Pet insurance bigger priority than health insurance for Brits

9 Sep, 2010 Insurance News Brits

Unselfish pet owners would put the health of their four legged friends before their own, with more pets than people having insurance. Research from Tesco has found that more pet-owning Brits have pet insurance in place than health insurance, with 46 per cent insuring their pet compared to 35 per cent who insure their own health. Some devoted pet owners said that they would even cancel their own health insurance policy if they needed the money to pay vet bills, while others would give up gym memberships, nights out, or alcohol and cigarettes. A third of pet owners said they would cancel their annual holiday if their pet become ill, so that they could afford to pay the vets bills, and a quarter are willing to get into debt in order to pay for treatment for their pet. Of the pet owners asked, eight per cent said that they would have their pet put down if they were faced with an expensive vet bill, but Tesco pet insurance says this does not have to be the case if they have protection in place. Julie Hopes, general insurance director at Tesco Bank, said “Ensuring that your pet has access to any veterinary treatment it may require, can provide peace of mind and it needn’t cost the earth. Pet insurance provides cover for a range of ailments and at Tesco, we don’t change the policy conditions just because your pet gets older.”

The Insurance News