.
- Consequences of a disease against which your dog could have been vaccinated, such as hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus and canine distemper.
- …
Calculate the price of dog insurance online
Do you also want the best for your dog? Don’t be caught off guard by unexpected circumstances, such as your dog suddenly becoming seriously ill or breaking its leg. You also want your dog to receive the necessary treatments, and unfortunately these costs can be high. So quickly and easily calculate the price of dog insurance and protect your dog against the unexpected.
