Auto Insurance for Your Dog

By Jennifer Pierce, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Some auto insurance companies are offering a unique type of coverage and it may not cost you a dime.

It's not unusual to take Fido for a ride in the car. And now car insurance companies are offering pet owners some peace of mind by allowing customers to add animals to their policy.

Besides making sure they get daily exercise, Cheryl Steckler, the owner of the Pet Limousine Service, drives her clients' pets to important appointments.

"I pick up animals and take them to the kennel and to the groomer, places like that," Steckler said.

She knows how much the animals mean to their owners and makes sure they are safe inside the van and covered in the event of an accident.

But Steckler had a hard time finding an auto insurance company to cover the pets.

"It's not something everybody offers," Steckler said.

But now several large car insurance companies are offering at no extra charge coverage of $500 to $1,000 for pets injured or killed in car accidents.

"We've had several calls asking about the coverage for pet insurance," Farmers Insurance agent Loretta Bond said.

Farmers Insurance is one of the companies that offer the unique coverage. Bond said unfortunately Farmers does not offer it yet in Oklahoma, but when it is offered she knows it will be a popular request because it will save owners money if their pet needs medical care after a car accident.

"It's no different than a human being, they have bones that break, they need surgery and things like that," Bond said.

Progressive Insurance does offer this free coverage.