Petcover and Petplan Australasia are merging as the combined business pursues expansion opportunities amid increasing demand for cover.

The Petcover Group will no longer issue new policies under the Petplan name, a UK-based brand brought into Australia by Gwen and Doug Ford in 2004. The couple later launched Petcover as a separate business with a wider product range that has also provided a flagship for international expansion.

Both brands have provided cover for dogs, cats and horses, while Petcover also offers insurance for exotics such as lizards, turtles and parrots.

“The newly formed Australian alliance moves away from the UK Petplan relationship to a single brand, under the Petcover Group,” the insurer said last week.

“It also aligns to the regulator view in that it offers customers more choice under one brand rather than offering the same product under multiple brands giving the customer the illusion that they have choice.”

Policies are underwritten by HDI Global Specialty, while some Petplan policies commenced before April 2017 are continuing with Allianz under a run-off arrangement.

Petcover Group has also launched Petcover New Zealand and has absorbed Petplan NZ, in line with the Australian changes.

Mr Ford says the group treats each pet as an individual, and asks questions upfront to minimise cover restrictions and to protect customers from unexpected surprises, such as a claim being declined.

“Our aim is to take our many years of experience and success in the pet insurance market as far as possible, and to ensure we protect as many pet owners and their special pet friends as we can,” he says.

Petcover also operates in the UK, has established an office in Austria and is looking at further expansion in Europe.