Under Section 833 of the German Civil Code (BGB), dog owners are liable for all damages their dog causes to third parties—even if the owner is not personally at fault (strict liability).

In six German federal states, dog owners are legally required to take out dog owner liability insurance:

• Berlin

• Hamburg

• Lower Saxony

• Saxony-Anhalt

• Schleswig-Holstein

• Thuringia

In the following federal states, liability insurance is mandatory only for certain dog breeds:

• Baden-Württemberg

• Bavaria

• Brandenburg

• Bremen

• Hesse

• North Rhine-Westphalia

• Rhineland-Palatinate

• Saarland

• Saxony

At present, there is no mandatory dog liability insurance in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Even dogs can have disagreements. If your PHÖNIX-insured dog injures another dog, our pet liability insurance provides coverage. Normally, liability is shared between both owners, but for claims up to €500, we handle the costs without considering the other owner’s partial liability.

Yes!

For certain breeds, a few conditions must be met for the dog to be insurable. The following acceptance guidelines apply for these breeds: minimum age of the dog (30 months), proof of a temperament test, and regular attendance at a dog training school. A premium surcharge of 100% applies.

Breeds affected:

• Alano

• American Bulldog and American Bully

• American Pitbull Terrier

• American Staffordshire Terrier

• Bullmastiff

• Bull Terrier (all types)

• Cane Corso

• Doberman

• Dogo Argentino

• Dogue de Bordeaux

• Fila Brasileiro

• Mastiff

• Mastín Español

• Mastino Napoletano

• Pitbull Terrier

• Rottweiler

• Staffordshire Bull Terrier

• Tosa Inu

Crossbreeds or mixes of these breeds are also subject to the requirements described above.

Coverage for personal injury, property damage, and financial loss is up to €50 million with the THV Premium plan and €30 million with the THV Exklusiv plan.

PHÖNIX offers your clients top-tier protection against serious risks associated with private animal ownership. Together with INTER Versicherung (Mannheim), we developed an ‘all-inclusive’ coverage plan that includes every benefit—because you never know what damage an insured animal might cause. This provides optimal, personalized protection for your clients.

With Premium Plan Difference Coverage, if your client moves from another insurer while their current policy is still in effect, they immediately benefit from our superior coverage at no extra cost until the old policy ends. Premium payments start only after the previous policy expires.

Performance Protection in the Premium Plan means that if another German insurer offers better coverage in a claim, we will pay out according to their conditions. This ensures your clients always get the best possible protection.

The contract is valid for one year and may be cancelled by you or your client at any time, effective from the next main renewal date. If the insured animal dies, the contract can be terminated immediately, and any remaining premium will be refunded to your client.

Zuverlässige Hilfe bei existenzbedrohenden Schäden ist für unsere Versichertengemeinschaft das Wichtigste. Bei einem Schaden von 150 Euro in die eigene Tasche greifen zu müssen, ist zwar nicht angenehm, stellt aber niemanden vor ein ernsthaftes finanzielles Risiko. Dafür profitieren Ihre Kunden bei Vereinbarung einer Selbstbeteiligung von niedrigeren Beiträgen. Unser Highlight für Ihre Kunden: nach fünf schadenfreien Jahren entfällt die Selbstbeteiligung dauerhaft.