# Repatriation of pet



## patp

I am in the process of sorting out travel insurance etc for our forthcoming trip to Spain. 

Chris had to have special insurance due to his health problems. As I checked the details I noticed the repatriation part and it occurred to me that should either of us, or both, need to be repatriated then the dog would be left high and dry. The dog's pet insurance covers kennel fees in an emergency but not repatriation. She is insured with Pet Plan who are the market leaders with their best cover option. They will repatriate her if she is ill and it is in her best interests to be sent home.

Does anyone know of any insurance companies that would offer cover to repatriate a pet should the owners be incapacitated?


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## randonneur

We are insured with www.boughtbymany.com, if you give them a ring they are very helpful. We had to use them last year for a Pet A&E visit and found them excellent. We have recommended them to Friends who have taken out their own Insurance. The company was created by a group of Facebook users who were fed up of being ripped off by traditional pet insurers.
s


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## HermanHymer

Something else to think about, but a good observation, Pat.


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## patp

randonneur said:


> We are insured with www.boughtbymany.com, if you give them a ring they are very helpful. We had to use them last year for a Pet A&E visit and found them excellent. We have recommended them to Friends who have taken out their own Insurance. The company was created by a group of Facebook users who were fed up of being ripped off by traditional pet insurers.
> s


I did give them a call and they were very helpful. Their top policy has wording to the effect that the extra cost of repatriating your pet, by means other than used to travel outwards, in an emergency, would be covered. They are going to look into whether that wording would cover repatriating the dog when the owners are incapacitated or have been repatriated themselves.


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## peedee

Think the Caravan and Motorhome Club's Red Penant insurance has the option to cover pets.
peedee


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## patp

peedee said:


> Think the Caravan and Motorhome Club's Red Penant insurance has the option to cover pets.
> peedee


Typical! The one that I haven't asked. I knew there was someone, somewhere that offered it. Mind you it remains to be seen whether they repatriate the pet without the owner which is what I am concerned about.

Will investigate.


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## patp

An online chat has revealed that they do. Just have to get a quote and then, if appropriate, cancel the one I took out the other day!


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## patp

Next question is -

We have RAC cover for European breakdown.

I have Nationwide free travel insurance. 

Chris has Travel Safe travel cover for his medical needs. (I can cancel this if Caravan Club will cover him)

Are we allowed to have more than one insurance?

Are we covered for all eventualities? In other words have I forgotten anything?


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## patp

Right. It seems that the repatriation of the pet comes under the Breakdown Cover part of the insurance. The Health Insurance part does not cover the dog's repatriation though they "say" that they would "help" but not pay for it if we were too poorly to sort it out ourselves.

I have emailed Pet Plan to see if they will offer cover as an extra to the dog's insurance. Otherwise we will have to take a shotgun with us 

I am sure that some kind soul would sort it out for us in the unlikely event that we were unable to do so ourselves. Will just have to keep a note with our personal belongings that we are travelling with a dog so that she is catered for. Perhaps take the details of one of these pet travel companies with us to help smooth the process for whoever has to sort it out?


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## wug

Try the Caravan & Camping Club. We have travel/health insurance with them, but not breakdown which is covered by our vehicle insurance. They will pay up to £250 for repatriation of a pet if you are being repatriated.

Some insurers will repatriate the pet if the pet is ill, but not if you are being repatriated. Graham


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## patp

wug said:


> Try the Caravan & Camping Club. We have travel/health insurance with them, but not breakdown which is covered by our vehicle insurance. They will pay up to £250 for repatriation of a pet if you are being repatriated.
> 
> Some insurers will repatriate the pet if the pet is ill, but not if you are being repatriated. Graham


That's interesting because I was booking sites through them and chatted about insurance issues. Mind you that was earlier on when I was just starting it all. Perhaps I had the wrong person? Will try again.


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## wug

You said you have Nationwide travel insurance and elsewhere you say you are wintering in Spain. Have you taken out "extended journey cover" with Nationwide as their basic policy covers 31 days only? Graham


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## patp

Yes, Graham. It was the thing I did first. It cost me £90 to upgrade it to 90 days. Then I had to go elsewhere to get Chris covered for his heart condition. Such a flippin nightmare. Bring back the old days when we went to a broker who did all this for us. It is one of the down sides of independent travel. All the time you are wondering if it will all be worth it in the event of a claim when they wriggle out of it anyway!


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## PSC

blimey, I hadn't thought about this! thanks... something else to worry about! :-(


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## raynipper

Bung the dog in the 'garage' with plenty of food and it will get repatriated with the van, eventually. Simples.

Ray.


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## patp

Well, Ray, it looks like your solution may be one that we have to consider.

Camping and Caravan Club will, as Graham above has said, arrange for repatriation of the dog. They allow £250 to facilitate the dog being transported to your home or to a boarding kennels in the event that it is unable to return via the same method it arrived. 
However, once their quote took Chris's health problems into account, it added about £500 to our previous quote, from another company, which did not include the dog.

We have decided to take the risk. We will carry documents to the effect that we are travelling with a dog, listing her description, microchip number and her passport details. Alongside these will be a note to the effect that, should it be necessary, she should be repatriated to xyz. The microchip company will hold details of our next of kin in case it all goes pear shaped and she is found wandering the streets.

It has also occurred to me to find details of a pet transport company that would transport her home, to my daughter, if necessary. These details could also be kept to hand for some kind soul to implement if we are incapable.


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## dmcv

I think the Caravan and Camping Club insurance polices include pet insurance and they repatriate the pet. I haven't read every word but I scanned through just the other day and will be considering it for our next European trip.


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