[waynes]

I purchased the ASPCA Pet Insurance for my new pup (a rescued mutt) on the basis of a) the brand - ASPCA and b) price/payout.

I selected the policy mostly for "disaster" type insurance, not everyday "wellness" reimbursement.

One would figure that since the ASPCA promotes as one of its top missions; animal Neuter/Spaying, to control the animal population; that would be evident to some level in all their branded insurance product.

Surprise - unless you pay for level 3 or 4 which is, in my opinion, way to expensive, especially if you want some type of reimbursement for the procedure (around me Vets get about $350, I paid about $190 with chipping him at the North Shore Animal League), the return on investment would take about 3 years.

Absurd. Now, I'm not saying they (ASPCA Pet Insurance) should pay any particular amount at lower levels, but they should pay you something for being a good pet owner and following the mission mandates of the ASPCA.

They pay nothing, not even a farthing! How sad, how pathetic, how unconscionable!

When called on the carpet they argue that "no one else does it". ASPCA, the other insurance companies AREN'T the ASPCA!

If you do a Google search on "ASPCA PET INSURANCE COMPLAINTS" you see pages of them...

A word to the wise; don't buy ASPCA PET INSURANCE based on the fact that it is branded with the ASPCA name, do your research...

A closing interesting factoid: in their recent IRS 990 (tax return) they don't list how much money they get from their Pet Insurance program and take a look what the CEO of the ASPCA gets paid (both in comparison to the other top officers and the fact that it is a Non-Profit). If this was a for-profit organization, I'd have no complaint with his compensation.

 

[Dragonrain]

You really have to do your research when it comes to pet insurance. I mean really really look into each company and what they do and don't cover. Some of them are tricky and figuring out what they will actually cover from year to year can be confusing.

I spent a lot of time looking into insurance for our dog but in the end we decided to just use the money that we would have spent paying insurance fees to opening a savings account instead. That way I can just save up a vet fund on my own.

Just as an aside, ASPCA is one of the big names when it comes to animal shelters but just because they are one of the most well known doesn't mean they are perfect. Always do your research when choosing an animal shelter to support and don't go by the name alone. The ASPCA shelter in my area has, in my opinion, made some very questionable decisions and I personally don't support them. There are other, not big name but still excellent, animal shelters that receive my support instead.

 

[wendylv5]

I looked into Pet Insurance when i got my Great Dane and realized it is not worth it. It is better to open up a seperate Animal Medical Account at a bank and deposit into it once a month or weekly then to get insurance, in my opinion. Why give other people your money when you can set it aside yourself.