21/04/2026
My dogs’ insurance company stalked my instagram and cancelled my dogs’ insurance policy.
I am going to start by saying I have been called naive by many people, and perhaps that description is correct. I have, however, been participating in dog sports of various forms since 2008 with a range of dogs, all of whom have been insured with various companies, and I have made many claims, including plenty that have potentially resulted from said sports.
I insured my dogs with Napo just under 2 years ago. I saw them supporting an active agility competitor and their cover looked excellent. The premiums were a good price, but not so low that they seemed too good to be true. I liked the fact that the policies included a lot of cover for complimentary therapies and they appeared to be a company that was very dog-focused.
I have tried to make 3 claims with them. The first was for a suspected injury with Evo, the second was for Hoax’s newly diagnosed hip dysplasia, and the third, most recent claim was for some digestive issues Evo was having.
Previously, they have been quick to pay out and not quibbled a thing. I recommend them to other people and my dealings had always been quick and stress free.
Until this third time.
After submitting the claim, they got in touch to query which sports the 3 dogs I have insured with them participate in. They mentioned scentwork, agility, bitesports, game-based sports and herding. They wanted to know specifics as well as any sports those dogs have done prior to being covered by them.
I went back and explained for each dog what they did and why. I explained that as they are all working-line active dogs, it was vital that their needs were met and so I chose sports that allowed them to have their genetics fulfilled, thus making them good family pets.
My dogs are pets, and these days I purely do stuff with them to keep them busy. I don’t do it for any monetary gain or with any serious purposes in mind. My life would be hell if they lived as couch potato dogs, and so would theirs.
They quickly honed in on the sheepdog training and queried this further. Bitework was of course an issue too, however the focus lay with sheepdog training in their enquires, perhaps because the claim related to Evo, who works sheep.
For context, I have done sheepdog training on and off for nearly 10 years now. All of my herding dogs have done it to one degree or another and while I joke that one day they will actually be useful with my flock of sheep, the reality is that we attend fortnightly sessions to give them a good herding outlet - simple as that.
I have a flock of sheep at home, however if every I have sheep jobs to do, I have to rely on a bucket of feed and human herders to get the sheep where they need to be. As it stands, I earn nothing from the sheep and they’re purely a passion project. We do have a ‘farm’, however it’s a hobby farm really and something I do for my own enjoyment.
Fast forward a few emails and I finally recieved a phone call to inform me that my policy was to be cancelled and they will treat it as though it never existed. They were going to continue to classify my dogs as working dogs. They took direct quotes from my Instagram account and used them as the evidence that my dogs are not pet dogs.
All I have ever done for my dogs is try and give them the best life I can. I meet their needs, I take on too much and I ferry them about to their respective hobbies because it makes their life better. I feed them good food, they have an active lifestyle and I choose to document it online because I enjoy it.
And I have been penalised for it.
If my account had been in my partner’s name or I chose not to document it, this issue likely would not have arisen.
They questioned by business, the use of my stables at home and wanted proof of council tax records to prove what I was saying to them.
I have begun working my way through their complaints procedure with a view to taking it to the Financial Ombudsman due to their incredibly ambiguous wording. I know other people who’ve had similar dealings with them for other sports. Some have taken it further and won, others have been left without cover for large and unexpected vet bills.
I am now left with 3 dogs, 2 of which are getting older and therefore more costly, who have a vast list of exclusions, limiting my options for ongoing cover. I am fortunate that I am able to cover the costs of vet fees, however many people cannot, and that’s exactly why people take out insurance for it.
As I said, perhaps I deserve this outcome for being a little naive. But my definition of a working dog (as a dog professional) and theirs is worlds apart and that’s where the confusion lies. It’s enough for them to wiggle out of a claim despite the fact that my dogs are household/domestic pets who have hobbies, and from my conversations with other people, I am not the only one.
It’s not just the likes of sheepdog training and bitesports they come for. Others have had similar issues with them and much more casual sporting activities.
I now potentially, depending on the outcome, will have to declare my cancelled policy going forward, which is ultimately going to affect me beyond just the cover I have for my pets.
