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Aviva to underwrite pet insurance

31st July 2012 Print

Aviva will underwrite its own pet insurance from 1 August, in a move that recognises the value many of the UK's 15 million cat and dog owners place on protecting their pets.

Simon Warsop, business development director at Aviva, said, "For many of us, our pets are ‘one of the family'. However, in the current climate, affording medical treatment for your pet is an extra worry that most of us could do without. Pet insurance offers peace of mind to those who are concerned about the welfare of their pet and want to ensure that should their cat or dog need medical treatment, they can do what's best for them.

"Aviva has been selling pet insurance for years. And with 14 million customers in the UK who trust us with their car, home and life insurance, we felt it was right to underwrite pet insurance ourselves, recognising the concern millions of pet owners have over medical costs for their pet.

"We know that pet owners worry about finding policies that will cover recurring medical conditions. So, for existing customers with Aviva and new customers from their first renewal, their cat or dog will continue to be insured for the cost of vet's fees for treatment of illness and injury for as long as the policy is renewed - no matter what age he or she reaches."

Pet insurance from Aviva offers three levels of cover to choose from so customers can select the cover limits that best suit their needs. Cover starts from as little as £5.50 a month and there is no upper age limit for vet fees.

Pet owners can get up to 10% off when buying online at aviva.co.uk/pet-insurance. Aviva also offers an additional 10% discount for insuring more than one pet.

Existing customers will be advised that on renewal, they have the option to continue their cover with Aviva as the underwriter.

Breakdown of cover elements for Silver, Gold and Platinum pet insurance

The Silver policy offers cover against:

veterinary fees
pets taken ill abroad
third party liability
cremation/burial costs
behavioural problems

In addition to the Silver cover, the Gold policy offers:

the cost to recover stolen or straying pets - including local advertising and the cost of a suitable reward
kennel fees should the policy holder be hospitalised
£1000 holiday cancellation should they have to cancel or cut short a holiday due to a pet-related illness
death from illness or accident

The Platinum policy is Aviva's premium pet insurance policy, which provides increased limits to those of the Gold policy for death from illness, death from accident, recovery costs and theft.  In addition, there are increased limits for holiday cancellation and veterinary fees:

up to £2,000 for holiday cancellation
up to £6,500 per year on veterinary fees

All policies also provide support helplines to assist with; 24-hour bereavement counselling, 24-hour pet legal advice and healthcare away from home. Additionally, policy holders can access a pet minder service, enabling them to locate a nationally registered Dog Minder who can look after their dog for a few hours or even a few weeks if they go away.

To find out more about pet insurance direct from Aviva, visit aviva.co.uk.