In 2018 he published this same newspaper that Cáceres had 4,237 registered dogs, a number of more than 4,150 children between 0 and 4 years of age. To give you an idea of the real ‘boom’ experienced by petsthe number of dogs is now almost doubled: they are already 7.109 According to the updated data provided by the city council, compared to the 3.259 children from 0 to 4 years of the last known census. In summary, Dogs skyrocket and the child population falls drastically. And to this society of homes full of dogs, cats and birds now comes the new Animal Welfare Law, approved by Congress on February 9 as a matter of urgency. It seeks to guarantee good treatment and for this it demands a series of rules from its owners, some controversies.
One of the most notorious is the obligation to take out liability insurance that rectifies the damages to third parties. «Until now it was a municipal competition and it only affected potentially dangerous dogs of more than 25 kilos, which pay around €70/year. From now on it will be a state obligation for everyone,” he explains. Juan Maria Pozasan insurance broker based in Cáceres, which represents more than 15 companies.
Nevertheless, the generic policy will be cheaper, but it is not calculated yet. And it is not because “companies They still do not know when the new law will enter into force and whether any adjustments can be made. As soon as there is a specific date, they will release their products,” says Juan María Pozas. Nothing is fixed, but one of the possibilities being considered is through include the civil liability of the animal (for about 5-10 €/year) in the home insurance, which already includes various coverages in exchange for small surcharges (hunting or fishing licence…). either it will be done as a separate insurance, which would mean around €20-25/year for a dog of less than 25 kilos not classified as potentially dangerous.
In fact, the animals had been included in the policies of the properties (ships, livestock farms…). Today, recalls Juan María Pozas, «pets they are practically part of the family and have had an important development in insurance during the last 7-8 years, especially health insurance. It is very widespread. For a premium per month, it offers check-ups, vaccinations and some veterinary services», details. These policies range from approximately €5 to €15 per month.
Also Juan Jose Candelapresident of the Association of Brokers and Brokers of Extremadura (ASOCCEX), and a professional in Cáceres for 35 years, explains that animal civil liability insurance will not go on the market until there is a date of entry into force. He believes that at that time, with many more policies due to their mandatory nature, a more demanding conscience will also be created, that is, there will be more parties to the companies.
“It is expected that a flood of complaints: by defecation and urine in the streets, facades or doors; due to damage from bites that can lead to infections, for other reasons…”, argues Juan José Candela. In this way, home insurance that includes the so-called ‘private life civil liability’, which also covers damage from pets, «they will not be able to bear the mandatory coverages of the new Animal Welfare Law. In fact, they are already very overloaded, ”he reveals.
Therefore, “quite possibly companies must release specific products for animalsoutside the household policy, equipped with a sufficient cushion to face the claims that are coming, with a minimum coverage capital of around €120,000”, specifies the president of ASOCCEX.
All of this, together with the care that pets are given today in homes, will probably lead to “specific insurance that, in addition to damages to third parties, will incorporate other coverage such as veterinary assistance or cremation, ”he calculates.
“They ask us for food”
For her part, the person in charge of the San Jorge Refuge, Laura Varaldi, defends the advantages of these measures. “Honestly, for a long time I recommend civil liability insurance and especially health insurance that cover veterinary expenses, because we have seen how many people suddenly cannot afford the cost of their pet’s illness or an accident. They are decisions of responsible people because you never know what can happen », he underlines.
However, Varaldi acknowledges that the current moment of inflation does not help. «People are even coming to the Shelter to request food for the animal they have at home, with the confidence of not being forced to return the following month. They may not be able to access health insurance right now, but Those who have some economic stability, we recommend it one hundred percent. The animals continue to get sick and the legs continue to break », he warns.
The person in charge of the Refuge remembers how has it the food is more expensive of pets. Even the cheapest kitty litter in supermarkets has almost doubled. “For this very reason, those who have a choice should take out health insurance, because then things happen,” he says. In fact, “there are citizens who tell us that they lack the resources to cure their animal. Although there have always been cases, it occurs especially since last year and we have taken care of dogs and cats whose owners could not give them the attention they needed,” he laments.