Dog liability insurance protects dog owners from the sometimes high financial consequences of damage caused by their own four-legged friend.
Dortmund – A dog does not have to bite to cause damage.
A passer-by can stumble over even your favorite little dog, or the animal runs onto the road and causes a traffic accident.
Claims for damages quickly arise that are not easy to pay.
A dog owner's liability insurance protects against this.
According to the Association for German Dogs (VDH), there are almost 11 million dogs in Germany.
This means that one or more four-legged friends live in almost 9 percent of all households.
Experts state that the basic equipment not only includes a collar and leash, but that special liability insurance for the dog is also strongly recommended.
In some federal states there is even a complete or partial obligation to conclude a contract.
Dog liability insurance: useful or not?
In § 833 of the German Civil Code (BGB), the legislator stipulates that the animal owner is liable for all damage caused by his animal to a person or an object.
It is irrelevant whether the owner has violated his duty of supervision or not.
Even if there was nothing he could do to prevent the damage - other than not owning a dog - he still has to pay compensation.
He is responsible for all of his current and future assets.
There are only exceptions for dogs that are kept for commercial purposes (e.g. herding dogs or livestock guardian dogs of the shepherd, animals in commercial dog breeding).
The legal situation makes the need for liability insurance for the dog clear and the costs of such a contract are not particularly high.
The annual fee for a four-legged friend is around 50 euros, and if there are two dogs in the household, liability insurance usually costs between 70 and 100 euros for both.
Some dog breeding or dog sport associations offer group rates for members.
In this way, up to five dogs from one owner can be insured cheaply.
Dog liability insurance: Often a requirement
The current regulations (as of 2021) on liability insurance for dog owners stipulate that in 15 of 16 federal states there is at least a partial obligation to insure a dog.
Only in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania does a dog not have to be insured.
In the following federal states, a special liability insurance must be taken out for each dog:
Schleswig-Holstein
Lower Saxony
Hamburg
Berlin
Saxony-Anhalt
Thuringia
In these federal states, on the other hand, liability insurance is only required for certain dogs:
Bremen: Compulsory insurance for all breeds classified as dangerous or dogs that have become conspicuous
Brandenburg: Mandatory for animals classified as dangerous
North Rhine-Westphalia: Liability insurance is compulsory for dogs of certain breeds, conspicuous animals classified as dangerous and four-legged friends that are larger than 40 centimeters and/or weigh more than 20 kilograms
Rhineland-Palatinate: Compulsory insurance for three breeds classified as dangerous and four-legged friends individually classified as dangerous
Saarland: Obligation for owners of dogs classified as dangerous
Hesse: Compulsory insurance for so-called fighting dogs on the breed list there
Saxony: Mandatory in order to obtain permission to keep a dangerous dog
Bavaria: Compulsory insurance for all breeds and mixed breeds listed as potentially dangerous
Baden-Württemberg: Liability insurance compulsory for animals classified as dangerous
Dog liability insurance: Coverage of this damage
Liability insurance specifically for the dog covers many different types of damage.
The takeover takes place at:
personal injury
property damage
pecuniary loss
Experts recommend coverage of at least 5 million euros, higher coverage is easily possible and costs little more.
A deductible in the event of a claim can reduce the premium.
In addition, a dog owner's liability insurance acts as a "small legal protection insurance" and fends off unjustified claims of (alleged) victims.
Dog owners who travel a lot with their animal should prefer a tariff that includes so-called damage to rented property.
In this case, damage is also covered, such as the scratched door in the hotel room or the chewed table leg in the holiday apartment.
