Pet insurance first crossed my mind after seeing my Bullmastiff run down my steep deck stairs chasing after a deer. She took a hard right, ended up on the ground and was unable to walk. It turned out she had torn her Cruciate Ligament, aka ACL. After a hefty veterinary bill of $2800.00, and in hindsight, I decided maybe I should have gotten insurance before this happened. Not wanting to pay another substantial bill such as this, I immediately purchased an insurance plan for her as well as one for my new puppy. It turns out, the younger the dog, the cheaper the monthly rate. As the dog ages, the monthly fee increases.

My puppy went five years without any need for the insurance but then it happened. He tore his ACL. Now you say, “how can that happen again”? My breed of choice, Bullmastiffs are known for this type of injury. In fact, over a ten year period, I was exposed to five of these surgeries. Four on my Bullmastiff’s and one on my Chihuahua. Yes, that’s correct. Even my little rescue Chihuahua could not escape this fate. [Read more…]