Taking your lockdown Lab with you on holiday? Pack a Frisbee and pet travel insurance.
Frollicking with Fido on a far-flung beach? Great! Need emergency pet care abroad? Ouch, the bills may bite back.
Travelling with pets has never been easier. Many hotels and vacation rentals now allow pets. In some, Fido doesn’t even have to fetch his breakfast: pet-friendly room service offerings may include [carefully-labelled, one hopes] snacks and meals. But what happens if Fifi gets injured or becomes ill abroad? What if you get sick and have to go home suddenly, leaving your bestie behind? That’s why you need pet travel insurance.
Pet travel insurance vs pet insurance
Both types of policies cover unexpected medical costs for your animals.
What’s different? Pet travel insurance offers coverage and services specifically designed for emergencies whilst travelling. How’s your Polish for ‘My dog ate something stinky and hasn’t stopped barfing for 12 hours’? If you have an emergency and have to leave your pet behind, pet travel insurance handles care and transport of your pal, including paperwork. (Medevac choppers don’t make room for cat-carriers)
Re-pet-riation and other services
Sure, some people take their pets to Paris, but tons of travellers treat their pets to more rural destinations. Whilst your regular pet insurance may cover expenses, if something happens to you or your pooch away from home, you may need more than just financial support.
Pet travel insurance customer service agents have the know-how to handle emergencies in a variety of foreign languages and training in how to handle a seamless re-pet-riation, in case you have an emergency. They can help you locate an emergency vet. If you have to go home suddenly, they can make sure your animal gets the care it needs, all the way home. This means your pet has the best possible care, even if you can’t be there.
Fur, feathers, two legs or four? What about my iguana?
Thanks to the Industrial Mammal Complex, most policies only cover dogs and cats.
Think outside the doggy park, but read the fine print
Even if just headed a few towns over, consider pet travel insurance for any trips outside of your regular travel insurance coverage area. Remember: emergency vet bills start at $100, just to walk in the door.
Regular pet insurance may have coverage restrictions for off-leash activities. Consider where you’ll be and what you’ll be doing, as well as any pre-existing conditions. Does your animal fit the requirements? (Again, usually no scaly or slimy friends; if your cat or dog is scaly or slimy, go back to the bit about pre-existing conditions)
Vet care has come a long way since the days of a bandage and a cone. So have prices. With pet travel insurance, your best friend doesn’t have to stay! at home.
