MADRID – If you own one of the 9.3 million dogs registered in Spain, it will be mandatory from September 29 to have insurance. The new animal welfare law requires all dog owners to purchase liability insurance for their four-legged friends.
According to the government, this insurance is expected to be between €15 and €20 per dog per year. On September 29, Article 30 of Law 7/2023, of March 28, on the protection of the rights and welfare of animals will come into force.
This article primarily requires all dog owners to take a “course in the care of their animals”. The content of this course will be further specified in a regulation that will regulate some articles of this new legislation. The course itself is free.
In addition, the law requires all dog owners “during the life of the animal” to take out liability insurance for damage to third parties. This insurance must also cover the persons responsible for the animal. The precise scope of cover will also be determined in the forthcoming regulations.
The Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030 explains to Infobae España that this liability insurance is already mandatory in the regions of Madrid, the Basque Country and La Rioja, where the autonomous legislation already regulates it. However, for the rest of the country, the insurance will have to be taken out when the law comes into force, namely on September 29.
A dog might already be covered by another insurance
“The majority of people with pets often already have this insurance linked to their home liability insurance, but not always,” the ministry explains. In other words, you may already have insurance for your dog without knowing it.
The ministry estimates that such insurance costs between €15 and €20 per year unless it concerns potentially dangerous dogs, for which the premium may be higher. National legislation already required insurance for these types of animals with a minimum cover of €120,000.
Fines
In terms of fines for non-compliance with the law, owners who fail to comply with this obligation will face light penalties unless the regulatory development process dictates otherwise. The fines range from warnings to financial payments of up to €10,000.
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