Animal Friends Insurance
Animal Friends Insurance is a UK specialist pet insurance intermediary founded in 1998, providing direct-to-consumer dog, cat, and horse insurance policies to over 1.1 million UK pet owners, with a social mission donating profits to animal welfare charities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersAmesbury, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Animal Friends Insurance does
Animal Friends Insurance is a UK specialist pet insurance intermediary founded in 1998 and headquartered in Amesbury, Wiltshire. The company provides comprehensive insurance coverage for dogs, cats, and horses, structured across multiple policy tiers including Accident Only, Time Limited, Max Benefit, and Lifetime cover, with vet fee coverage ranging from £1,000 to £18,000 and six excess options. As of April 2026, the company insures more than 1.1 million pets across the United Kingdom and employs over 400 people.
The business operates on a subscription-based revenue model with monthly or annual premiums determined by pet age, breed, gender, claims history, location, and regional veterinary costs. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer through a digital platform comprising online quote generation (quote.animalfriends.co.uk), self-service account management (hub.animalfriends.co.uk), and the Vets Pawtal veterinary portal that enables direct vet payment for claims. Ancillary services bundled with insurance policies include Joii 24/7 vet video consultations, an online pet pharmacy, and educational resources such as the Pet Affordability Hub. The company holds FCA authorization (Register No. 307858) and ISO 27001 certification, and has been recognized with multiple industry awards including Defaqto Pet Insurer of the Year 2024/25.
In April 2026, Pinnacle Pet Group, a pan-European pet insurance provider controlled by JAB Holding Company, announced the acquisition of Animal Friends Investments Ltd from Correlation One Holdings Ltd, alongside a long-term partnership with Correlation to expand across the UK and into new European markets. Animal Friends differentiates itself through a social mission donating millions of pounds in profits to animal welfare charities, supported by 38,000+ 5-star Trustpilot reviews and over 25 years of operating history.
Animal Friends Insurance firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Animal Friends Insurance
- Legal name
- Animal Friends Insurance Services Limited
- Website
- https://AnimalFriends.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Animal Friends Insurance is a UK specialist pet insurance intermediary founded in 1998, providing direct-to-consumer dog, cat, and horse insurance policies to over 1.1 million UK pet owners, with a social mission donating profits to animal welfare charities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Animal Friends Insurance industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Pet Insurance
- NAICS
- Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210)
- SIC
- Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pet Insurance (FSAJAKAG)
Keywords
Where Animal Friends Insurance is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amesbury
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Animal Friends Insurance business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Pet Insurance Premiums: Animal Friends generates revenue through subscription-based pet insurance premiums paid monthly via Direct Debit or annually. Premiums are determined by pet age, breed, gender, claims history, location, and veterinary care costs in the area.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Multiple policy tiers with varying vet fee cover from £1,000 to £18,000 |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual payment option available |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Animal Friends Insurance product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Animal Friends Insurance is a UK specialist pet insurance intermediary that sells insurance policies for dogs, cats, and horses directly to consumers. The product portfolio includes Accident Only, Time Limited, Max Benefit, and Lifetime policy tiers, complemented by value-added services such as 24/7 Joii vet video consultations, online pet pharmacy, and a veterinary portal (Vets Pawtal) for direct claims processing.
Product overview
Animal Friends Insurance is a specialist pet insurance intermediary offering a comprehensive portfolio of insurance products for dogs, cats, and horses in the UK. The product portfolio consists of core insurance products organized by pet type (Dog Insurance, Cat Insurance, Horse Insurance), with multiple policy tiers under each category including Accident Only, Time Limited, Max Benefit, and Lifetime policies. Specialty products include Puppy Insurance, Kitten Insurance, and Older Pet Insurance for senior animals. The company supplements its insurance offerings with pet health and wellness services including Joii Vet Video Consultations (24/7 online vet access), an Online Pet Pharmacy, Vets Pawtal (vet portal), and educational resources such as the Pet Affordability Hub. The company was founded in 1998 and holds ISO certification, with policies regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Animal Friends has been recognized with multiple industry awards including Defaqto Pet Insurer of the Year 2024/25, Moneyfacts 5-star rating 2026, and The Personal Finance Awards 2024/25 Best Pet Insurance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Dog Insurance
Quantifiable outcome
- 38,000+ 5-star reviews on Trustpilot
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Animal Friends Insurance
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Animal Friends Insurance technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Animal Friends Insurance partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Pinnacle Pet Group (JAB Holding Company)corePinnacle Pet Group, a pan-European pet insurance provider controlled by JAB Holding Company, announced acquisition of Animal Friends Investments Ltd from Correlation One Holdings Ltd. As part of the transaction, PPG and Correlation will also form a long-term partnership to drive growth and innovation in pet insurance, with plans to expand across the U.K. and into new European markets. Animal Friends will become part of JAB Holding's growing pet insurance portfolio.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Animal Friends Insurance competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Trupanion: North American pet medical insurer with a similar veterinary-direct (vet pays at checkout) payment model; relevant international comparable on product architecture and direct-vet-pay differentiation.
