Companion Animals and Animal Insurance for Dogs

Those who follow my life closely, already know that I'm a BIG dog-lover and a huge animal lover in general! My best therapy in life whenever I felt down, was lying next to my dog and just feeling his heat and hearing his breathing, while looking him in the eyes. Dogs are so pure and loving. Today for example, at 7 AM I was hardly awake but both of my dogs were very happy to see me and couldn't wait to go out with me. At a certain moment, the youngest one who's only 7 months old, decided to sit on top of me while licking my whole face and ears..... OK, it's a bit disgusting, but boy did I enjoy it!

Celebrating Companion Animals in Spain

On the 17th of January, all over Spain, they celebrate Sant Antoni Abat. In every region they celebrate this saint in a different way and with different traditions varying between fattening up a pig among the whole village during a year, to eat it together on the 17th, fire parties, devils running after children with a whipping stick (innocent, not harmful), to "Els Tres Tombs" in Barcelona.

In Barcelona on the 17th of January, and sometimes the weekend before or after that date, all the village people, with their companion animals, have to walk three rounds around the local church and receive some holy water from a priest, in order to bless the animals and protect them from all evil during at least another year.

Not only did people come with their dogs and cats, but also with rabbits, snakes, chickens, a goat and a monkey. It was a colorful and smelly event. The local horses didn't only walk around the church but though the whole village and along the streets, local shops offered free chips and wine. No Spanish festivity without food and alcohol of course and you wont hear me complaining!

Animal Insurance for Dogs in Spain

A more conventional way to protect your four-legged friend is to take out pet insurance for dogs. Bear in mind that with the new animal law approved in 2023, all dogs will in the near future (yet to be determined) be required to have liability insurance. At Caser, it covers unlimited veterinary assistance, civil liability and specialised procedures with up to 40% discount. But it doesn’t stop there; all dogs are compatible with our insurance regardless of their age, breed or state of health, and they can be protected from day one. Discover Caser pet insurance!

Pet Statistics in Spain

It's important to be aware of companion animals in Spain. Unfortunately, according to a study done by the Fundación Affinity in 2015, the Spanish abandon around 137.000 animals on a yearly basis! This is extremely sad and the reason that the're so many animal refugees in Spain. Around 10% of this number would be killed yearly, but the Spanish government has approved a new animal law and fortunately it is prohibited to kill a healthy animal even if they live on the streets or in animal shelters. The Spanish still buy a puppy for Christmas for their loved ones, without first considering the responsibility this brings with having a dog or a cat. When summer holiday presents itself and they don't know what to do with their dog, they simply leave them along the road or in the woods.

Buying or adopting a dog comes with certain responsibilities and one of them is to be able to financially support them when they are ill. It's worth it to take out animal insurance for dogs that covers part of those expenses and covers in case of liability for possible damages. Learn about your pet insurance options with Caser in the free guide below: