Indeed, we easily found ‘Podenco’ at ManyPets, but other insurers and comparison sites have variations including ‘Portugese Podengo’, ‘Podenco Canario’ and even ‘Andalucian Podenco’.
If you’re struggling to find your dog’s breed, check there isn’t a UK version of the name, or a slightly different spelling.
If you’re still unable to find it, don’t give up. It just means you might have to contact insurers by phone to give them an accurate description of your pet instead.
Can I insure older rescue dogs?
Some insurers will have an upper age limit for taking out a new policy, but ManyPets can insure rescue animals of any age, including insurance for older dogs.
Dogs and cats do tend to be more expensive to insure as they age. To help keep premiums more affordable you’ll pay a 20% co-payment towards each claim if your dog or cat’s nine or older and you won’t be able to choose a no-excess policy. You can choose a higher excess to lower your premium.
But our Complete policy has a £15,000 annual limit that refreshes each year and even includes dental illness to help take the best care of your pet as they age.
Insuring rescue dogs with pre-existing health conditions
Sadly, some rescue animals will have suffered health issues in the past.Some dogs are signed over to shelters simply because their previous owner couldn’t afford to pay to treat a previous health condition.
Others are older animals that have been rehomed and have had some treatment for age-related conditions.
Even puppies might have been rescued from puppy farms or backyard breeders, where inbreeding or poor nutrition have caused short or long-term health issues.
You’ll still be able to insure your rescue dog for any new conditions they develop, although most insurers won’t cover anything they’ve suffered from in the past.
But we want you to have many more happy years with your rescue pet, so at ManyPets we can cover previous conditions in two ways:
- On all our policies you’ll be covered for any conditions your pet has had in the past, as long as the issue ended more than two years ago.
- If you want some cover for more recent conditions, take a look at our Pre-existing policy.
“ManyPets’s pre-existing policy can be a fantastic option for a rescue pet with a known potential issue,” says Sarah Dawson, ManyPets vet relationship manager and a qualified veterinary nurse.
But of course, if your new friend was abandoned or found straying, you might not know much at all about their past.
“A limited medical history can be a worry for a potential new owner, but in my experience taking a rescue dog into to your home doesn’t mean an increased risk of your pet developing a health issue, any more than buying a new puppy,” says Sarah.
In Sarah’s experience it’s often behaviour rather than health problems that can - unjustly - land pets in a rescue.
"A huge number of pets are handed into rescue because of behaviour issues,” she says.“But it may be unfair to call them ‘issues’ because often the pet may not have been in a suitable home. With the right training, exercise and routine they can make wonderful pets.”