Dog owners: this insurance is mandatory
Keeping a dog is a big responsibility. Mostly for your pet’s well-being – but also ensuring you have adequate insurance coverage. Negligent dog owners can be liable for horrendous costs. Comparis explains.
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Dog owners are responsible for their pet’s well-being. You must also ensure that you have sufficient insurance cover. If you are negligent, you may face horrendous costs. Comparis explains.
There are over half a million dogs in Switzerland. If you also want to get a four-legged friend, almost all cantons require dog liability insurance.
Why do I need dog liability insurance?
As a pet owner, you are responsible for property damage and personal injury. Dog attacks on people can have serious consequences for the victims. The dog’s owner can be faced with large claims for compensation. Most cantons therefore require liability insurance for dogs (see table).
If your dog injures a person or another animal, you – as the dog's owner – are generally liable. Personal liability insurance is thus indispensable, even if it their is no obligation for dog owners in some cantons. The breed of dog is not taken into consideration. A small dog can cause a traffic accident just as easily as a larger dog.
Anyone who uses their dog for work, for example in their own dog school, must also take out business liability insurance.
Where do I buy dog liability insurance?
Dog liability insurance or animal liability insurance is included in personal liability insurance. Exactly what these benefits look like and what damages they cover depend on the insurance company and the individual policy. In some cantons, the liability obligation has a specified minimum sum to be insured. You should also check whether your personal liability insurance cover is sufficient. In the canton of Appenzell-Ausserrhoden, for example, the minimum sum to be insured is 5 million francs. In the neighbouring canton of Appenzell-Innerrhoden, on the other hand, dog liability insurance is obligatory, but there is no minimum cover. You should also check whether people who take care of your dog temporarily are also insured.
| Canton | Minimum coverage in CHF |
|---|---|
| Aargau |
1,000,000 |
| Appenzell-Ausserrhoden |
5,000,000 |
| Appenzell-Innerrhoden |
Liability obligation, but no prescribed coverage amount |
| Basel-Landschaft |
3,000,000 |
| Basel-Stadt |
Liability obligation, but no prescribed coverage amount |
| Bern |
3,000,000 |
| Freiburg |
Liability obligation, but no prescribed coverage amount |
| Geneva |
No prescribed coverage amount, must be shown to the municipality |
| Glarus |
"Adequate" coverage |
| Graubünden |
No liability obligation, but the dog owner can still be obliged to do so in certain cases |
| Jura |
No liability obligation |
| Lucerne |
No liability obligation, but the dog owner can still be obliged to do so in certain cases |
| Neuchâtel |
No liability obligation |
| Nidwalden |
No liability obligation |
| Obwalden |
No liability obligation |
| Schaffhausen |
1,000,000 |
| Schwyz |
Liability obligation, but no prescribed coverage amount |
| Solothurn |
The insurance must explicitly include the liability of the owner as well as the person who supervises the dog |
| St. Gallen |
The insurance must explicitly include the liability of the owner as well as the person who supervises the dog |
| Ticino |
3,000,000 |
| Thurgau |
3,000,000 |
| Uri |
No liability obligation |
| Vaud |
Liability obligation, but no prescribed coverage amount |
| Valais |
Liability obligation, but no prescribed coverage amount |
| Zug |
No liability obligation |
| Zurich |
1,000,000 |
Source: Hunderecht, July 2020
What property damage is covered?
Personal liability insurance also covers damage to property caused by your four-legged friend if they scratch your neighbour's car, for example. Damages are also insured, for example, if your dog runs onto the road and causes a traffic accident.
It’s more complicated when it comes to damage to a rented home. If a dog scratches the floor for several years, it’s questionable whether the insurance company will cover the damage. However, if the damage occurs suddenly and unexpectedly, the insurance company will pay the damage – minus the contractually agreed coinsurance.
If damage has been caused by gross negligence on the part of the pet owner, personal liability insurance usually does not cover it, or not completely.
If you are travelling with your dog, you should also check whether the insurance cover continues outside Switzerland.
Is there pet insurance for accident or medical expenses?
Pet owners should also consider pet insurance. Pet insurance protects you from financial stress if your pet suffers an accident or falls seriously ill.
Is the dog also subject to taxes? Yes: the state levies a dog tax. Depending on the municipality, the tax for the first dog is between 70 and 200 francs per year.
And finally: in some cantons, owners of certain dog breeds must undergo approved training. This also costs money.
You can find an overview of the dog regulations in all cantons here (not available in English).