If damage occurs, those responsible are liable with all your property. If you’re unlucky, it could spell financial ruin. Public liability insurance protects you from high debts: you cover the costs.
Cats and small animals: civil liability insurance is sufficient
Anyone who has a cat or a small animal such as a rabbit can relax. These four-legged friends are also insured with liability insurance. Everyone should definitely have personal liability insurance, regardless of whether they are a pet owner or not. Very good rates are not expensive. Personal liability protection for the entire family is available for less than 75 euros per year.
Tip: With our individual Compare liability insurance You can find the right liability insurance at Stiftung Warentest.
Dogs and Horses: Liability Insurance for Pet Owners
If you buy a dog or a horse, liability insurance will no longer be enough. Special liability insurance is required here; In some federal states it is even mandatory.
Dogs. Depending on the federal state, dogs must be insured. Dog owners in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are not required to have insurance. Anyone living in Berlin, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein or Thuringia usually needs dog owners liability insurance for their furry companions. In Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony, the obligation only applies to dogs classified as dangerous.
Brandenburg will have a different classification procedure for dogs from July 1, 2024. They are no longer classified as dangerous based on their breed. At the same time, the general ban on breeding dangerous dog breeds has been lifted. The decisive factor is now the behavior of the dog and the experience of the dog owner. It is mandatory that all dogs over eight weeks of age are identified. Pet owners must have liability insurance for dogs classified as dangerous.
Danger: In Brandenburg, you must report your dog’s breed, litter date, color and chip number to the local regulatory authority by February 1, 2025. Anyone who does not report it in time risks being fined. The amount can be high.
Is there civil liability insurance for dog owners? big price differences. Our dog liability insurance comparison shows: Cheap rates are available for less than 50 euros per year. Expensive rates cost three times as much. It is important that the insurance is ours Basic Financial Test Protection Comply.
Horses. Horse owners need a Horse liability insurance. If horse owners have a riding share, they should include the people in their contract and make sure that any damage caused by the horse to the riding share is also insured.
Strange dogs and horses. If you don’t have your own horse or dog, but sometimes look after your friends’ four-legged friends, you don’t need their special rate. Herding other people’s dogs and horses is usually covered by your public liability insurance.
Snakes, spiders, scorpions: only sometimes covered
Around 1.3 million terrarium animals live in German homes. Anyone who keeps snakes, spiders or scorpions as pets should take a look at the fine print on their liability insurance. The permitted keeping of such small wild animals is only insured in some tariffs.