Media release
Important updates to RSPCA Pet Insurance
From 1 April 2026, new RSPCA Pet Insurance policies are underwritten by Pacific International Insurance (replacing our previous underwriter, The Hollard Insurance Company, and administrator, PetSure).
This new partnership gives the RSPCA a direct say in how your products are developed, with animal welfare in mind, and helps ensure your money goes towards caring for animals in need. You can switch to the new RSPCA Pet Insurance at any time by contacting us on 1300 777 220.
If your policy renews with The Hollard Insurance Company (Hollard), including its retail brands: Buddy Pet Insurance and Real Pet Insurance, it will no longer be an RSPCA Pet Insurance product. Your premium will also no longer support the work of the RSPCA.
It’s important to note that the RSPCA does not endorse Buddy Pet Insurance or Real Pet Insurance. If you have questions about these policies, please contact the administrator of those policies, PetSure Australia, directly. For everything else, we’re here to help.
Frequently asked questions
RSPCA Pet Insurance has partnered with a new insurance provider.
Up until 31 March 2026, RSPCA Pet Insurance policies were underwritten by Hollard. From 1 April 2026, all new RSPCA Pet Insurance policies are underwritten by Pacific International Insurance.
If your policy started on or after 1 April 2026, your insurer is Pacific International Insurance. If your policy started before 1 April 2026, your policy is with Hollard unless you have chosen to move to Pacific International Insurance or a different insurer.
Absolutely. The product, the brand, and our commitment to animal welfare are all continuing; what has changed is the underwriter behind RSPCA Pet Insurance. From April 2026, that is now Pacific International Insurance.
Pacific International Insurance Pty Ltd is an Australian-based general insurer.
The RSPCA conducted a thorough selection process via a Request for Tender process before entering into this partnership, and considered how the product would support animal welfare and policyholder outcomes in its decision.
RSPCA Pet Insurance has launched Direct2Vet. This is a payment solution that operates in a similar way as the GapOnly service and ensures a customer isn’t out of pocket for approved claims submitted through Direct2Vet.
Direct2Vet allows eligible claims to be processed and paid directly to your vet. This reduces the out-of-pocket gap you need to cover at the time of treatment.
Under the previous arrangement, communications with policyholders were managed by Hollard as part of its standard process as the APRA-registered insurer. If you have questions about your existing policy, you should contact Hollard or PetSure Australia directly. Their contact details can be found by clicking here.
For questions about new RSPCA Pet Insurance policies underwritten by Pacific International Insurance from 1 April 2026, please contact RSPCA Pet Insurance on 1300 777 200. We’re wanting to speak with you regarding this change.
This transition reflects RSPCA’s commitment to delivering stronger animal welfare outcomes and helping ensure that your insurance premium contributes to animals in need across Australia.
Through this change, the RSPCA has a more direct role in decision-making about how products are designed and distributed with animal welfare in mind.
Absolutely not. The RSPCA doesn’t endorse and can’t otherwise advise you on the terms or suitability of any product offered to you by Hollard, including Buddy Pet Insurance or Real Pet Insurance, and we can’t comment on any renewal process they may have initiated. For questions about a Hollard policy or any offer made to you by Hollard, you can contact PetSure Australia.
The impact on your policy depends on when it started.
If your policy started before 1 April 2026: Your policy remains with Hollard and is administered by PetSure Australia. Hollard and PetSure Australia no longer sell or renew RSPCA Pet Insurance policies. If your policy comes up for renewal, Hollard will offer to renew it under a non-RSPCA brand such as Buddy Pet Insurance or Real Pet Insurance, which will not contribute to the RSPCA.
You have a choice and should carefully review all options.
- You can choose to remain with Hollard under their alternative insurance offering; or
- You can move to a new RSPCA Pet Insurance policy underwritten by Pacific International Insurance.
If your policy started on or after 1 April 2026: Your policy is already underwritten by Pacific International Insurance, and your premiums contribute directly to the RSPCA’s animal welfare work.
If you stay with Hollard rather than switching to the new RSPCA Pet Insurance, you’ll continue to receive renewal notices as usual when your policy is due. But Hollard no longer sells or renews RSPCA Pet Insurance policies, so instead of renewing your current policy, Hollard will offer you a replacement policy under a different brand in its portfolio, such as Buddy Pet Insurance or Real Pet Insurance.
Your replacement policy will not be an RSPCA Pet Insurance product, and your premiums will not contribute to the RSPCA. The RSPCA has no role in, and doesn’t endorse, the replacement policy offered to you by Hollard.
If your current policy is with Hollard and you’d like your premiums to continue supporting the RSPCA, you’ll need to take out a new RSPCA Pet Insurance policy underwritten by Pacific International Insurance.
You can make the switch at any time. If you’d like assistance with this, please contact RSPCA Pet Insurance on 1300 777 220. We’re here to help you.
If you choose to move to a new RSPCA Pet Insurance policy underwritten by Pacific International Insurance, and you provide a valid, active Certificate of Insurance from your current RSPCA Pet Insurance policy issued by Hollard, you will:
- have no new exclusion periods for conditions that are already covered under your current policy;
- continue to get cover for conditions that have previously been claimed for on your current policy; and
- retain your current annual limit and benefit percentage for those conditions.
