Companion Club benefits

Companion Club provides third party public liability insurance of up to £1,000,000 per incident if your dog causes damage or injury to another person, their property, or pets.

The insurance includes your legal defence costs in such situations, where (a) a damages claim is brought in a civil court and (b) your legal defence costs where a prosecution is brought in a criminal court under Section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (or equivalent).

Fines, compensation and penalties connected with or resulting from a criminal court prosecution are excluded.

Do I have to register the dogs I want covered?

As our insurance extends to cover you as a private individual and any dogs that are your pets, we do not need the details of your dog for them to be covered and these details do not need to be on your proof of insurance cover. This includes any dogs that are exempted but does not cover businesses or working dogs.

Does insurance cover start immediately?

Insurance cover begins from when membership payment clears. Paying by card is the quickest way, however please note that payments are not processed immediately and it could take more than 24 hours before insurance cover is in place. A membership pack will be sent immediately, and although we will also try to contact you in the event of a payment failing, it is your responsibility to ensure your payment has cleared.

Third party public liability insurance for index dogs

If your dog is deemed by the police to be prohibited under the Dangerous Dogs Act in 1991, you can go to court to request an exemption. You will have to satisfy them that your dog is not dangerous and if successful, your dog will be exempt from the prohibition, and it will become legal. Then the court will impose conditions you must meet before you can register your dog on the Index of Exempted dogs (which is run by Defra) who will issue you with a Certificate of Exemption. 

In addition to rules about the handling of your dog, the conditions that the court will impose for your dog to be exempted and qualify for registration on the Index of Exempted dogs are:  

• Dog must be microchipped
• Dog must be neutered
• Dogs must be on a lead and always muzzled in public
• Owner must have third-party liability insurance.

The third party public liability insurance included within Companion Club currently meets the insurance needs within the conditions of exemption. It covers all dogs including banned dogs that have been exempted but this cover may be subject to change if government guidelines change or our insurers change their terms. Please be aware that if you own an exempted dog and make a claim, in order to make that claim valid, you will need to prove that you were also complying with the law.

You can find more about current rules for banned breed types on the Government’s website.

Do I need a certificate of insurance for my exempted dog?

We have confirmed with Defra that a Certificate of Insurance is not required. Instead, they will now only require you to present your Companion Club welcome or annual renewal letter as your proof of insurance. Please ensure that you retain your welcome or annual renewal letter which includes all the necessary information.

Is there an insurance excess to pay?

Yes, there is an excess of £200 per claim in the UK and £500 in Republic of Ireland. Please note the terms and conditions of the insurance, including the excess amount are subject to change.

How do I make an insurance claim?

Please call 020 7837 0006 Mon to Fri 9am to 5pm to speak to the legal department.

Please note: do not accept liability as this will affect your claim.

Is the insurance cover worldwide?

Yes. The insurance only applies to members who live in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or the Republic of Ireland, however, any incident elsewhere in the world other than offshore (defined below) would be covered, but only if the trip was a holiday (i.e temporary, up to six months) by any member normally resident in the territories described above.

'Offshore' means any offshore installation in the sea or tidal waters used or intended for the drilling, exploration, production, storage or recovery of gas or oil, or any support or accommodation vessel used or intended for use in connection with such installation.

I have a hearing dog for the deaf/guide dog for the blind, is it covered by the third party insurance? 

The insurance currently covers assistance dogs provided by a recognised provider. Please be aware that this position could change.

I have shared ownership of my dog, do we both need to join Companion Club?

Being a Companion is personal and individual, therefore the extension of our third party public liability insurance can’t cover two people. 

If your dog is on the list of banned breeds, exemption can only be in one person’s name and ownership cannot be transferred. Therefore, the person who has a Certificate of Exemption must also be the person who has the third party liability cover. As the legal owner of an exempt dog, it is your responsibility to check what you need to do in order to comply with the law around owning an index dog. Please refer to Defra’s website or contact Defra if you have further questions.

If your dog is not on the list of dogs that need exemption, third party public liability insurance covers the owner of the dog, and anyone who the owner has given permission to care for their dog. However, we would advise that it would be safer, and you will have better cover if you both have personal insurance i.e. both sign up to Companion Club individually.

I need proof of insurance for taking my exempted dog to a private field, can you give this to me?  

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has set guidance around activities involving exempted dogs, including the use of private fields. We are not able to give guidance on the use of private fields by owners with exempted dogs as this is set out by the CPS, and by the field and their insurance. You can read the full guidance on their website.

We have confirmed with Defra that a Certificate of Insurance is not required. Instead, they will now only require you to present your Companion Club welcome or annual renewal letter as your proof of insurance. Please ensure that you retain your welcome or annual renewal letter which includes all the necessary information.

I am being asked for proof of insurance from my housing association/landlord, can you give this to me?

We have confirmed with Defra that a Certificate of Insurance is not required. Instead, they will now only require you to present  your Companion Club welcome or annual renewal letter as your proof of insurance.  Please ensure that you retain your welcome or annual renewal letter which includes all the necessary information.   

If my dog were to cause damage to holiday accommodation would I be covered by the third party insurance?

No, the third party insurance excludes damage to property which a Companion owns, or is leasing/hiring/renting, including short term rentals such as holiday accommodation.

If my dog causes damage to my rented house or flat, could I claim for damage to my landlord’s property?

No, your rented house or flat is considered your own residence so it would not be covered by third party public liability insurance.

My dog and I visit a nursing home as a volunteer. Does the third party insurance cover this?

No, even though the companion club member is a volunteer, the visits from the dog and carer would be considered work and therefore not covered by the insurance. However, if the companion was taking their dog to work and the dog was not being used for work purposes it would be covered by the insurance.

My friends walk and look after my dog sometimes. Are these occasions covered by my third party insurance?

Yes, the insurance covers the companion club member's dog, regardless of whether they are present at the time damage occurs. If the dog is being walked or looked after by a friend or a member of the family then they are still covered. However if a Companion Club member is looking after other people's dogs the third party public liability insurance does not cover the dogs that belong to other people.

Does the insurance cover my dog for its own medical expenses?

No, this is not medical insurance and does not cover vet fees for your own dog.

Are my other pets covered by the third party public liability insurance?

No, the insurance is only for cases where your dog causes damage or injury to another person, their property, or pets.

What is the Canine Care Card?

The Canine Care Card is a free service that guarantees that Dogs Trust will take care of your dog in the event of your death.

When I have a Canine Care Card, what happens to my dog when I die?

We will look after your dog until we can find him or her a loving home, no matter how long it takes. We will never put a healthy dog to sleep so dog owners can rest assured that their dog will be safe with us.

How do I register my dog for the Canine Care Card?

Simply fill in the online form to register your dog. 

Unfortunately, we are unable to activate a Canine Care Card if your dog is a banned breed. Due to UK legislation, we are currently unable to take into our care any dog categorised as an index dog or any dog that has limitations imposed under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.