K9 SAR Insurance

[mandy & sakari]

Sainsburys in my opinion are the best insurance company they have no problem with the dogs doing SAR i have been with them since 2007 both sakari and ace are insured with them, they paid out over £4000 for Sakari`s TPLO and they will pay up to £1000 on top for her hydrotherapy, they have never once quibbled about any claim and are fast and effective in paying, but also so are Tesco as all 3 JRT and Mulskey of ours are insured with them again very quick at paying and no problem with SAR work

i am very plased with both companies

Mandy

[Daryl]

Thank you Mandy.

Please confirm with them as Sainsburys is one of 22 companies that have recently been called by another SAR team who were told that they would not cover SAR Dogs.

[StuartL]

I think people have misconstrued my post about car insurance. Under no circumstances am I encouraging anyone to defraud an insurance company, I was more pointing out that people need to apply the same care and attention (if not more) to getting the right car insurance because a car accident on a SAR callout may (probably will?) not be covered by most car insurance policies. As well as the inconvenience of having to pay out of your own money for the accident there are massive legal connotations to not being insured in your car, even if that's on a technicality in the fine print of your insurance.

It's one thing to wonder where you're going to find the money for a vet bill, it's a completely different thing to wonder if you're going to jail and how you're going to pay off the car loan when your car has been crushed.

[Daryl]

Does your car insurance not cover you if your driving to the Rugby Club to play Rugby or to the local village hall to show of your stamp collection or even to a car park to go Geocaching. All of these activities are hoobies, just like SAR is, as long as you drive within the law, I see no reason why it shouldn't cover you.

[StuartL]

Does your car insurance not cover you if your driving to the Rugby Club to play Rugby or to the local village hall to show of your stamp collection or even to a car park to go Geocaching. All of these activities are hoobies, just like SAR is, as long as you drive within the law, I see no reason why it shouldn't cover you.

That may be true, how many people on this thread have checked?

[Darren]

The next level up for my car insurance is

SDP&C and personal business use
Social, Domestic, pleasure and commuting and the business of the Policyholder and Spouse/Civil/Domestic partner only

If you or any named drivers (including unnamed drivers under open driving) use your vehicle, in connection with your occupation, during the working day for anything other than commuting to and from work, then business use should be selected.

SAR is not my occupation so callouts are covered

[StuartL]

After being worried about this for the past few days and being unable to get a straight answer out of my insurance company I found this:

http://www.moorestephens.co.uk/voluntary.aspx

Reading between the lines it seems that most insurance companies are prepared to sweep the low mileages of voluntary use under the proverbial carpet but only on the condition that it's a) low mileages and b) they're informed.

So contrary to my concerns earlier in this thread it does seem we're covered if we have told the insurance company. Otherwise, to quote the above page "both driver and organisation are conspiring albeit unintentionally in the act of non-disclosure towards the volunteer driver’s insurers."

[baileyhilldog]

As I sit sorting out the office listening to the radio, I keep hearing mention of David Cameron's Big Society and the volunteer sector. We are already very much in this, and I wonder whether a communication to David Cameron (who's constituency is in the Thames Valley area and who's family live in it) would be of any benefit to the government putting forward some proposals to insurance companies that they support volunteering. At present it seems some of the insurance companies are penalising us by refusing to insure us. If two SAR Dog Units have already had to withdraw their services, I think it would be worth pointing this out.

Whilst I appreciate some companies will insure for both veterinary and public liability, I think there is a principle here that some are penalising volunteers. I for one am concerned that it appears that if my dog whilst training at The Look Out collides with one of the mad cyclists causing them to come off their bike, I could be left finding the funds to defend a legal case, which might mean I lose my home, etc, etc.

Just a thought!

Linda

[hewi50uk]

I have just checked with Tesco who checked with Sales and Underwriting depts and they say that Murphy IS insured for SAR training and for up to 4 operational call-outs per annum. Beyond the 4 call-outs they may refuse cover or supply a special quotation. Unlikely to be an issue for some time given his current rate of progress in training .

Brian

[Andy W.]

Ask for it in writing Brian!