Animal Travel is aware that in the United Kingdom you can buy pet insurance for travel, but no company in South Africa offers this service. No one can insure against a scam with an old,  sick or even poisoned animal which will lead to an insurance payout.

The only international airline which does offer insurance is KLM. But it is a very specific offering, where the insurance claim is paid only if an animal dies in transit under their care and it can be proven that the death was due to the negligence of KLM itself.  If the claim is paid,  only the KLM air freight costs – not transport to and from the airport, kenneling or the animal itself – will be reimbursed.

Please remember that pet transport scammers often ask you to pay insurance if they are sending you a rare or valuable pet from a newspaper or internet advert, and this is a dead giveaway that you’re not doing business with a real animal transport service.