The new law on animal well being and animal rights (La Nueva Ley de Bienestar Animal (Ley 7/2023, de 28 de marzo) requires dog owners to have third party civil responsibility insurance for each dog owned from September 29, 2023.
This insurance (un seguro de responsabilidad civil por daños a terceros para perros) must be renewed every year that you own your dog and cover damages to third parties sufficient to cover possible costs.
The minimum cover under the law is 120,000 euros but most insurance companies are offering cover of 200,000 to 300,000 euros at an average of 38 to 40 euros.
(This price quoted is for an “average” dog and does not include breeds considered dangerous. Some insurance companies may charge more depending on the size and breed so shop around.)
This insurance must cover vet´s costs if your dog bites another and medical attention for “blows or bites” ie. to a child or adult not only from a bite but from a fall provoked by a dog off a lead which may result in injuries or, for example a cyclist who falls from his/her bike or road accidents caused by your dog and damage to property.
This type of insurance is already obligatory in some parts of Spain, such as Madrid, La Rioja and Basque country, and covers the costs of any accident your dog may cause.
Some home insurance policies already include this cover so it is worth reading your policy and/or contacting you insurer to check.
There appears to be some confusion as to whether dog owners can be fined from September 29 if they don´t have this insurance.
According to some sources the Guardia Civil have been advised to warn rather than fine dog owners without insurance on or around September 29. Other sources advise insurance is obligatory from September 29 and fines can range from 500 to 10,000 euros.
The new law on animal well being and animal rights (La Nueva Ley de Bienestar Animal (Ley 7/2023, de 28 de marzo) requires dog owners to have third party civil responsibility insurance for each dog owned from September 29, 2023.
This insurance (un seguro de responsabilidad civil por daños a terceros para perros) must be renewed every year that you own your dog and cover damages to third parties sufficient to cover possible costs.
The minimum cover under the law is 120,000 euros but most insurance companies are offering cover of 200,000 to 300,000 euros at an average of 38 to 40 euros.
(This price quoted is for an “average” dog and does not include breeds considered dangerous. Some insurance companies may charge more depending on the size and breed so shop around.)
This insurance must cover vet´s costs if your dog bites another and medical attention for “blows or bites” ie. to a child or adult, not only from a bite but from a fall provoked by a dog off a lead which may result in injuries or, for example a cyclist who falls from his/her bike or road accidents caused by your dog and damage to property.
This type of insurance is already obligatory in some parts of Spain, such as Madrid, La Rioja and Basque country, and covers the costs of any accident your dog may cause.
Some home insurance policies already include this cover so it is worth reading your policy and/or contacting you insurer to check.
There appears to be some confusion as to whether dog owners can be fined from September 29 if they don´t have this insurance.
According to some sources the Guardia Civil have been advised to warn rather than fine dog owners without insurance on or around September 29. Other sources advise insurance is obligatory from September 29 and fines can range from 500 to 10,000 euros.
