Saturday was an ultra-cute opportunity to look at the difference these animals make in our lives.
Saturday was National Puppy Day and across the country, dog owners and dog lovers took the opportunity to appreciate how important these animals are to us and the difference we can make to them, too.
Increasingly dogs are seen as furry family members as opposed to being animal possessions.
The last couple of decades have marked a strong difference in the way we think of our pets. They are beloved companions, but what they do for us goes far beyond mere friendship. For many people, they’re members of the family. On National Puppy Day, pet insurance companies remind dog owners of how important these pets truly are, and of the difference coverage can make.
As dogs become more important to their families, the veterinary industry has progressed by leaps and bounds in its research and available treatments. After all, dog owners aren’t willing to give up on their pets when there might be something they can do to heal them when they’re sick or injured. That said, those treatments and therapies cost money. Often, a lot of money.
National Puppy Day lets current and prospective dog owners consider the difference coverage can make.
As Americans watch adorable puppy videos online and share pictures of their own pups over social media, they are also increasingly considering pet insurance. The reason is that this coverage can help them to be able to afford treatments that would be out of their financial reach should their dogs require them. Pet owners don’t want to have to decide between the health – or the life – of their dog and their own financial ruin.
According to the Trupanion, a pet insurance company based in Seattle, the last five years have seen a striking rise in the number of policies they’ve sold. Trupanion’s chief data officer and chief member experience officer, T.J. Houk, said the company’s stock has seen 20 to 30 percent growth over the nine years he has been with the insurer. Over the last half decade, they’ve received over 80,00 claims for cancer treatment and have paid out over $34 million for those claims.
Though the pet insurance trend has been growing much more quickly in other parts of the world – such as the United Kingdom – Americans have been slower to take on these policies. However, it appears that the trend is 
changing, with National Puppy Day and other reminders helping dog owners to take a second look at what is available to them and whether or not it would make a difference they may someday need.
