Pet owners forking out up to £778 on insurance
 |
Pet insurance enquiries have risen dramatically in recent weeks following the worrying trend of pets being given as Christmas presents. In the period from December 20 to January 5 alone there was a spike of 12%.
Sam Grant, Head of Pet Insurance, comparethemarket.com, said: “For those lucky enough to have been given a dog this Christmas, the subsequent cost of insuring your new companion could be an unwelcome shock, particularly if you have one of the less common breeds.
“For example, the average cost of insuring an Inuit, the artic working dog, is £778 per year. The average cost across all types of pet cover, and all breeds of dogs is significantly lower but, at £187, will inevitably surprise some new owners.
“Taking the time to find a good value deal that suits your needs is worthwhile. For new pets, it is also important to consider what type of cover you think you will need, be it accident only, lifetime, max benefit or time limited cover.”
Comparethemarket.com has carried out its own study of pet buying habits and produced snapshot of its findings. Click here to see the results.
The research reveals that an Inuit is the most expensive breed to insure, with an average premium of £778, whereas an Australian Kelpie is the least expensive, with an average premium of just £84.
Molly topped the polls for the most popular dog name in 2016, followed by Patch, Spot and Bouncer.
See below for a full run down of the results.
Average Insurance Costs by Region | Region | Average Dog Insurance Premium | East Anglia | £160 | East Midlands | £132 | Greater London | £194 | North East | £132 | North West | £139 | Scotland | £129 | South East | £161 | South West | £139 | Wales | £118 | West Midlands | £140 | Yorkshire And The Humber | £137 |
Top Ten Dog’s Names of 2016 | Molly | Patch | Spot | Bouncer | Deefer | Sniffer | Bella | Alfie | Poppy | Lola |
Type of Cover | Percentage of market by type of insurance | Accident Only | 3.14% | Lifetime | 59.72% | Max Benefit | 14.78% | Time Limited | 22.37% |
Change in premium by type of insurance | Type of Cover | 2015 | 2016 | Percentage Difference | Accident Only | £70 | £50 | -28% | Lifetime | £198 | £182 | -8% | Max Benefit | £238 | £225 | -5% | Time Limited | £139 | £114 | -18% |
Top 10 most expensive pedigree dog breeds to insure | Breed | Average Premium | Inuit | £778 | Cane Corso | £747 | Northern Inuit | £489 | Munsterlander | £474 | Standard Bull Terrier | £448 | American Bull Dog | £432 | Estrela Mountain Dog | £341 | Neopolian Mastiff | £329 | Rottweiler | £322 | Mastiff | £320 |
Top 10 cheapest pedigree dog breeds to insure | Breed | Average Premium | Australian Kelpie | £84 | Cockerpoo | £87 | Kelpie | £93 | Cesky Terrier | £95 | Shih Tzu | £97 | Smooth Coat Chihuahua | £98 | Fox Terrier | £98 | Chihuahua | £99 | Skye Terrier | £101 | Pomeranian | £101 |
Average Annual Premium for Pedigree Dog | Type of Cover | Average Premium | Accident Only | £51 | Lifetime | £202 | Max Benefit | £248 | Time Limited | £124 | | |
|
|
