PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Many pet owners love their fur-babies so much that many consider them part of the family.
Considering more than 70% of U.S. households have a pet, sometimes those vet bills can really add up and cause hardships for the human family members in charge of the payments.
More adults are now turning to insurance plans for their pets so they can budget and plan what things will cost for their furry roommate.
Samuel Salzman and Shadow are brand-new best buddies.
“I don’t live without dogs so I went to the Humane Society and I kinda did it without my roommate’s permission, so I brought home a dog and surprised them and they hated me for a little bit but then they got used to it,” said Salzman.
It’s easy to see why, as one-year-old Shadow is playful, smart, fun and affectionate.
“He’s very, very friendly, he likes to be in everything, he likes to be involved with everything, he greets me by giving me a hug every time I see him,” Salzman said.
Those hugs were reciprocated by way of an insurance plan as the new dog dad wanted to protect his big boy’s medical needs.
Initially, just the basics were covered, like puppy vaccines and check-ups.
“Then one day we went and he found a mango on the ground and he started eating it and as I’m trying to get it out of his mouth, he swallowed the pit, he swallowed the whole thing because that’s just who he is, he’s like if it’s in my mouth its mine and I’m not giving it up,” said Salzman.
And Salzman was sure not going to give up on Shadow either.
That insurance plan he paid $60 a month into ended up covering 80% of the cost of a $4,000 unforeseen stomach surgery, plus the $300 deductible, of course.
When it comes to pet insurance, animals are not so different from us humans.
In fact, when you lock in those rates as puppies, obviously they will be more inexpensive than if you wait to pay those premiums when these guys are seniors.
Jessical Emanuel works for Spot Insurance and she has seen the pet coverage space really increase over time.
“It’s like human insurance but for your pet,” she said.
These days about 45% of owners pay for insurance for their furry family members.
“Get that coverage,” said Emanuel “It’s so important to have a safety net of coverage in the event of accidents, illnesses or again, preventative care.”
Whether it’s an emergency surgery or a routine visit, the idea is pet parents are banking on the pay in being less than the payout.
“It covers accidents, illnesses, behavioral modification, alternative therapies even chronic issues,” said Emanuel.
As Salzman learned, saving Shadow after his date with a mango was a much easier pit to swallow with his pet insurance plan in place.
“I would have put out a credit card and been in debt,” he said. “I was going to do the surgery no matter what, but thankfully I had the insurance re-instated. I got very, very lucky”
Most pet owners who do not have pet insurance claim the number one reason is because they don’t know enough about it, so challenge yourself to do a little research for the benefit of you and your dog or cat, as there are many different carriers and plans out there.