AKC Pet Insurance Review 2025

AKC earned 4.7 stars out of 5 for overall performance. Founded in 1884, the American Kennel Club has historically been the home for purebred dog owners. But AKC-branded pet insurance is available to mutts and cats, too. The plans are underwritten and administered by third parties.

AKC’s coverage of incurable pre-existing conditions is unique in the industry. In some states, AKC will pay to treat chronic pre-existing conditions after a 12-month waiting period. Most pet insurers won’t cover incurable pre-existing conditions at all.

But AKC isn’t right for all pets. Dogs and cats over age 9 are eligible for accident coverage only. Coverage for sick exam fees and for hereditary and congenital conditions costs extra. Chronic dental conditions aren’t covered.

AKC offers a standard plan, two wellness packages and various optional add-ons.

Accident and illness coverage

AKC CompanionCare is the company's base accident and illness plan for cats and dogs. It covers the essentials but isn’t as comprehensive as some other companies’ base plans.

CompanionCare covers:

• Treatments, surgeries and medications for ailments ranging from allergies to cancer.

• X-rays, MRI scans and other diagnostic tests.

• Pre-existing conditions after a 12-month waiting period (in most states).

• Prescription medications.

• Hospitalization.

• Lab tests.

• Emergency treatment.

• Alternative treatments and behavioral issues in some states.

• Euthanasia.

To beef up the plan, you can add extra services. These vary by state but may include:

• Hereditary and congenital coverage (available for pets under 2).

• Veterinary exam coverage for conditions your base policy covers.

• Breeding coverage for issues related to pregnancy and whelping.

• Final expense coverage for burial, cremation and memorials.

Accident-only coverage

AKC's accident-only plan for older pets covers unexpected injuries like snake bites, sprains and broken bones. The plan will pay for medications, scans and surgeries associated with an injury. It won't cover preventive care or treatment for diseases like cancer.

Wellness coverage

AKC has two optional wellness plans, Defender and DefenderPlus. The Defender wellness add-on includes:

• Deworming.

• Heartworm, flea and tick prevention.

• Preventive screenings.

• Vaccines and titers.

• Wellness exam fees.

• Microchipping (in some states).

DefenderPlus, the upgraded version of Defender, also covers spaying, neutering and teeth cleaning.

Note: Coverage options and availability may vary depending on where you live and the age and breed of your pet.

» MORE: What does pet insurance cover?

The CompanionCare policy doesn't cover:

• Inherited or congenital conditions if you buy your policy after your pet turns 2.

• Elective procedures like tail docking and ear clipping.

• Experimental treatments.

• Intentional injuries.

• Pregnancy concerns, unless you add the optional Breeding Coverage.

• Obesity treatments.

• Organ transplants.

• Parasite treatments.

• Prosthesis.

• More than one instance of a foreign body ingestion, dog or cat fight, or toxin ingestion.

• Diets and pet food, unless a prescription diet is the sole treatment for a covered illness or injury.

• Most dental conditions.

» MORE: Is pet insurance worth it?

You can customize your plan with different deductibles, reimbursement rates and coverage limits.

Deductibles

Annual deductibles range from $100 to $1,000 for the CompanionCare plan. AKC's accident-only plan has a fixed $100 deductible. You must meet your deductible before payments from AKC begin. The amount will reset every year.

There’s no deductible for wellness plans.

Reimbursement amounts

With the CompanionCare plan, you can choose to be reimbursed for 70%, 80% or 90% of your vet care costs. Your monthly premium will go up if you choose a higher reimbursement limit. The accident-only plan has a 90% reimbursement rate.

Reimbursement rates don’t apply to wellness plans.

Coverage limits

Annual coverage limits for AKC's customizable accident and illness plan range from $2,500 to unlimited. The higher your coverage limit, the more your policy will cost.

As an alternative to a customizable plan, you may see an option to choose AKC’s “basic” version of CompanionCare when getting a quote. Although it comes with unlimited annual coverage, it also includes a limit on how much you can receive for a single injury or illness.

The accident-only plan comes with $20,000 of annual coverage.

The Defender and DefenderPlus wellness plans have set annual limits for each type of preventive care.

