Pet Killers Collect Insurance Money.

The Association of British Insurers is raising alarm about a disturbing trend, people killing and injuring family pets to collect insurance money.

Currently, 2.3 million cats and dogs in Britain are covered by insurance plans. If an insured animal gets sick or injured, their insurance company will pay part or all of their vet expenses and if the animal dies an “early death” the policy holder is entitled to a pay out.

Killing and injuring family pets to collect insurance money is not a new scheme but it is on the rise. Between the period of 2008 and 2010, pet insurance fraud skyrocketed 440 percent.

The Association of British Insurers is currently working on plans for a nationwide database of animal vet records which they hope will reduce the amount of fraud. They hope that keeping better records will help catch people who are deliberately injuring animals for cash before they escalate to murder.