Owners of valuable canines whose loving attention to their pets was on display this month at the Westminster Dog Show more often than not have no insurance protection against loss of the animals, said an insurer.

Rick J. Lindsey, president and chief executive officer of Prime Insurance Syndicate, which offers coverage for high-priced show dogs, search and rescue, and police dogs, said even though the value of show dogs can run into the tens of thousands of dollars, his firm does not write that much coverage.

And this is despite the fact that "these people obviously, in a lot of cases, do need accidental death, disease and probably transportation coverage, and in some cases theft coverage," he said.

A case that spotlights the need occurred last year, after the Westminster show in New York, when a whippet named Vivi escaped from its crate at Newark Airport. Although the dog's value was about $20,000, Delta airlines paid only $2,800--the cost of a lost piece of luggage of that size and weight, according to reports by The New York Times.

Would Vivi have been covered if her owners had insurance? That depends, Mr. Lindsey said. For example, mortality coverage for an animal, like a human, would require proof of its death.

"Most policies are more for death and injury and may not have covered escape," he said. "You'd have to try and get a doggie death certificate."

However, "we could have certainly covered that peril," he said, adding that theft and mysterious disappearance would most likely be covered under a named peril policy.

Mr. Lindsey's company, with offices in Chicago and Salt Lake City, provides liability coverage--written in all 50 states, "on our own paper and Lloyd's paper," which is not widely available and is marketed mostly through agents and brokers.

Because the dog coverage is not a big ticket product, it often is not pushed and owners of valuable animals may not know it exists, Mr. Lindsey explained. He noted, however, that the coverage is now being offered direct on the company's Web site and that Prime is currently considering marketing direct, through show dog associations.

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Show Dog Owners' Coverage Is Bare Bones, Expert Says

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