UK pet insurance
Animal Friends pet insurance: what it covers
Thinking about Animal Friends pet insurance? Here’s what Animal Friends’s policy really covers, explained in plain English and taken straight from Animal Friends’s own documents. We’ve focused on the parts that decide whether a claim gets paid, such as waiting periods, pre-existing conditions and how much you pay yourself. Nothing here is a recommendation.
Get a Animal Friends quoteBarklopedia doesn’t arrange UK insurance. Check the policy wording with the insurer before you buy.
Animal Friends at a glance
- Most it pays for vet fees
- £1,000, £2,000, £3,000, £4,000 or £5,000 a year (separate booklet for £10,000 and £18,000)
- Excess you pay on each claim
- One vet fee excess per policy year for each condition claimed; amounts are on Your Schedule
- Wait before illness is covered
- 14 days
- What changes as your dog gets older
- A co-payment (a set percentage of each vet fee claim, on top of the excess) is added from the first renewal after a dog turns 8 (cats 10) and can't be removed
Common questions about Animal Friends pet insurance
How long is the Animal Friends waiting period?
14 days
Does Animal Friends cover pre-existing conditions?
Not covered, whether or not it needed treatment, and the booklet describes no way to cover it later.
Does Animal Friends cover behavioural training or a behaviourist?
Only on Lifetime £10,000 and £18,000, if a qualified specialist diagnoses and treats it.
Does Animal Friends pet insurance cover dental?
None on £1,000; accidents only (up to £750) on £2,000 and £3,000; illness and accidents up to £1,000 on £4,000 and £5,000, with a yearly dental exam.
Does Animal Friends cover cruciate ligament surgery?
14-day waiting period for any cruciate problem. If one knee was a problem before cover, the other isn't covered.
How does Animal Friends treat a condition on both sides, like both knees?
A condition on both sides (elbows, hips, cruciate ligaments) counts as one condition. If it was pre-existing on one side, the other side isn't covered either (example: left cruciate pre-existing, right not covered)
Does Animal Friends cost more to claim on as my dog gets older?
A co-payment (a set percentage of each vet fee claim, on top of the excess) is added from the first renewal after a dog turns 8 (cats 10) and can't be removed. The percentage is on Your Schedule, not in the booklet. Younger pets can choose a voluntary co-payment
How old does my puppy need to be for Animal Friends?
4 weeks
Does Animal Friends pet insurance include third party liability?
Up to £2,000,000 a year, UK only. Not at your workplace, and after a claim caused by aggression, no further claims for that aggression.
Does Animal Friends offer a multi-pet discount?
No multi-pet discount. Animal Friends says it doesn't offer deals or discounts so it can keep prices lower for everyone.
Working on reactivity or another behaviour problem? Read how to choose a reactive dog trainer, or find a trainer near you.
How does Animal Friends compare with other UK insurers?
The same five points for every UK insurer we compare, so you can see how Animal Friends stacks up. Click any insurer to read its full page.
| Insurer | Most it pays for vet fees | What changes as your dog gets older | Wait before illness is covered | Behavioural treatment | Dental cover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petplan | Shown on the Certificate of Insurance, not in the booklet | A 20% excess is added at the renewal after the 10th birthday, or the 7th birthday for "select breeds" (named on the Certificate) | 14 days | Covered under Vet Bills for a "behavioural illness" (caused by a mental or emotional disorder), by a vet or a behaviourist with named qualifications (CCAB, APBC, CFBA, ABTC) | Dental injury and illness covered if teeth were checked by a vet in the 12 months before symptoms, and recommended treatment was done within 6 months |
| Admiral | Lifetime: £2,000, £3,000, £4,000, £5,000 or £10,000 a year (Platinum) | No percentage co-payment found. From the renewal after the pet turns 6, the higher £199 excess always applies | 14 days | Only on Lifetime Platinum (£10,000): up to £2,000, and only for behaviour changes caused by a previous injury or illness | Accidental dental damage on all levels, within the vet fee limit |
| Animal Friends | £1,000, £2,000, £3,000, £4,000 or £5,000 a year (separate booklet for £10,000 and £18,000) | A co-payment (a set percentage of each vet fee claim, on top of the excess) is added from the first renewal after a dog turns 8 (cats 10) and can't be removed. The percentage is on Your Schedule, not in the booklet. Younger pets can choose a voluntary co-payment | 14 days | Not covered on Lifetime £1,000 to £5,000 (training, treatment or therapy for behavioural issues) | None on £1,000; dental accidents up to £750 on £2,000 and £3,000; dental illness and accidents up to £1,000 on £4,000 and £5,000, if the pet had a dental exam in the year before and recommended treatment was done within 7 months |
