PetQuick answer
Does pet insurance cover boarding in Canada? Sometimes — a small number of plans include a boarding benefit that reimburses kennel costs specifically if you're hospitalized and can't care for your pet. Routine boarding for travel or convenience is never covered. Don't confuse this with your pet's own hospitalization, which is a separate, more commonly covered benefit on comprehensive plans.
Two very different things
- Owner-hospitalization boarding benefit — offered by a minority of insurers as an add-on or included perk: if you are hospitalized and can't care for your pet, the plan reimburses boarding costs up to a limit. Not universal — check if your insurer offers it at all.
- Routine boarding (travel, vacation, convenience) — never covered by pet insurance, regardless of provider.
- Pet hospitalization — if your pet needs overnight hospitalization for a covered illness or injury, that's a standard, commonly covered part of comprehensive plans — a completely different benefit from boarding.
How to check
- Ask specifically: "Do you offer an owner-hospitalization boarding benefit, and what's the daily/annual limit?"
- Don't assume it exists — most Canadian plans don't include it.
- Confirm your pet's own hospitalization coverage separately — that's the one that matters most for a typical claim.
Frequently asked questions
Does pet insurance cover boarding or kennel costs?
Sometimes — a small number of Canadian plans include a boarding benefit that reimburses kennel costs if you're hospitalized and unable to care for your pet. Routine boarding for travel or convenience is never covered; this benefit is specifically tied to owner hospitalization, and it's not universal.
Is pet hospitalization itself covered?
Yes — hospitalization of your pet for a covered illness or injury (overnight stays, monitoring, IV fluids) is covered on comprehensive plans as part of that condition's treatment. This is different from boarding your healthy pet elsewhere.
How much does boarding cost in Canada?
Typical boarding runs roughly $30–$70/night depending on city and facility type, with add-ons for medication administration or special needs care costing more.