Pethealth insurance in Spain: Rules and Regulations you need to know

Written by Michael Macdonald | Feb 13, 2025 9:00:00 AM

Having a pet is not simply a case of sharing your home with an animal. Being a pet owner is also a responsibility, not just to the pet itself, by providing food, shelter and tender loving care, but also to the people in the wider community.

The Animal Welfare Law in Spain, which came into effect on September 29, 2023, has formalised these responsibilities, and the purpose of this law is two-fold:

1. to establish a legal framework for the protection, guarantee of rights, and welfare of companion or wild animals in captivity
to oblige owners to fulfil legal requirements, such as pet insurance for civil liability that provide 2. protection for members of the general public who may come into contact with their animal.

Here's a closer look at key aspects of the law, and an overview of the rules and regulations that pet owners have to follow in order to comply.

General obligations: All pet owners, regardless of the type of animal, must treat their pet(s) with respect and ensure their welfare and safety. This includes providing adequate sustenance and living conditions within the home nucleus, preventing mistreatment and cruelty, not leaving them alone in the home for prolonged periods of time, and supervising pets to prevent them from escaping.
Special Obligations: Owners of cats and dogs must ensure their pets are microchipped, vaccinated, and registered with local authorities. Additionally, there are mandatory training courses for dog owners to promote responsible pet ownership.
Prohibitions: The law includes prohibitions on allowing dogs to wander freely without supervision, leaving animals unattended in closed vehicles exposed to heat or other dangerous conditions, and it outlines specific rules for pets' access to public areas like restaurants and beaches.

As of January 2025, the Animal Welfare Law includes updated mandates, making it a legal requirement for all dog owners to have third-party liability pet insurance, regardless of the breed of dog – this update is important to note, because in the past this was only required for certain breeds of dog.

1. Compulsory Pet Insurance: The new mandate means that every dog owner must have a minimum insurance policy of third-party liability cover for any dog. This means that if your dog causes damage or injury to a third party, the insurance will cover the costs of any medical treatment, damage to property or personal compensation that is awarded to the victim in relation to the incident.
2. Microchipping and Vaccinations: All dogs (and cats too) must be microchipped and vaccinated against common diseases like rabies. This is also an essential aspect for obtaining pet insurance and for accessing veterinary services. Therefore, regardless of whether you get a dog as a puppy from a respected breeder, or you take in a stray dog from the streets, it is your obligation to ensure that they are seen immediately by a vet to be given a microchip and the required vaccinations, and to have these procedures recorded officially.
3. Registration: Linked to the above, is the obligation that larger pets, such as cats and dogs, also need to be registered with the local authorities, which is also a prerequisite for obtaining insurance.

As you will see above, obtaining third party liability cover is a mandatory requirement for dog owners, and you can take out this type of cover with Caser Expat Pet insurance from only 3.90€ a month, to have up to 350,000€ of cover for liability, legal defence and damages, should your dog cause any harm to another person or property, or be involved in an accident where it is harmed and you need legal help to claim for damages from the other side.

In fact, all of the levels of Pet Insurance policies provided by Caser include Civil liability cover. The MIMAscota with civil liability pet insurance policy is an indispensable basic for dogs and cats of all breeds and ages. It is valid for the Animal Welfare Act so you will ensure that you avoid penalties, you are covered with legal defence and also includes veterinary telemedicine which means you have a vet on your mobile, for questions and emergencies, 24/7.

In addition to this basic policy, which is the legal requirement, there are 2 more tiers of pet health insurance available with Caser, so you can also upgrade your cover to include MIMAscota Pet Health insurance or MIMAscota Premium pet health Insurance, which not only includes the civil liability cover detailed above, but also includes protection for veterinary fees for illnesses, accidents, surgeries, and routine check-ups with Caservet clinics.

Having a pet health insurance plan also means that the main compulsory vaccinations included, ensuring you continue to stay within the law and follow the rules throughout the entire lifespan of your pet. For more details you can see my recent article Pet Insurance for Vaccinations.

So, as you can see, having a pet is not just a case of cuddles on the sofa and fun walks in the park, you need to be dedicated and responsible for your furry friend, and look after them with both TLC – tender loving care - and the AWL - Animal Welfare Law - in mind.

The full outline of the obligations for pet ownership are available on the Animal welfare law website where you can find pet ownership guides for dogs and for cats in English and useful links to FAQ´s. It is vital to check these details if you own a dog or a cat and ensure you keep up to date, because failure to comply could lead to a fine of 500€-10,000€ for minor offences, 10,000€ to 50,000€ for serious offences, and those who commit repeated or very serious offences could be fined up to 200,000€.

You may think that a lot of these stipulations are common sense, and to most people they are, but I’m sure you’ll also agree that it’s good to have an established framework which formalises the expected behaviour for all pet owners. At the end of the day, these regulations are designed to foster greater responsibility among pet owners and ensure better protection for both animals and the general public.

I, for one, am all for it. Not only does pet ownership help to improve physical, mental, and social well-being in various ways, such as lowering blood pressure, stress, and loneliness, and increasing exercise, sleep, and nutrition, but owning a pet is one of the most rewarding experiences in life. It provides hours of amusement, unconditional love and companionship, because as the old saying goes, they are without doubt, man (and woman’s) best friend!

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