- Embrace Pet Insurance: US-based pet insurance provider offering accident/illness and wellness plans with direct vet billing and 24/7 support; comparable specialist multi-tier policy structure to Animal Friends but in a different geography.
- PDSA Pet Insurance: Charity-affiliated UK pet insurance scheme operated in conjunction with a veterinary charity; shares Animal Friends' purpose-led positioning and direct veterinary-practice reach, but at smaller scale.
Direct peers
- Petplan UK: UK's largest pet insurance provider, offering dog, cat, and rabbit insurance with similar policy tiers (Lifetime, Time Limited, etc.). Most direct head-to-head competitor to Animal Friends in the UK market.
- ManyPets: Direct-to-consumer UK and European pet insurance provider with a digital-first model, multiple policy tiers, and fast growing market share - same DTC, online-quote GTM as Animal Friends.
- Agria Pet Insurance: Swedish-origin specialist pet insurer operating in the UK with lifetime and time-limited cover; shares Animal Friends' specialist positioning and now sits within the same JAB Holding pet insurance portfolio.
Broad incumbents
- Direct Line Pet Insurance: Generalist UK insurer offering pet insurance as a product line alongside home, motor and life cover; competes with Animal Friends on aggregator channels and serves a similar UK pet-owner segment.
- John Lewis Money Pet Insurance: Trusted UK retailer brand offering pet insurance as part of its financial services lineup; targets the same premium-conscious UK pet owner segment that Animal Friends addresses via Trustpilot reputation.
- Tesco Pet Insurance: Supermarket-branded UK pet insurance distributed via a third-party insurer; comparable middle-market pet policy tiers (lifetime, time-limited, accident-only) and competes for similar UK pet-owner customers.
- Sainsbury's Bank Pet Insurance: UK supermarket-bank distribution partnership for pet insurance; competes for mass-market UK pet owners through a similar multi-tier (Lifetime, Time Limited, Accident Only) product structure.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Animal Friends Insurance social profiles
Digital presenceAnimal Friends Insurance compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Animal Friends Insurance financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Animal Friends Insurance leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Animal Friends Insurance funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Animal Friends Insurance M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Animal Friends Insurance
What does Animal Friends Insurance do?
Animal Friends Insurance is a UK specialist pet insurance intermediary that sells insurance policies for dogs, cats, and horses directly to consumers. The product portfolio includes Accident Only, Time Limited, Max Benefit, and Lifetime policy tiers, complemented by value-added services such as 24/7 Joii vet video consultations, online pet pharmacy, and a veterinary portal (Vets Pawtal) for direct claims processing.
Is Animal Friends Insurance a public or private company?
Animal Friends Insurance is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Animal Friends Insurance founded?
Animal Friends Insurance was founded in 1998. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Animal Friends Insurance based?
Animal Friends Insurance is headquartered in Amesbury, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Animal Friends Insurance make money?
One revenue line is on record: pet Insurance Premiums.
Who are Animal Friends Insurance's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Trupanion, Embrace Pet Insurance and PDSA Pet Insurance. Direct peers are Petplan UK, ManyPets and Agria Pet Insurance. Broad incumbents are Direct Line Pet Insurance, John Lewis Money Pet Insurance, Tesco Pet Insurance and Sainsbury's Bank Pet Insurance.
Does Animal Friends Insurance have an API?
No public API is recorded for Animal Friends Insurance.
What industry is Animal Friends Insurance in?
Animal Friends Insurance's product category is Pet Insurance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAJAKAG, Pet Insurance. Its NAICS code is 5242 and its SIC code is 6411.