Check recovery support on pet insurance policies

Pet owners are being warned that many insurance policies may have little or no coverage for recovery support in the case of their beloved creatures going missing.

Research from Sainsbury’s Bank has found that as many as 24 per cent of all pet insurance companies offer a reward for the return of a stolen or lost dog and won’t provide financial assistance to owners who wish to place advertisements in an attempt to locate their canines.

Figures also reveal that nearly the same amount of deals (21 per cent) fail to compensate for the loss of cats in the same way.

Sainsbury’s Finance pet insurance manager, Claire Moyles, commented: "Missing pets is a big problem, the scale of which is often underestimated.

"It is a very distressing time for owners, compounded of course if they are never reunited with their cat or dog."

Pet ID tags are now available, with links to microchips and DNA identification.