Man feared lifelong debt over pet insurance claim

Norman West said his dog Ruby was "all I've got"

A man said he feared he would be "in debt for the rest of my life" after an insurance company refused to pay out following an injury to his dog.

Norman West, 92, from Plympton, said six-year-old Westiepoo, Ruby, damaged the cruciate ligament in her left leg and needed a £4,200 operation.

Mr West had a new pet insurance policy with Petplan but the firm said because Ruby had previously damaged her right leg under a different plan, she was not covered.

Allianz Insurance, which owns Petplan, said it was "confident that we correctly communicated the exclusion to the customer and correctly assessed the claim". However, it has made a goodwill payment to Mr West to cover costs.

Mr West said he had been waking up at night thinking about the bill

Mr West said both he and his daughter thought they had insured three out of Ruby's four legs.

He said he was truthful about the previous claim on the right leg but did not realise that exclusion term for "cruciate ligament" applied to both hind legs, believing it referred only to the leg claimed for previously.

Petplan told him the term related to both back legs, so the more recent injury was not covered.

Mr West, who receives a state pension, said he put the bill on a credit card and feared he would "be in debt for the rest of my life", causing him "sleepless nights".

Ruby needed surgery for a cruciate ligament injury

Mr West said: "Ruby is everything to me. I lost my wife three years ago and she's now all I've got - I love her very much."

Allianz Insurance said in a statement after reviewing the conversation that took place when the policy was taken out, it confirmed that Petplan had advised Mr West's daughter, who was his "nominated person" that an exclusion would apply to both hind limbs for cruciate ligament damage.

It added that it "understands the upset caused as a result of Ruby's injury, the costs involved, and the claim then being rejected".

It said a goodwill payment was made to Mr West to cover the cost of the surgery and the concerns he had about his outstanding vet bill.