| Direct Line | Essential £4,000 per condition (12 months); Advanced £8,000 per condition, including dental illness up to £1,000 | Not found yet | 14 days | Not covered on Essential or Advanced (treatment, training or therapy for behaviour problems) | Dental illness not covered on Essential; up to £1,000 on Advanced (within the vet fee limit), if your dog has a dental check every year and recommended treatment is done within three months |
| Waggel | Annual limit shown in each customer's policy; within it, up to £1,000 each for dental, complementary and behavioural treatment | Optional co-payment chosen by the owner, which can be dropped in the first 7 days or before renewal. No age-based co-payment found | 14 days | Up to £1,000 if diagnosed by a vet and treated by a qualified practitioner; not if caused by not neutering or training | Up to £1,000, if not pre-existing and the pet had a dental exam in the last 12 months |
| More Than | £1,000, £2,000, £4,000 or £6,000 per condition (Premier Lifetime) | Pets under 9: choice of 0%, 10% or 20% co-insurance. Pets over 9: 20% | 14 days | Behavioural problems are excluded except on Premier, up to the limit on your schedule (up to £1,000 on the top level); covered for behaviour changes caused by a medical, mental or emotional condition | Teeth and gums damaged in an accident on every level; dental illness on Premier, up to £1,000 or £2,000 within the vet fee limit |
| ManyPets | Not found yet | Co-payment is shown on the Membership Certificate; the handbook doesn't tie it to an age | Not found yet | Behaviour treatment covered for a change in behaviour; not if general training or neutering could have prevented it | Dental illness and accident cover, limits by plan (for example £1,000 on Standard Care) |
| Agria | £3,000 (Lifetime Lite), £6,500 (Lifetime), £12,500 (Lifetime Plus) or £20,000 (Lifetime Premium) | Not found yet | 10 days, when you first buy the policy (not at renewal) | Up to £750 for behavioural disorders | Dental and gum illness only if your dog had a dental check in the 15 months before it was noted, and any treatment the vet recommended was done within 12 months |
| Sainsbury's | Not found yet | Not found yet | 14 days | Not found yet | Dental illness not covered unless your dog has a history of annual check-ups and any advice was followed within 6 months |
| John Lewis | Not found yet | Not found yet | 14 days | Not found yet | Dental illness not covered unless your dog has a history of annual check-ups and any advice was followed within 6 months, and the treatment is to relieve suffering due to illness |
| Tesco | Not found yet | Not found yet | 14 days | Not found yet | Dental illness not covered unless your dog has a history of annual check-ups and any advice was followed within 6 months |
| PDSA | Not found yet | Not found yet | 14 days | Not found yet | Dental illness not covered unless your dog has a history of annual check-ups and any advice was followed within 6 months |
| Marks and Spencer | Not found yet | Not found yet | 14 days | Not found yet | Dental illness not covered unless your dog has a history of annual check-ups and any advice was followed within 6 months, and the treatment is to relieve suffering due to illness |
| RSPCA | Not found yet | Not found yet | 14 days | Not found yet | Dental illness not covered unless your dog has a history of annual check-ups and any advice was followed within 6 months |
| Argos | Not found yet | Not found yet | 14 days | Not found yet | Dental illness not covered unless your dog has a history of annual check-ups and any advice was followed within 6 months |
| Post Office | Not found yet | Not found yet | 14 days | Not found yet | Dental illness not covered unless your dog has a history of annual check-ups and any advice was followed within 6 months |
| Churchill | £3,000 per condition (12 months), including up to £1,000 for complementary treatment, £75 a visit towards consultation fees, £200 for out-of-hours visits and £40 a session for hydrotherapy and physiotherapy | From age 7 you pay 20% of every claim, after the excess | 10 days | Not covered: treatment for behavioural problems, training or therapy, and medication or pheromones to manage behaviour | Tooth or gum disease isn't covered, nor scale and polish, root canals or crowns |
| LV= | £1,000 to £12,000 a year (Lifetime plans) | A 20% excess is added at the renewal after your dog's 8th birthday, on top of the fixed excess, except on the £1,000 plan | 14 days | Covered for a change in normal behaviour caused by a mental or emotional disorder, treated by a vet or a behaviourist your vet refers you to (CCAB, APBC, CFBA or ABTC members); not if training or neutering could have prevented it | Dental injury and illness covered if a vet or vet nurse checked your dog's teeth in the 12 months before symptoms, and recommended treatment was done within 6 months |
Everything we checked in Animal Friends’s policy
Each point shows where we found it in Animal Friends’s own document, so you can check it yourself. Where an insurance term needs explaining, we’ve added a short note.
