Petsecure is taking part in this week’s Pet Health Insurance Industry Summit, taking place at the (pet-friendly, of course) Firesky Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The second annual summit, which runs until May 17, is an event where people in the pet insurance business from across North America get together to learn and network about various aspects of the industry.

It’s organized by the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA), a self-governing body comprised of reputable and experience pet insurance companies and professionals in Canada and the United States. We’re a member – among more than 20 different North American pet insurance brands. It’s an important way to share knowledge and to work toward NAPHIA’s goal of setting high standards for the industry in terms of service, coverage and transparency.

Petsecure Business Development Representative Maggie Storry shared her personal experience with pet insurance with The Poop, a newsletter by Hull's Haven Border Collie Rescue in Winnipeg:

Start talking with a dog owner/lover/admirer, and the time will fly as stories are shared about something cute their pup did that day, training advice, what groomer to go to, latest food, or trips to the vet. 

I'm the proud mother of three fur babies, with a dog named Anne (a Pomeranian mix) as well as two cats, Hank and Sam. My oldest cat is 17 and our dog, the youngest, is three. I’m also a regular foster parent with Hull’s Haven Border Collie Rescue. 

I once rolled my eyes at the thought of pet insurance when my veterinarian recommended it for my oldest cat, Hank. At the time of the recommendation I was an apprentice hairstylist, renting a home, and didn’t have a lot of extra money.  I thought “what a waste of money – who has an extra $20 - $40, or more per month?” 

Accidents are bound to happen, though, and as a pet parent, you do what you have to for your pet. We’ve maxed out our credit cards, cleaned out our savings account, borrowed from parents, and picked up part-time jobs. Between the three pets it makes me sick to think of what I have paid in the last 17 years in vet bills. Would I do it again to keep all my babies in my life? Absolutely!  I could do it again with the assistance of Petsecure, though, life would have been a lot easier!

I'm now a Representative at Petsecure pet health insurance, and a big part of my role is raising awareness of pet insurance to pet parents. The fact is that all pets are prone to accidents and illnesses, and while most pet parents will do anything they can to provide their loved animals with the best care possible, oftentimes they can't afford it.  Why not use a company like Petsecure to assist you when these difficult times happen?

I find it a lot easier to budget a set amount of money per month to pay into my pet health insurance plan than to keep a savings account for the unexpected. Besides, what if something happened to one of my pets in a week, month, or year? Would I have enough in my savings account to cover the bill? Aside from accidents and illness, Petsecure has a policy that also includes routine care coverage. Even if your pet is young and healthy, don’t forget that with age comes an increased chance for an accident or illness to occur. Petsecure has no age limitations either, so senior pets can enjoy the benefits of pet health insurance.

My dog Anne recently hurt her leg.  Before, this would've been be a “do we take her or do we give it a day?” kind of moment. Knowing that I had her insured, and that 80% of our bill was going to be covered, I felt comfortable calling the vet’s office right away to make an appointment.

The veterinary industry gets a lot of criticism for the cost of services they provide for our pets, but vets are providing one-stop medical care for our pets at a fraction of what we'd have to pay for ourselves. When was the last time you or I could go to our doctor and get a physical, x-rays, blood and analysis, chiropractor, dental cleaning, and surgery all under the same roof and within such a short time frame?  .

Petsecure’s products are a direct response to the potentially high costs involved in diagnosing and treating pets using humane-grade technology.  We use these insurance products for ourselves, why not with our pets?

Last month, you helped us raise over $1,500 for D’Arcy’s ARC, a no-kill animal shelter in Winnipeg.  Now that we’re into May, just one click is all it takes to help another worthy Canadian pet organization.

In May, we’ll donate $1 for every new Twitter follower and .50 for every new ‘like’ on our Facebook page to the Farley Foundation, a registered charity that helps people in need by subsidizing the cost of non-elective veterinary care for their pets.

Established and administered by the Ontario Veterinary Medicine Association (OVMA), the foundation has been helping Ontario residents since 2001, and relies primarily on donations to continue operating.  Some of the people (and their pets) most commonly benefiting from the Farley Foundation’s assistance include seniors on limited incomes or in care facilities, disabled people,  and women entering into registered women’s shelters as part of the OVMA’s SafePet program.

The Farley Foundation’s name and mascot come from renowned Canadian cartoonist Lynn Johnston, creator of For Better or For Worse. She loaned one of her most-loved characters, Farley the English Sheepdog – based on her own first dog – to the foundation. Johnston has also used her public status to help promote the foundation and its work.

May isn’t the only month you can help:  you can make an impact all year round by donating via the Farley Foundation’s website.

Recently, Petsecure’s name and logo have been misappropriated by someone targeting would-be pet owners in the United States. The victims have been led to believe they’ve purchased puppies online from an overseas company, but before they can pick up their new pets, they`re asked to pay for a “refundable” life insurance policy.

This is an example of what is commonly referred to as advance-fee fraud or advance-fee scam – a type of confidence trick where the victim is asked to pay up front to receive something (an inheritance, business transaction, pet, etc.) that’s never delivered.  The use of the Petsecure logo appears to be a follow up scam for people who were originally deceived into paying for non-existent pets. 

Petsecure doesn’t offer pet life insurance andour pet health insurance products are only available for pet owners in Canada, but the company’s logo is being misused in an attempt to make these fraudulent requests appear legitimate.

While there’s no evidence that existing Petsecure customers have been targeted, if you’re ever concerned about any correspondence you receive about your pet’s policies, please feel free to check any information against our website or contact someone at Petsecure directly. We’re here to answer any questions you may have about material with our name on it. 

For more information about these types of advance-fee frauds involving pets, check out this Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance-fee_fraud#Pet_scams


An example of the way Petsecure's logo has been misused in an advance-fee fraud email. 

Warm weather means an increase in the prevalence of ticks, which can spread diseases and illnesses to dogs as well as cause inflammation and discomfort. Different species of ticks are more common during different seasons, with dog ticks appearing in the spring and deer ticks –which can infect both pets and humans with Lyme disease – in the fall.

Pets should be inspected on a regular basis at these times of year, especially dogs spending time in long grass or brush. Cats can also be affected by tick bites, but are more likely to remove ticks on their own during regular grooming routines.

If you find a tick on your dog, you can remove it with a pair of tweezers or a commercial tick-removal device. Grab the tick near its head and pull with a slight twisting motion. If you’re removing ticks by hand, you’re encouraged to use gloves, even though it’s unlikely tick-borne diseases will be passed to humans during removal.

The best way to dispose of a tick once you’ve removed it from your pet is to put it in a jar of rubbing alcohol, which reduces the possibility of contamination.

If your dog spends a lot of time outside, it might be beneficial to purchase a tick collar or any of a wide range of drop-on tick repellent and prevention products. In areas of high tick prevalence, many vets recommend routine tests for Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses at the same time as a regular heartworm test.

Tick-borne illnesses are fairly common reasons for pet owners to seek veterinary help. Check out the stories of Kenzie and Stuart in our True Tails section.

For more information about Lyme disease, take a look at the Pethealthipedia section on our website.