Pet Transport Insurance: What It Covers

Four kinds of cover at a glance

Carrier liability

A commercial carrier is liable for loss of or damage to the animal from taking it over until delivery (section 425 of the German Commercial Code, HGB). The freight rules of the HGB apply when the transport is part of the operation of a commercial business (section 407(3)). On cross-border road transport the CMR Convention generally applies when the place of taking over and the place of delivery are in two different countries and at least one is a party to the convention (Article 1 CMR). If a private individual drives without a business, these rules do not apply in the same way, and the written agreement and the driver's own insurance matter more.

Compensation is capped at 8.33 special drawing rights (SDR) per kilogram of gross weight (section 431(1) HGB, Article 23(3) CMR). The SDR is a unit of account of the International Monetary Fund. It is converted into euros, so the amount moves with the exchange rate. What counts is weight, not value. For a 10 kg dog the cap works out at 83.3 SDR, for a 600 kg horse at 4,998. The carrier pays at most the animal's value at the place and time it was taken over (section 429 HGB), and for a small but valuable animal the weight cap can sit well below that.

Higher amounts can be agreed. Under the CMR the sender can declare a higher value in the consignment note for a surcharge on the freight (Article 24) or state a special interest in delivery (Article 26). Under the HGB a different liability needs an individually negotiated agreement (section 449(1)), and the carrier may not limit its liability to the disadvantage of a consumer (section 449(3)). The caps do not apply in cases of intent or fault treated as equivalent to intent (Article 29 CMR, section 435 HGB). For delay, compensation is limited to three times the freight under the HGB (section 431(3)) and to the amount of the freight under the CMR (Article 23(5)).

Live animals: when the carrier can be released from liability

The HGB and the CMR both contain a separate ground for releasing the carrier: the special risks of carrying live animals (section 427(1) no. 6 HGB, Article 17(4)(f) CMR). If the carrier shows that the harm could have arisen from such risks, it is presumed that it did (section 427(2) HGB, Article 18(2) CMR). Under the CMR you can prove that the harm did not arise, or not solely, from those risks.

The carrier can only rely on this ground if it took all the measures that were incumbent on it in the circumstances and followed any special instructions (section 427(5) HGB, Article 18(5) CMR). In practice, put special instructions about the animal, such as medication, incompatibilities or feed, in writing in the order. Whether a death or an illness goes back to the risks of the journey is decided case by case.

Owner's liability insurance

A keeper is liable under section 833 of the German Civil Code (BGB) for damage the animal causes to people or property, without any fault being required. According to the German consumer advice centre (as of 22 January 2025) this liability has no upper limit, and ordinary private liability insurance does not cover dogs and horses. That is what dog and horse owner's liability insurance is for. Cats, rabbits and other tame small animals are usually covered by private liability insurance. Insurance is compulsory for dogs only in some German states and not everywhere to the same extent, and for horses in none. The advice centre names a sum insured of at least five million euros.

Anyone who takes over supervision of the animal by contract can be responsible in their own right under section 834 BGB. Whether the owner's liability policy covers damage your animal does during carriage by a company is a matter of the policy terms. Ask the insurer whether damage to the vehicle, to other animals on a shared transport and journeys abroad are included. Among the points the advice centre lists are cover for people looking after the animal and, for dogs, stays abroad.

Transport insurance for the animal

Transport insurance protects the animal itself, not the driver's liability. The information sheet for a short-term horse transport insurance from a German equine insurer (version 03/2026) serves as an example. It covers the registered transport including loading and unloading, and these cases: death or emergency destruction caused by a transport vehicle accident, by an accident or by an illness, if the transport caused it, and loss through theft or robbery. On request, vet costs of up to €1,000 and permanent unfitness as a riding, driving or breeding horse can be added; the latter is paid at 90 per cent of the sum insured.

Not insured, among other things, are death or emergency destruction resulting from defects or illnesses known when the contract was concluded, slaughter or killing for economic reasons, and congenital developmental defects. The sum insured is the maximum payout, and cover applies only to land transport within Europe where the policyholder's main residence is in Germany.

Terms differ by insurer and by version. An older information sheet from the same insurer (version 03/2025) listed commercial transports among the services that are not insured; the current version no longer names that. Whether a journey with a transport company is covered is therefore one of the first questions to put to the insurer. For dogs, cats, small animals and other species the same questions apply: what is insured, up to what sum, what is excluded, and does the policy cover your route?

Pet health and surgery insurance

According to the German consumer advice centre (as of 22 January 2025), pet health insurance reimburses medically necessary costs for vet, surgery and medication. For illnesses a waiting period of three months usually applies, for accidents it does not. Generally only healthy animals are insured, and for pre-existing conditions insurers sometimes ask for a vet's report. A deductible of 20 per cent of the reimbursable costs is common. Whether treatment abroad is reimbursed depends on the territorial scope of the policy.

What to check before you book

1. Ask to see the company's proof of insurance: insurer, sum insured, and whether live animals and your route are included.
2. Keep proof of the animal's value, such as a purchase contract, invoice or valuation, and compare it with the legal cap based on weight.
3. Put special instructions about the animal into the order. The carrier can rely on the live-animal exclusion only if it followed instructions.
4. Ask whether a higher liability can be agreed and what it costs.
5. Read your own policies: owner's liability, pet health and, if you have one, life or transport insurance. Do they apply when someone else has custody, abroad and during the journey?
6. Record the animal's condition at handover with photos and note anything unusual.

If something goes wrong

Report visible damage at the latest on delivery. Damage that is not visible has to be reported within seven days of delivery, in text form under the HGB (section 438) and in writing under the CMR, with Sundays and public holidays not counted (Article 30). Otherwise it is presumed that the animal was delivered undamaged. Claims arising from the carriage lapse after one year (section 439 HGB, Article 32 CMR).

Also report the damage to your own insurer and follow its obligations. According to the information sheet above, you must avert or reduce the loss and give truthful reports during the claim investigation.

Insurance quotes through Move-your-animal

Move-your-animal arranges transports. You conclude the transport contract with the transport company (terms and conditions, section 2), and under section 9 of the terms the transport company alone is liable for carrying out the transport and for harm to the animal, with its insurance. Under section 3, carriers must hold valid animal transport insurance and upload proof before they are approved. That does not replace asking about the cover for your animal in your case.

You cannot take out insurance through the portal. If you want extra cover for your animal, choose the option to receive an insurance offer in the request quiz and, if you like, give the approximate value. We then reply by email with an offer. Insurance is not part of the booking and is not paid through the portal; you can book the transport without it. More is on the transport insurance page.

You report damage in your account during the trip. The form asks for what an insurer needs, and you save the report as a PDF to send to your insurer.

Frequently asked questions