Petsecure: In Your Community

 Proud to attend CFHS conference

The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS) presented its third annual National Animal Welfare Conference on April 16-19 in Toronto, Ontario. The event represents the diversity of animal welfare leaders in Canada, and Petsecure was happy to be a part of it.

Petsecure representatives attended and experienced the positive energy of the conference. They brought their support of humane care for all animals while promoting the benefits of pet health insurance for cats and dogs across Canada.

When asked why Petsecure supports the CFHS, Petsecure’s Chrissy Gaetan, Regional Manager for Eastern Canada said, “It’s important that we take part in raising awareness of how animals are treated and what we can be doing as humans to better support that. Petsecure offers pet health insurance through shelters and rescue groups and this works hand-in-hand towards finding homes for stray and unwanted pets. We share values in companion animal care.” Tanya Butson, Territory Manager for Southern Ontario added, “Being a part of an organization that captures the essence of humane treatment of animals in our country is immensely important to me.”

Petsecure works closely with the CFHS through the Adoptsecure program, which is a complimentary six-week trial of pet health insurance for new adopters. The trial adds value to adoptions with accident and illness coverage, providing peace of mind to new owners focusing on their pet adjusting to their new home. Petsecure also sponsors other events with CFHS. For example, they are a sponsor for the Just for Cats Video Festival.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! In this video, our mascot friend Murphy is playing in the park when he falls and hurts his leg. Luckily, he's reminded that he has Petsecure pet health insurance!

...and don't worry: no dogs (or dog mascots) were hurt in the making of this film. Murphy's a pretty good stunt-dog and our camera crew was there to keep him safe.

New Kitten or Cat? Put Pet Insurance on Your “Must-Have” List

by Pam Johnson-Bennett, CCBC

Whether your new feline companion is a young kitten or an adult, your thoughts are geared toward raising a healthy, happy cat. Aside from routine veterinary exams and vaccinations, you may not be focused on years down the road when your cat may need extensive and expensive medical care. Understandably, it’s hard to look at this little ball of furry energy and imagine a time when he won’t be healthy.

Many of the behaviour clients I visit are in the early stages of sharing their lives with cats. I’m often called to do consultations as a preventative to help with training, cat-proofing and to answer behavior questions. Most clients are surprised when I bring up the subject of pet medical insurance. In homes with multiple cats, this becomes even more crucial, in my opinion. According to the 2014 Canadian Pet Market Outlook, there are approximately 7.9 million cats in Canadian homes. Many of those households have multiple cats.

For many new pet parents who have never gone through a pet’s long-term illness or serious injury, it’s hard to imagine the cost. We’re fortunate to have advanced veterinary diagnostic abilities, treatments and medicine. Pets live longer with a better quality of life because of modern veterinary medicine.

When I talk to behaviour clients about the benefits of pet insurance, I speak not only as a behaviour consultant but also as a pet parent who has endured tremendous financial hardship because I didn’t make the choice to insure my cats when they were young. One of my cats lived to be 20 and the last 6 years of his life we dealt with renal failure and IBD. Ensuring his quality of life meant frequent veterinary care. After Albie passed away, we were left with my feline family consisting of a 24-year-old cat, an 18-year-old cat and a 17-year-old cat. We dealt with hyperthyroidism, radiation treatment, renal failure, surgeries and one cancer diagnosis. This was all extremely expensive but like so many cat parents, I would do all I could to keep my cats healthy, happy and pain-free.

When I visit my behaviour clients, there is often no short supply of cat toys, cat furniture and the best food money can buy. If I recommend a specific product, such as a particular type of scratching post or cat bed, my clients are compliant and follow up on my professional recommendations. They also follow any behavior protocols I map out to correct or hopefully avoid behavior problems. It’s when I start discussing pet insurance that some clients don’t seem to be able to look into the future far enough to ever imagine that the bright-eyed little furball happily chasing a toy will ever be anything other than healthy.

There are so many products on the market today to help your cat live a happy, enriched, healthy life. The assortment of everything from toys to cat food seems endless. Cat parents consider their feline companions to be members of the family. I would love to see more families avoid that heartbreaking decision of not being able to continue veterinary care because of financial hardship. In my 32 years of doing consultations, I’ve held the hands of too many grieving pet parents as they made that heartbreaking decision to stop medical treatment because they were at the end of the road financially.

As you hold that furry little kitten, plan not only for his health today but for many years to come. Pet insurance needs to be on your “must-have” list.

 About Pam Johnson-Bennett      

Petsecure Territory Manager Melissa attended the 7th annual Spay-Ghetti Dinner in support of Craig Street Cats!

Don’t leave your dog in a cold car

Petsecure continues to expand Veterinary Advisory Board

Petsecure pet health insurance, Canada’s largest pet health insurance company, continues to expand the Petsecure Veterinary Advisory Board (PVAB) with the appointment of Dr. Jayne Takahashi.  

Dr. Takahashi is a communications professional in the pet health industry and has held a number of positions including companion animal veterinarian, pet nutrition counselor and educator, national marketing manager in the pet food industry and Vice President of Communications for Canada’s largest network of veterinary practices.  She is currently a communication consultant and coach for veterinary practices through her company, Communication Leads.  During her diverse career, she has been awarded with the Meritorious Service award by the Alberta Association of Animal Health Technologists and was recognized with the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association Communication Award and the Urban Animal Strategies Summit Award for Communication.

“I am very pleased to welcome Dr. Takahashi to Petsecure’s Veterinary Advisory Board,” said Rod Cunniam, President and Chief Operating Officer of Petsecure pet health insurance, which is underwritten by Western Financial Insurance Company. “Petsecure continues to focus on expanding our reach and providing support to the veterinary community through our Territory Managers across Canada. As Petsecure is the leading Canadian solution for pet health insurance, the appointment of Dr. Takahashi also brings the added dimension of ensuring we have complete coast to coast representation for Petsecure as she is a resident of British Columbia.”

The PVAB is represented by veterinarians from across Canada who uphold the highest standards for exceptional pet health care in the industry. Board members possess a unique knowledge and expertise and are committed to collaborating with industry partners and shareholders to explore innovative ways to make pet health insurance more accessible to all pet owners. The PVAB’s goal is to support and enhance the pet health industry by providing pet owners with the knowledge and means to receive quality care for their pets and support veterinarians with additional resources to care for all pets with the most effective treatments available.

Dr. Bernhard Pukay, Chairman of the Petsecure Veterinary Advisory Board said, “I am very excited that Dr. Takahashi is joining the Board. Her diverse industry experience and her exceptional communication skills will enhance our Board with new and valuable expertise.”

“I am thrilled to join the PVAB,” said Dr. Takahashi. “I look forward to sharing my experiences and knowledge with the Board so that we can continue to strengthen the pet health care industry for pet owners across Canada.”

10 Reasons Your Pet is the Best Date on Valentine’s Day

You may remember the story of Breezy, a dog from Ottawa who was beaten and left for dead by her former owner. She was rehabilitated, the owner was given a jail sentence, and she found a new forever home. Petsecure helped her on her road to recovery with a year of free pet health insurance.

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