Readers Letters – Edition 1991

Liability Insurance for Dogs

There has been a great deal of reader comment about the introduction of mandatory third party liability insurance for owners and their dogs.

The general opinion appears to be that it’s either a waste of time and can’t be properly enforced or it’s a money making project (as insurance is taxed) which is going to particularly hurt pensioners who don’t have a great deal of spare money but rely upon the comfort of their dogs.

Currently many dogs are not chipped and there are daily reports of pets being abandoned without a thought so maybe this will be another law ‘more honoured in the breach than the observance’.

Comments

9.3 million dogs in Spain they estimate lowest cost of insurance about 24 Euros per dog , you do the maths , was this law written by the insurance companies and of course each policy carries tax . What do you do if you foster dogs for a charity or a stray that is not chipped ,has no legal owner but under the new law the municipality has to take it in and fund all the feeding and vets bills .

Brian Flude

Does this apply to UK visitors who bring their dogs to Spain for a month or 2?

Colin Compton

Waste of time. How about compulsory insurance for cyclists????

Roy

Apparently, this still has to be passed by the various communitates which are able to ignore it if they wish. There is likely to be a three month introductory period as nothing is in place as yet including the online exam to ensure (not a joke) that you can handle your dogs. Here in Valencia Vox now rule who are sceptical about welfare acts that over-reach the problem so it is possible they will ignore it.

Peter Squires

I agree with Tobi, I am a pensioner with three rescue dogs and this bill will be added to an ever-decreasing income. My dogs are gentle and well-behaved, kept on a lead in public are microchipped and vaccinated. This new law will solve nothing in the welfare of the mistreatment of dogs, but will only cause hardship to the kind souls who rescue them.

Marileen

What is the impact of this law on tourists traveling from outside the EU with a dog? Does the liability coverage they may have as part of a homeowners insurance policy met the laws requirements?

Lee Johansen