Insurance Times cements new Pet Pledge partnership with Peia

Insurance Times has joined forces with not-for-profit membership organisation the Pet and Equine Insurance Association (Peia) to launch a collaborative programme and campaign focused on animal welfare, access to veterinary care and the long-term sustainability of pet insurance.

The partnership, entitled The Pet Pledge, will begin in December 2026 in line with Peia’s end-of-year Members Forum – an Aviva sponsored event that is scheduled to be held in London on 4 December 2026.

At this forum event, Peia will share a new research project it is developing with technology provider ICE-Tech, which strives to map the whole companion animal welfare journey – from the point at which someone first considers bringing an animal into their life, through to acquisition, insurance, veterinary care, changing health needs and end-of-life care.

Called the Companion Animal Welfare Journey, the research explores the pet welfare timeline and touchpoints from the perspectives of the animal, the person responsible for them, the veterinary profession and the insurer, identifying the decisions, influences, communication gaps and areas of friction that can affect access to appropriate care.

The findings from the Companion Animal Welfare Journey and membership feedback from December’s forum will then help to inform a series of in-person roundtables scheduled for 2027, hosted jointly by Insurance Times and Peia.

These lunchtime events will bring together different people and perspectives from Peia’s 60-strong organisation members – which includes insurers, MGAs and specialist service providers – to explore priority challenge areas in greater depth, test the research evidence and identify where further investigation or collective action could make the greatest difference.

The Companion Animal Welfare Journey research, 2027 roundtables and wider stakeholder engagement will ultimately inform The Pet Pledge – Peia’s first manifesto of shared priorities and practical commitments, created in collaboration with Insurance Times.

Working groups will be established following the manifesto creation in 2027, delving into agreed areas to develop and take forward practical action – for example, around mitigating insurance fraud in the pet insurance sector.

Moving the dial

Speaking on the collaboration, Katie Scott, Insurance Times content director, said: “The challenges arising in the pet insurance market are multifaceted, nuanced – and fast becoming a more visible point of friction for insurers, veterinary practitioners and pet parents alike.

“Peia’s passion, drive and dedication to genuinely help the pet insurance market to ultimately benefit animals and pets is inspirational.

“At Insurance Times, we are thrilled to be collaborating with Peia on The Pet Pledge campaign, helping to steer industry conversations through tough topics to hopefully result in positive, proactive steps that can improve market practices.”

Sharon Brown, chief executive at Peia, added: “The Pet Pledge is about moving from individual conversations about individual problems to a much better understanding of how the whole system fits together.

“The Companion Animal Welfare Journey gives us the evidence base. December gives us the opportunity to put that emerging work in front of a broad group of stakeholders and test it properly – and our partnership with Insurance Times will then help us take those conversations further through the 2027 roundtables.

“We don’t want to start with predetermined answers. We want the evidence and the people who work across this ecosystem to help us identify where collective action can genuinely improve animal welfare, access to care and the long-term sustainability of pet insurance.”