The legislation surrounding animal rights tends to become more and more favorable to animal welfare… However, unlike other types of insurance, animal mutual insurance is not compulsory. Legislating animal insurance to assert the rights of our four-legged friends, utopia or necessity?
This Sunday, December 10, we celebrate International Animal Rights Day. On occasion, associations fight to have their rights recognized and raise public awareness of their cause. Actions that are both necessary and a source of change, since over the years, French law has already made some adjustments to the status of animals.
⚖️ Animal rights: the law has evolved, but is it enough?
Since 2015, the latter have been recognized by the Civil Code as “ sentient living beings “. Previously, they were considered movable property and did not have legal personality. But despite this major advance, the law remains relatively ambiguous, because animals still remain affiliated to the property regime. And for many, it has changed little in everyday life, remaining a law that is more symbolic than truly effective.
On the other hand, the Penal Code quite clearly regulates mistreatment and acts of cruelty towards animals. L'article R653-1 recognizes in particular involuntary attacks on the life and integrity of the animalwhether it be ” by clumsiness, imprudence, inattention, negligence or failure to comply with a duty of safety or prudence imposed by law or regulations ”, and provides for sanctions in these situations.
If we stick to the definition of the Penal Code, the lack or absence of care given to animals can therefore be punished by law, because it is considered potential negligence on the part of the owner. Of course, any respectful and loving owner will in no way hesitate to have their animal properly cared for, but health costs can quickly cost a fortune. For example, for a simple routine visit to the veterinarian, an owner spends on average between 50 and 70 € minimum.
This is where animal insurance proves particularly relevant… But, according to I-CAD, for 1.7 million domestic animals recorded in France, only barely 10% of owners have taken out dedicated mutual insurancecompared to 35% in England and more than 80% in Sweden.
The obligation of animal insurance could then alleviate the problem of the lack of adequate coverage among our animal friends. On the one hand, it would avoid delicate situations for an owner who pays for his animal's operation without having the means; on the other, it would protect animals that owners in financial difficulty refuse to care for.
🛡️ Animal insurance: here’s what it provides your companion in terms of protection
€943 per year: this is the money spent on average by individuals to take care of a pet, a large part of these expenses going directly to food and health costs (Source Ipsos 2022). Although this contract is ultimately little used in France, animal insurance nevertheless presents an obvious interest: prioritize the health of your four-legged companion without having to break the bank.
Cat mutual insurance or dog mutual insurance generally allows you to benefit from coverage ranging from 60 to 100%, with an annual ceiling of between €1,000 and €2,500 on average. A valuable help for the health of your animal, especially when we know that the monthly payments vary between €10 and €30 depending on the age of your furball, its breed and its medical history. The price quickly seems insignificant in comparison with the health costs incurred by the animals, a simple operation can cost several thousand euros.
| Insurer | Prices and formulas | Protection |
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Acheel website |
From €2.29/month Price on quote |
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Lovys website |
From €9/month The formulas :
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Learn more |
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Call a Selectra advisor and get your personalized pet insurance quote! |
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☎️ 01 88 24 67 69 |
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🐶 2024: new challenges for animal insurance
If the compulsory nature of animal insurance remains a major challenge, animal health insurers must also face developments in the sector. Like mutual health insurance for men, animal insurance could well experience a paradigm shift, where it is no longer just a question of cure, but also of prevention.
Just as humans seek a contract with optical coverage, dental reimbursement or alternative medicine, animal insurance contracts tend to diversify, thus covering osteopathy sessions, scaling, or even food supplements. Finally, animal insurance is gradually turning towards preventive care, the objective being to take good care of your animal on a daily basis to avoid major health problems later on. Beyond a simple protection contract, animal mutual insurance is sliding more and more towards a current consumer contractthus asking market insurers to adapt.
Other issues can also be cited, such as the need for insurers to collaborate more closely with veterinarians and animal health professionals, in order to gain visibility and authority. This is the case, for example, in England and Sweden, where insurers sometimes go so far as to establish partnerships with veterinary clinics. Another major issue: the extension of animal coverage, and in particular the management of hereditary or congenital diseases, which are extremely common and yet subject to warranty exclusions.
