Dogs have been a factor in nearly 4,000 accidental damage claims seen by a major insurer over the past five years. A dog eating a customer’s dentures and a nine-stone Rottweiler standing on a phone are among the home insurance claims that have been dealt with by Aviva.
In another case, a dog did not eat a child’s homework – but they did break the laptop they were using. Between the start of 2018 and the end of 2022, 3,825 claims handled by Aviva involved dogs, with an average cost of £1,200.
Some canine-related claims cost five-figure sums to put right. The more expensive claims tended to involve jewellery and watches. However, in one case, a dog had fallen into a family’s swimming pool and damaged the pool liner. The dog was unhurt.
In some cases, people had lost items such as jewellery, hearing aids, watches and wallets while walking their dogs. One customer lost a wedding ring while throwing a ball for their dog. Over the five-year period, more than 100 claims were made for hearing aids eaten by dogs.
Claims that the insurer has dealt with include a dog bursting a hot tub when jumping up at it. In another case, a customer took their dentures out and put them on the arm of their chair before falling asleep. When they woke up, the dog had eaten them.
Aviva also said it had dealt with a claim after a customer’s phone was damaged when their dog stood on it. The customer advised the insurer that the dog was a nine-stone Rottweiler. Another incident involved a customer’s grandchild doing homework on the family laptop when their pet dog knocked it off the coffee table, causing the screen to break.
In another incident, someone knocked over a pot of paint on their staircase. A dog walked through the paint and left footprints on the carpet into the living room. Another dog chewed a pen, transferring ink onto a sofa and a carpet.
Aviva also dealt with a claim after a dog knocked an iron off an ironing board, causing a mark on a floor. Kelly Whittington, property claims director at Aviva UK said: “Many home insurance policies include an exclusion for damage caused by chewing, scratching, tearing or fouling by domestic animals.
“Cover may be provided under the optional personal belongings section, but it is important that customers check their policy wording and cover. That said, dog-related incidents – such as knocking things over or tripping up their owner – can occur in homes with even the most well-behaved pets, so accidental damage cover can be a useful addition to home insurance policies.
“Personal belongings insurance can also be a valuable add on, covering items on dog walks – or indeed, outside the home, anywhere in the world.”
