More households in the U.S. report having a pet than kids — and 80% of us pet owners consider our fur babies as our own children. Yet when a pet suddenly gets ill or has a horrible accident, their human parents are left to make terrible choices about whether to seek expensive veterinary treatment, or let the animals suffer because of high costs. Unlike with people, it’s very hard to cover cats, dogs, and other companion animals with private pet health insurance. Many pets are considered ineligible for life-saving insurance because they’re too old or have pre-existing conditions.
Many emergency veterinary procedures — as well as more “simple” overnight observation and lab work — can result in price tags adding up to many, many thousands of dollars. Without health insurance to help out, that’s an impossible fee for many pet owners. As a result, humans sometimes feel compelled to euthanize their pets as the most financially realistic way to reduce their beloved companion’s suffering. This is a heartbreaking state of affairs. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Human health insurance allows people to add children, spouses, and other dependent relatives to family plans — so it’s time to add pets to that list, too. It’s the only humane way to make sure our fur babies can truly access the care they need. Affordable healthcare for pets would save lives. Demand that insurers include an option to add companion animals as family members!