A third of all horse and dog owners in Germany still do not have animal owner liability insurance — a risky oversight, as the law makes clear: as an owner, you are legally liable for all damages caused by your animal, including personal, property, and financial damages, for up to thirty years.

Animal owner liability insurance is strongly recommended for owners of larger animals, as treatment costs — for example, for a dog bite or a traffic accident caused by a runaway horse — can be extremely high. In such cases, you as the animal owner are always responsible for compensation, regardless of whether fault can be proven.

The animal owner liability insurance policy reimburses property damage, as well as the often much higher personal injury and financial losses (e.g., lost income) caused to third parties by your animal — up to the agreed sum insured.

You can insure dogs, horses, ponies, mules, donkeys, or cattle. Many insurers offer a reduced premium for each additional animal compared to a single-animal policy.

Horse owners who are members of clubs or associations can benefit from group insurance policies. Policyholders who already have other insurance with the same company often receive a discount as well.

Coverage also applies when others are handling your dog

Dog liability insurance also applies if the insured dog is being handled by someone other than the owner, regardless of whether the injured party is a person or another animal.

However, the insurance does not cover damage to the owner’s own animal or deliberately caused damage. Coverage is generally worldwide — unlimited in Europe and usually up to one year worldwide.

Damages caused by small domestic animals such as cats, birds, or rabbits are usually covered under your private liability insurance — though such incidents are rare.

More frequently, personal or property damage is caused by larger animals. For this reason, dogs, horses, cattle, wild animals, and animals kept for commercial or agricultural purposes are excluded from an owner’s private liability insurance.

Animal accidents can be expensive

A separate animal owner liability policy is strongly recommended for owners of larger animals and, in some cases, legally required. Treatment costs — for example, from a dog bite or a traffic accident caused by runaway horses — can be extremely high.

In some German states, such as Berlin, Hamburg, and Saxony-Anhalt, dog liability insurance is mandatory. In other states, insurance is only required for dog breeds classified as dangerous.

As an animal owner, you are always liable for damages under strict liability, regardless of whether fault can be proven.

The basic coverage of animal owner liability insurance is comparable across all providers, covering personal and property damage to third parties up to the agreed sum insured.

Some insurers, however, offer additional benefits. Depending on the policy, puppies of the insured dog may be covered free of charge up to six months of age. Participation in dog sled races and related training may also be included, depending on the provider.

Coverage for foals

In horse owner liability insurance, comprehensive policies may cover foals of the insured horse up to 12 months of age. Participation in horse races and tournaments, including training, can also be included.

The same applies to private carriage rides, including occasional free passenger transport. However, anyone offering paid carriage rides on a regular basis requires special commercial liability coverage.