- Type of policy
- Lifetime: a yearly vet fee limit that refreshes each policy yearWhere: Cover table; booklet title
- Most it pays for vet feesThe most the policy pays for vet treatment, per year or per condition depending on the policy.
- £1,000, £2,000, £3,000, £4,000 or £5,000 a year (separate booklet for £10,000 and £18,000)Where: Cover table, Section A
- Excess you pay on each claimThe fixed amount you pay towards each claim; the insurer pays the rest, up to your limit.
- One vet fee excess per policy year for each condition claimed; amounts are on Your ScheduleWhere: Cover table; "Your excess"
- What changes as your dog gets olderA co-payment is a percentage of every claim you pay yourself, on top of your excess. Many policies add one when your dog reaches a certain age.
- A co-payment (a set percentage of each vet fee claim, on top of the excess) is added from the first renewal after a dog turns 8 (cats 10) and can't be removed. The percentage is on Your Schedule, not in the booklet. Younger pets can choose a voluntary co-paymentWhere: "Co-payments for older pets"; "Co-payments for younger pets"
- Wait before illness is coveredThe time after you buy a policy before you can claim for an illness.
- 14 daysWhere: "Waiting period"
- Wait before injuries are covered
- 2 daysWhere: "Waiting period"
- Wait before knee problems are coveredSome insurers make you wait longer before knee problems, like a torn cruciate ligament, are covered.
- 14 days for any cruciate ligament condition or injuryWhere: "Waiting period"; "What's not covered"
- Problems on both sides of the body, like both kneesIf your dog has problems on both sides (both knees, both hips), many policies treat them as one condition.
- A condition on both sides (elbows, hips, cruciate ligaments) counts as one condition. If it was pre-existing on one side, the other side isn't covered either (example: left cruciate pre-existing, right not covered)Where: "Conditions that affect both sides of the body"
- Cover for pre-existing conditionsAnything your dog had, or showed signs of, before the policy started.
- Not covered: anything first noticed before the start date or in the waiting period, whether or not it was treated. No route to cover cured conditions is describedWhere: "Pre-existing conditions"
- Cover for behavioural treatment
- Not covered on Lifetime £1,000 to £5,000 (training, treatment or therapy for behavioural issues). Covered on Lifetime £10,000 and £18,000 if diagnosed and treated by a qualified specialist, including vet-recommended medicationWhere: "What's not covered"; Lifetime £10k/£18k booklet, "Behavioural treatment"
- Dental cover
- None on £1,000; dental accidents up to £750 on £2,000 and £3,000; dental illness and accidents up to £1,000 on £4,000 and £5,000, if the pet had a dental exam in the year before and recommended treatment was done within 7 monthsWhere: Cover table; "Dental and gum treatment"
- Complementary therapies, like hydrotherapy
- Complementary treatment (e.g. physiotherapy, osteopathy, laser therapy) if a vet recommends it: £500 to £1,000 depending on the levelWhere: Cover table; "Complementary treatment"
- If your dog dies from an illness
- £600 (£1,200 on Lifetime £5,000) if the pet dies or is put to sleep, as a percentage of the price paid that falls with ageWhere: Cover table, Section B
- Oldest age your dog can join
- Not in the documents we read.Where: Not stated in the Lifetime £5,000 IPID
- Third party liability (if your dog injures someone)Pays compensation and legal costs if your dog injures someone or damages their property.
- Up to £2,000,000 a year, UK only. Not at your workplace, not for claims by family or people you live with, and after a claim caused by aggression, no future claims for that aggressionWhere: Section E: If your pet injures someone or damages their property; IPID
- Youngest age your dog can join
- 4 weeksWhere: Pets that aren't covered
- Discount for insuring more than one pet
- None: Animal Friends does not offer deals or discountsWhere: FAQ 'Is there a multi-pet cover?' (Animal Friends’s website, read 5 October 2026)
Source: Lifetime Policy Booklet, Lifetime £1,000 to £5,000, AFI_PB-LT1K5K_PIC_012026 (January 2026). Read on 3 October 2026. Underwriter: Pinnacle Insurance Limited (Animal Friends Insurance Services Limited arranges the policy). Policies change, so always read the current policy wording before you buy or claim. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.