» MORE: The best pet insurance companies

Age restrictions: Depending on where you live, the minimum age may be 8 weeks for dogs and 10 weeks for cats. Pets enrolled at age 2 or above can't get coverage for inherited or congenital conditions. If you enroll a pet over 9 years of age, they won't be eligible for accident and illness coverage — just the accident-only plan.

Waiting periods: A pet insurance waiting period is the time between when you buy your policy and when your coverage takes effect. Waiting periods vary based on where you live but may include some or all of the following:

• 12 months for pre-existing conditions.

• 180 days for cruciate ligament claims.

• Two days for other injuries. 

• 180 days for intervertebral disc disease.

• 14 days for other illnesses.

• No waiting period for wellness plans.

» MORE: Does pet insurance cover prescription food?

The cost of AKC pet insurance depends on where you live, the coverage limits you choose, and your pet’s breed and age.

To give you a rough idea of how much you might pay, we gathered sample rates for several popular dog and cat breeds at ages 2 and 8 living in Katy, Texas. Our sample plan was for accident and illness coverage with a $250 deductible, $5,000 of annual coverage and an 80% reimbursement rate. Your own price will vary.

» MORE: The best cheap pet insurance

Discounts

AKC may offer savings depending on where you live:

• A 5% multipet discount.

• A 10% discount for dogs from Breeder of Merit or Bred with H.E.A.R.T. breeders.

» MORE: The best cheap pet insurance

AKC sells pet insurance through its insurance partners in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Availability may change at any time. Coverage may not be available to all pets in a given state.

» MORE: Best companies for pet dental insurance

Website: The AKC website is easy to navigate and makes it straightforward to sign up for coverage. There's a user portal for making claims, updating coverage and seeing policy details.

Mobile app: AKC policyholders can use the Pet Cloud app to file claims, keep track of vet records and connect with other pet owners in your area.

You can submit claim forms online through the AKC user portal or by email, mail or fax. AKC says it typically pays simple claims within three business days. More complex claims can take up to 30 days. You can check your claim status by logging in to your user portal.

When calculating your claim payout, AKC takes a more generous approach than many pet insurers. It applies your deductible before your reimbursement rate, resulting in a higher payout.

Here’s an example of how AKC might calculate your payout for a $2,000 claim if you had a $500 deductible and an 80% reimbursement rate.

Phone: Customers can call 866-725-2747 Monday through Saturday. There's also a 24/7 dedicated line for vet support.

Email: Send messages to help@akcpetinsurance.com.

Live chat: You can access AKC’s live chat feature from its website.

» MORE: How much does pet insurance cost?

Here’s how AKC stacks up against three other popular pet insurance companies.

AKC vs. Lemonade pet insurance

The main differences between AKC and Lemonade pet insurance are:

Dental coverage. Neither company offers much dental coverage in its standard accident and illness plan. But Lemonade has an optional add-on that can cover dental illnesses like gingivitis and periodontal disease. This type of coverage isn’t available from AKC.

Coverage for pre-existing conditions. Like many pet insurers, Lemonade may cover curable pre-existing conditions as long as they’ve been symptom-free for 12 months. AKC is unique in covering incurable conditions as well after a waiting period.

» READ MORE: Lemonade pet insurance review

AKC vs. Nationwide pet insurance

The biggest differences between AKC and Nationwide pet insurance are:

Animals covered. Unlike AKC, Nationwide sells plans for all sorts of animals besides dogs and cats, including birds and goats.

Coverage for pre-existing conditions. Nationwide won’t cover incurable pre-existing conditions like AKC will in many states.

» READ MORE: Nationwide pet insurance review

AKC vs. Embrace pet insurance

The primary differences between AKC and Embrace pet insurance are:

Coverage for hereditary and congenital conditions. AKC doesn't cover hereditary or congenital conditions unless you buy optional coverage. Even then, you'll need to enroll your pet before age 2 to be eligible. Embrace covers these conditions as part of its standard plan.

Dental coverage. Embrace covers dental illness up to $1,000 per year, while AKC includes coverage only for tooth extractions related to accidents.

» READ MORE: Embrace pet insurance review

• See all of NerdWallet’s pet insurance reviews

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