We consider dogs and cats as part of your family and understand why you may need to cancel an upcoming planned vacation should something unexpected happen to your four-legged friend. Select IMG travel protection plans offer trip cancellation benefits if your dog, cat, or service animal suffers a sickness, injury, or death. 

So, what should you do if your pet has an emergency, and you can’t go on your trip as planned? 

Does travel insurance cover pet illness (and other emergencies)? 

Hopefully, you purchased travel insurance in advance of your trip to help protect your financial investment. Review your plan documents to see if a pet-related emergency, like a sudden illness or accidental injury, is considered a “covered reason” for trip cancellation. 

If you purchased an iTravelInsured Travel SE or Travel LX plan from IMG, these plans can provide trip cancellation benefits if your dog or cat suffers an unexpected sickness or injury before you depart on your trip. 

Visit the veterinarian. 

Before you cancel your trip, take your pet to a veterinarian for an exam and treatment. Be sure to get a receipt and copies of medical records after your visit. Ask your vet for a medical statement detailing your pet’s medical condition, as well as any direction as to why you may need to stay home with your pet (e.g., surgery is needed, treatment is required, other medical necessity, etc.). You’ll need these later to file your claim.  

Cancel your trip. 

After you’ve visited the veterinarian and determined you can no longer take your vacation as planned, you can cancel your travel plans. Be sure to save cancellation notices from your travel suppliers, including any refunds, vouchers, or credits you have or may be receiving. 

Gather information needed to file your claim. 

You should retrieve all items related to your claim by taking photos or screenshots, downloading emails, and saving any documents/reports needed. Save files as one of these accepted formats: .doc, .docx, .gif, .jpeg, .pdf, .png, .tif, .txt, .xls, or .xlsx. Total file size for each document cannot exceed 50MB. 

Before filing your claim, gather the following documents: 

• Proof of payment for all insured travel expenses (receipts, invoices, etc.) 

• Trip itinerary or confirmation showing details of your trip (travel supplier, trip dates, destination, etc.) 

• Booking confirmations for flights, accommodations, tours, activities, etc. 

• Proof of pet ownership. This can be the receipt from your veterinary visit. 

• Medical statement from your veterinary visit with details of your pet’s medical condition leading to trip cancellation 

• Proof of cancellation. This should be the travel supplier’s response to your cancellation request (typically an email notice that your booking has been cancelled). 

• Any refunds or credits you have or may be receiving from the travel supplier 

• Any cancellation penalty information published by the travel supplier 

• Any additional documents related to your claim. The more information the better! 

File your travel insurance claim via MyIMG. 

After you’ve cancelled your travel arrangements, you need to file a claim within 20 days. You can conveniently file your claim online via the MyIMG member portal—all while snuggling your pet as they rest and recover. 

1. Log in to MyIMG or create an account if you haven’t already. 
2. Once logged in, go to Claims > Submit a Claim.
3. Select the applicable policy, and follow the step-by-step prompts to submit your claim. 

For more detailed instructions, visit our Claims Center. 

You’ll receive notifications from IMG regarding the status of your claim once filed, so you can focus on spending time with your beloved pet to help them on the road to recovery.