Companion Club renewals

Your questions answered

How do I renew?

If we have a valid email address for you, you will be receiving reminder emails with a link to renew online. Once you pay through your renewal link, you’ll get an email which can be used immediately as proof of insurance.

If we don't have a valid email address for you, you'll automatically receive a renewal reminder by post before your Companion Club subscription runs out, which will outline the ways you can renew. Once you have sent in your postal renewal form, we will send you a proof of liability insurance in the post.

Please do not call us to renew or check if we have received your postal renewal. If you do call us, we will not be processing renewals more than 30 days before your subscription expires. We have limited resources and want to be able to help you as effectively as we can.

You will only receive a renewal reminder if you need to pay again for your Companion Club subscription this year. Therefore, please be aware if you previously paid by direct debit you will not receive a reminder and your subscription donation will be taken automatically. See the question below for how to get a new proof of insurance if you paid by direct debit.  

Is this process the same for exempted dogs?

The process for renewing your Companion Club subscription is exactly the same if you have an exempted dog. You'll automatically receive a renewal reminder by post before your Companion Club subscription runs out, which will outline the ways you can renew.

It's easiest and quickest for you to renew your Companion Club subscription by completing the form attached to your renewal reminder letter. Please do not call us to renew or check if we have received your postal renewal.  We have limited resources and want to be able to help you as effectively as we can.

You'll then receive a confirmation letter confirming your renewal once we've processed the payment. You must keep this confirmation letter as this is used as your proof of another year of third party public liability insurance cover. 

How do I get a new proof of insurance?

If you have renewed via the link on your renewal reminder email, you'll automatically receive a confirmation email confirming your renewal once we've processed the payment. You must keep that confirmation email as this is used as your proof of another year of third party public liability insurance cover.

If you are renewing through the form you receive in the post, you'll automatically receive a confirmation letter confirming your renewal once we've processed the payment. You must keep this confirmation letter as this is used as your proof of another year of third party public liability insurance cover.

As our third party public liability insurance extends to cover you as a private individual and any dogs that are your pets, we do not need the details of your dog for them to be covered. Your renewal confirmation email or letter confirms that you are covered through our third party public liability insurance, and your policy number and policy start date. This is all that you are required to prove as an owner of an exempted dog.

How do I get a certificate of insurance?

We have previously sent certificates of insurance to owners of exempted dogs, however, we have confirmed with DEFRA that this is no longer required. They have also confirmed that the police are aware of this so they should not ask you for a certificate of insurance. They may however ask you for proof of insurance for which you can refer to your renewal confirmation letter which is sent out once you've renewed your Companion Club subscription. If the police do ask you for a certificate of insurance, please ask them to contact DEFRA for confirmation that this is not required.

As our third party public liability insurance extends to cover you as a private individual and any dogs that are your pets, we do not need the details of your dog for them to be covered. Your confirmation letter confirms that you are covered through our third party public liability insurance, and your policy number and policy start date. This is all that you are required to prove as an owner of an exempted dog.

I renewed via post - can I get a confirmation email?

We're not able to provide confirmation emails for postal renewals at this time. We're working hard to update our renewals process so that Companions are able to renew online. We're hopeful that this will be available soon, and certainly by the time you renew next year.

How long will it take to renew?

Using our online renewal process, you will be able to renew immediately when you click through to pay via your renewal link.

Our team is experiencing very high demand at the moment. If you are renewing via post, we expect it to take 3-4 weeks for your postal renewal form to be processed and for you to receive your renewal confirmation letter. Therefore, please do not delay sending in your renewal form.

I pay by direct debit, how do I get a renewed proof of insurance?

If you have paid for your Companion Club subscription and require proof of insurance for exemption purposes, please email companions@dogstrust.org.uk.  Please note we cannot issue any proof until your payment is received, so please do not send this request until your payment is clear.

Why do you need this information about my dog? 

We are now collecting information about how many dogs you own and if any have an exemption certificate to help with our standard review of the benefits that we offer through Companion Club. This review will help us continue to offer the best benefits for you and your dog(s).

What are you going to do with this information?

This information is for our internal review of the benefits we offer through Companion Club, and as such it will only be used to tailor your experience. We won't share this information anywhere.

Do I need to give you my birth date?

We need to know your month and year of birth to verify your Companion Club subscription type.

Do I need to give you my dog's name/ age? 

As our third party public liability insurance extends to cover you as a private individual and any dogs that are your pets, we do not need the name or age of your dog for them to be covered. We just need to know how many dogs you have, and how many (if any) have exemption certificates.

What happens if I don’t give you this information? 

You will not be able to renew online without providing this information. We will require this information from all renewals by the next time you renew and if you don't provide this information by then, your Companion Club subscription may no longer be valid.

What if I haven’t received a renewal reminder? 

Your renewal reminder will be automatically generated approximately 4 weeks before your renewal date. If you are less than two weeks from your renewal date and you have not yet received a renewal reminder, you can renew through this link. 

Please make sure to use the same name and address as your previous subscription so that we can match your renewal to your record.